MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEM (MEMS) RESONANT SWITCHES AND APPLICATIONS FOR POWER CONVERTERS AND AMPLIFIERS
First Claim
1. An oscillating switch apparatus, comprising:
- a) a substrate, andb) means for switching disposed on the substrate.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A modally driven oscillating element periodically contacts one of more electrical contacts, thereby acting as a switch, otherwise known as a resonant switch, or “resoswitch”, with very high Q'"'"'s, typically above 10000 in air, and higher in vacuum. Due to periodic constrained contacting of the contacts, the bandwidth of the switch is greatly improved. One or more oscillating elements may be vibrationally interconnected with conductive or nonconductive coupling elements, whereby increased bandwidths of such an overall switching system may be achieved. Using the resoswitch, power amplifiers and converters more closely approaching ideal may be implemented. Integrated circuit fabrication techniques may construct the resoswitch with other integrated CMOS elements for highly compact switching devices. Through introduction of specific geometries within the oscillating elements, displacement gains may be made where modal deflections are greatly increased, thereby reducing device drive voltages to 2.5 V or lower.
22 Citations
36 Claims
-
1. An oscillating switch apparatus, comprising:
-
a) a substrate, and b) means for switching disposed on the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. An oscillating switch, comprising:
-
a) a substrate; b) one or more driven elements spaced above and connected to the substrate; c) one or more drive electrodes proximal to at least one driven element; d) one or more switch contacts proximal to at least one driven element; e) wherein at least one drive electrode oscillates at least one driven element; f) wherein at least one driven element periodically electrically connects with one or more switch contacts. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
-
-
32. A method of oscillating switching, comprising:
-
a) providing an oscillating driven element; b) selectively oscillating the driven element; c) periodically contacting one or more switching contacts with the driven element, wherein, during contact, the oscillating driven element and the contacts form an electrically conductive path. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
-
Specification