MEMS variable capacitor and method for driving the same
AssigneesLG Innotek Co., Ltd., Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
InventorsChang Wook Kim, Dong Chan Park, Ju Young Song, Sang Hun Lee, Sung Bae Cho, Hyun Ho Yang, Jun Bo Yoon, Dong Hoon Choi, Chang Hoon Han
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed herein is an MEMS variable capacitor and its driving method, the MEMS variable capacitor including, a first electrode, a second electrode floating over the first electrode upper part, a fixed electrode separated at the second electrode side surface, and a drifting electrode placed between the second electrode and the fixed electrode, connected to the second electrode, and physically contacting the fixed electrode by a voltage applied to the fixed electrode.
Claims8
A MEMS variable capacitor, comprising:
- a first electrode;
- a second electrode floating over an upper part of the first electrode;
- a fixed electrode separated at a side surface of the second electrode;
- an electric source including a first electric source for applying a voltage to the first electrode and a second electric source for applying a voltage to the fixed electrode;
- a drifting electrode placed between the second electrode and the fixed electrode, connected to the second electrode, and configured to contact the fixed electrode by applying a voltage from the second electric source to the fixed electrode and producing electrostatic force between the fixed electrode and the drifting electrode;
- a first insulating film on the first electrode for electric short prevention with the second electrode;
- and
- a second insulating film on the fixed electrode for electric short prevention with the drifting electrode;
- wherein the second electrode is configured to be contacted with the first electrode by the voltage of the first electric source,
- wherein the voltage of the first electric source is lower than a pull-in voltage and the voltage of the second electric source is higher than the pull-in voltage,
- wherein the second electric source is configured to apply the voltage to the fixed electrode after the first electric source applies the voltage to the first electrode, and
- wherein the first electrode and the fixed electrode are formed at a substrate, and the second electrode and the drifting electrode are connected to a spring fixed to the substrate so that the second electrode floats over the upper part of the first electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.