Microfabricated double-throw relay with multimorph actuator and electrostatic latch mechanism
First Claim
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1. A microfabricated relay comprising:
- a substrate;
a cover positioned above the substrate;
a base attached to the substrate;
load signal lines comprising a first load signal line, a second load signal line, and a third load signal line;
control signal lines comprising a first drive signal line, a second drive signal line, a first latch signal line, and a second latch signal line;
a compound armature structure comprising a latch armature structure, the latch armature structure comprising an anchor region attached to the base, a latch deflection region, the latch deflection region comprising a first region attached to the anchor region and a second region that is moveable between a passive position and a lower latched position and an upper latched position, the latch deflection region further comprising a first material that changes size by a first amount in response to a first stimulus and changes size by a third amount in response to a second stimulus, and a second material that changes size by a second amount due to the first stimulus and changes size by a fourth amount in response to the second stimulus, the first and second amounts being unequal and applying a first deflection force to the latch deflection region in response to the first stimulus, the first deflection force tending to move the second region from the passive position toward the lower latched position;
the third and fourth amounts being unequal and applying a second deflection force to the latch deflection region in response to the second stimulus, the second deflection force tending to move the second region from the passive position toward the upper latched position;
a first latch electrode, the first latch electrode being located on a portion of a lower surface of the second region of the latch deflection region and electrically connected to the first latch signal line;
a second latch electrode, the second latch electrode being formed on the substrate generally below the first latch electrode and electrically connected to the second latch signal line;
a first latch electrode insulator, the first latch electrode insulator preventing electrical contact between the first latch electrode and the second latch electrode when the second region of the deflection region is in the lower latched position;
a third latch electrode, the third latch electrode being located on a portion of an upper surface of the second region of the latch deflection region and electrically connected to the first latch signal line;
a fourth latch electrode, the fourth latch electrode being formed on a lower surface of the cover generally above the third latch electrode and electrically connected to the third latch signal line;
a second latch electrode insulator, the second latch electrode insulator preventing electrical contact between the third latch electrode and the fourth latch electrode when the second region of the deflection region is in the upper latched position;
a means for selectively applying the first stimulus or the second stimulus to the latch deflection region;
a load armature structure comprising an anchor region attached to the base;
a coupling region joining the load armature structure to the latch armature structure;
a contact deflection region comprising a first region attached to the anchor region and a second region that is moveable between an open position and a lower closed position and an upper closed position, the lower closed position being established when the second region of the latch deflection region is in the lower latched position and the upper closed position being established when the second region of the latch deflection region is in the upper latched position;
a first contact electrode formed on a portion of a lower surface of the second region of the contact deflection region;
a second contact electrode formed on the substrate generally beneath the first contact electrode, the first contact electrode and the second contact electrode being brought into electrical contact with a first contact force when the contact deflection region is in the lower closed position, the contact deflection region moving in conjunction with the latch deflection region;
a third contact electrode formed on a portion of an upper surface of the second region of the contact deflection region; and
a fourth contact electrode formed on a lower surface of the cover generally above the third contact electrode, the third contact electrode and the fourth contact electrode being brought into electrical contact with a second contact force when the contact deflection region is in the upper closed position, the contact deflection region moving in conjunction with the latch deflection region.
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Abstract
This invention is a new type of relay that incorporates the functional combination of multimorph actuator elements with electrostatic state holding mechanisms in the development of a micromachined switching device. This combination of elements provides the benefits of high-force multimorph actuators with those of zero-power electrostatic capacitive latching in microfabricated relays with high reliability and low power consumption. The operation of the relay invention allows for several stable states for the device: a passive state using no power, an active state driving the multimorph actuator with some power, and a latched state electrostatically holding the switch state requiring essentially no power. Multimorph actuators covered by this invention include piezoelectric, thermal, and buckling multimorph actuation mechanisms. These devices use one or more sets of actuator armatures in cantilever or fixed-beam configurations, and use one or more sets of electrostatic latch electrodes for state holding.
85 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A microfabricated relay comprising:
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a substrate;
a cover positioned above the substrate;
a base attached to the substrate;
load signal lines comprising a first load signal line, a second load signal line, and a third load signal line;
control signal lines comprising a first drive signal line, a second drive signal line, a first latch signal line, and a second latch signal line;
a compound armature structure comprising a latch armature structure, the latch armature structure comprising an anchor region attached to the base, a latch deflection region, the latch deflection region comprising a first region attached to the anchor region and a second region that is moveable between a passive position and a lower latched position and an upper latched position, the latch deflection region further comprising a first material that changes size by a first amount in response to a first stimulus and changes size by a third amount in response to a second stimulus, and a second material that changes size by a second amount due to the first stimulus and changes size by a fourth amount in response to the second stimulus, the first and second amounts being unequal and applying a first deflection force to the latch deflection region in response to the first stimulus, the first deflection force tending to move the second region from the passive position toward the lower latched position;
the third and fourth amounts being unequal and applying a second deflection force to the latch deflection region in response to the second stimulus, the second deflection force tending to move the second region from the passive position toward the upper latched position;
a first latch electrode, the first latch electrode being located on a portion of a lower surface of the second region of the latch deflection region and electrically connected to the first latch signal line;
a second latch electrode, the second latch electrode being formed on the substrate generally below the first latch electrode and electrically connected to the second latch signal line;
a first latch electrode insulator, the first latch electrode insulator preventing electrical contact between the first latch electrode and the second latch electrode when the second region of the deflection region is in the lower latched position;
a third latch electrode, the third latch electrode being located on a portion of an upper surface of the second region of the latch deflection region and electrically connected to the first latch signal line;
a fourth latch electrode, the fourth latch electrode being formed on a lower surface of the cover generally above the third latch electrode and electrically connected to the third latch signal line;
a second latch electrode insulator, the second latch electrode insulator preventing electrical contact between the third latch electrode and the fourth latch electrode when the second region of the deflection region is in the upper latched position;
a means for selectively applying the first stimulus or the second stimulus to the latch deflection region;
a load armature structure comprising an anchor region attached to the base;
a coupling region joining the load armature structure to the latch armature structure;
a contact deflection region comprising a first region attached to the anchor region and a second region that is moveable between an open position and a lower closed position and an upper closed position, the lower closed position being established when the second region of the latch deflection region is in the lower latched position and the upper closed position being established when the second region of the latch deflection region is in the upper latched position;
a first contact electrode formed on a portion of a lower surface of the second region of the contact deflection region;
a second contact electrode formed on the substrate generally beneath the first contact electrode, the first contact electrode and the second contact electrode being brought into electrical contact with a first contact force when the contact deflection region is in the lower closed position, the contact deflection region moving in conjunction with the latch deflection region;
a third contact electrode formed on a portion of an upper surface of the second region of the contact deflection region; and
a fourth contact electrode formed on a lower surface of the cover generally above the third contact electrode, the third contact electrode and the fourth contact electrode being brought into electrical contact with a second contact force when the contact deflection region is in the upper closed position, the contact deflection region moving in conjunction with the latch deflection region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19)
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16. A microfabricated relay comprising:
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a substrate;
a cover positioned above the substrate;
a first base and a second base;
load signal lines comprising a first load signal line, a second load signal line, and a third load signal line;
control signal lines comprising a first drive signal line, a second drive signal line, a first latch signal line, and a second latch signal line;
a compound armature structure comprising a latch armature structure, the latch armature structure comprising a first anchor region attached to the first base, a second anchor region attached to the second base, a latch deflection region, the latch deflection region comprising a first region attached to the first anchor region, a second region attached to the second anchor region, and a third region that is moveable between a passive position and a lower latched position and an upper latched position, the latch deflection region further comprising a first material that changes size by a first amount in response to a first stimulus and changes size by a third amount in response to a second stimulus, and a second material that changes size by a second amount due to the first stimulus and changes size by a fourth amount in response to the second stimulus, the first and second amounts being unequal and applying a first deflection force to the latch deflection region in response to the first stimulus, the first deflection force tending to move the second region from the passive position toward the lower latched position, the third and fourth amounts being unequal and applying a second deflection force to the latch deflection region in response to the second stimulus, the second deflection force tending to move the second region from the passive position toward the upper latched position;
a first latch electrode, the first latch electrode being located on a portion of a lower surface of the first region of the latch deflection region;
a second latch electrode, the second latch electrode being located on a portion of a lower surface of the second region of the latch deflection region;
a third latch electrode, the third latch electrode being formed on the substrate generally below the first latch electrode;
a fourth latch electrode, the fourth latch electrode being formed on the substrate generally below the second latch electrode;
a first latch electrode insulator, the first electrode insulator preventing electrical contact between the first latch electrode and the third latch electrode when the third region of the deflection region is in the latched position;
a second latch electrode insulator, the second electrode insulator preventing electrical contact between the second latch electrode and the fourth latch electrode when the third region of the deflection region is in the latched position;
a means for selectively applying the first stimulus to the latch deflection region;
a fifth latch electrode, the fifth latch electrode being located on a portion of an upper surface of the first region of the latch deflection region;
a sixth latch electrode, the sixth latch electrode being located on a portion of an upper surface of the second region of the latch deflection region;
a seventh latch electrode, the seventh latch electrode being formed on a first portion of a lower surface of the cover generally above the fifth latch electrode;
an eighth latch electrode, the eighth latch electrode being formed on a second portion of the lower surface of the cover generally above the sixth latch electrode;
a third latch electrode insulator, the third electrode insulator preventing electrical contact between the fifth latch electrode and the seventh latch electrode when the third region of the deflection region is in the upper latched position;
a fourth latch electrode insulator, the fourth electrode insulator preventing electrical contact between the sixth latch electrode and the eighth latch electrode when the third region of the deflection region is in the upper latched position;
a means for selectively applying the second stimulus to the latch deflection region;
a load armature structure comprising an anchor region attached to a third base;
a coupling region joining the load armature structure to the latch armature structure;
a contact deflection region comprising a first region attached to the third anchor region and a second region that is moveable between an open position and a lower closed position and an upper closed position, the lower closed position being established when the third region of the latch deflection region is in the lower latched position and the upper closed position being established when the third region of the latch deflection region is in the upper latched position;
a first contact electrode formed on a portion of a lower surface of the second region of the contact deflection region;
a second contact electrode formed on the substrate generally beneath the first contact electrode, the first contact electrode and the second contact electrode being brought into electrical contact with a first contact force when the contact deflection region is in the lower closed position, the contact deflection region moving in conjunction with the latch deflection region;
a third contact electrode formed on a portion of an upper surface of the second region of the contact deflection region; and
a fourth contact electrode formed on a third portion of the lower surface of the cover generally above the third contact electrode, the third contact electrode and the fourth contact electrode being brought into electrical contact with a second contact force when the contact deflection region is in the upper closed position, the contact deflection region moving in conjunction with the latch deflection region. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 20)
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Specification
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Current AssigneeXCOM Wireless Incorporated
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Original AssigneeXCOM Wireless Incorporated
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InventorsHyman, Daniel J., Hyman, Mark K., Bogdanoff, Peter D.
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Application NumberUS10/334,909Publication NumberTime in Patent OfficeDaysField of SearchUS Class Current335/78CPC Class CodesH01H 1/0036 Switches making use of micr...H01H 2001/0063 having electrostatic latche...H01H 2057/006 Micromechanical piezoelectr...H01H 2061/006 Micromechanical thermal relayH01H 57/00 Electrostrictive relays; Pi...H01H 61/00 Electrothermal relays therm...
