Monolithic single pole double throw RF MEMS switch

• US 6,440,767 B1
• Filed: 01/23/2001
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Schaffner, James H., Hsu, Tsung-Yuan, Schmitz, Adele E., Dolezal, Franklin A., Tangonan, Gregory L., Loo, Robert Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Niebling, John F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Simkovic, Viktor
• Application Number:
  US09/767,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20020098613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 438/52, 257/419, 257/415, 333/262, 333/106, 333/107, 200/180, 200/600
• US Class Current: 438/52
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 59/0009 making use of micromechanics

Abstract

Apparatus for a micro-electro-mechanical switch that provides single pole, double throw switching action. The switch comprises a single RF input line and two RF output lines. The switch additionally comprises two armatures, each mechanically connected to a substrate at one end and having a conducting transmission line at the other end with a suspended biasing electrode located on top of or within a structural layer of the armature. Each conducting transmission line has conducting dimples that protrude beyond the bottom of the armature carrying the conducting transmission line. Closure of an armature causes the dimples of the corresponding conducting transmission line to mechanically and electrically engage the RF input line and the corresponding RF output line, thus directing RF energy from the RF input line to the selected RF output line.

Claims

1. A method of switching an RF signal applied at an input port to one of two output ports, comprising the steps of:

providing a monolithic SPDT RF MEMS switch comprising;

a substrate;

an input line on top of the substrate;

a first output line on top of the substrate and separated from the input line;

a first substrate electrode on top of the substrate, located adjacent to but separated from the input line and the first output line;

a second output line on top of the substrate and separated from the input line;

a second substrate electrode on top of the substrate, located adjacent to but separated from the input line and the second output line;

a first armature comprising;

a first armature lower structural layer having a first end mechanically connected to the substrate and a second end positioned over the input line and first output line;

a first conducting transmission line located at the second end of the first armature structural layer and suspended above the input line and the first output line; and

a first suspended armature electrode disposed above and in contact with the first armature lower structural layer and suspended above the first substrate electrode; and

a second armature comprising;

a second armature lower structural layer having a first end mechanically connected to the substrate and a second end positioned over the input line and the second output line;

a second conducting transmission line located at the second end of the second armature structural layer and suspended above the input line and the second output line; and

a second suspended armature electrode disposed above and in contact with the second armature lower structural layer and suspended above the second substrate electrode; and

connecting the input port to the input line;

connecting one of the output ports to the first output line and the other output port to the second output line; and

applying a voltage between a selected one of the two substrate electrodes and the armature electrode suspended above the substrate electrode so as to cause the armature suspended above the selected substrate electrode to close.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first suspended armature electrode and the second suspended armature electrode are electrically connected to a common armature electrode pad and the voltage is applied between one of the two substrate electrodes and the common armature electrode pad.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the armature suspended above the non-selected substrate electrode is in an open position.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transmission line further comprises a first set of one or more contact dimples that project below a bottom surface of the first armature and the second transmission line further comprises a second set of one or more contact dimples that project below a bottom surface of the second armature.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a gap between the first set of one or more contact dimples and a plane defined by the top of the input line and the first output line is less than a gap between the first armature lower structural layer and the substrate, and wherein the first set of one or more contact dimples mechanically and electrically contact the input line and the first output line when the first armature is in the closed position and a gap between the second set of one or more contact dimples and a plane defined by the top of the input line and the second output line is less than a gap between the second armature lower structural layer and the substrate, and wherein the second set of one or more contact dimples mechanically and electrically contact the input line and the second output line when the second armature is in the closed position.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the first suspended armature electrode, the second suspended armature electrode, the first set of one or more contact dimples, and the second set of one or more contact dimples each comprise layers of gold and titanium.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the input pad, the first output pad, the second output pad, the first substrate electrode, the second substrate electrode, the first suspended armature electrode and the second suspended armature electrode each comprise layers of gold, nickel, and gold germanium.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the monolithic SPDT RF MEMS switch further comprises:

a first armature structural layer disposed above and in contact with the first armature lower structural layer and the first suspended armature electrode; and

a second armature structural layer disposed above and in contact with the second armature lower structural layer and the second suspended armature electrode.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the structural layers comprise silicon nitride.

10. A micro-electro-mechanical switch, comprising

a) a substrate;

b) an input line on top of the substrate;

c) a first output line on top of the substrate and separated from the input line;

d) a first substrate electrode on top of the substrate, located adjacent to but separated from the input line and the first output line;

e) a second output line on top of the substrate and separated from the input line;

f) a second substrate electrode on top of the substrate, located adjacent to but separated from the input line and the second output line;

g) a first armature comprising;

1) a first armature lower structural layer having a first end mechanically connected to the substrate and a second end positioned over the input line and first output line;

2) a first conducting transmission line located at the second end of the first armature structural layer and suspended above the input line and the first output line; and

3) a first suspended armature electrode disposed above and in contact with the first armature lower structural layer and suspended above the first substrate electrode; and

h) a second armature comprising;

1) a second armature lower structural layer having a first end mechanically connected to the substrate and a second end positioned over the input line and the second output line;

2) a second conducting transmission line located at the second end of the second armature structural layer and suspended above the input line and the second output line; and

3) a second suspended armature electrode disposed above and in contact with the second armature lower structural layer and suspended above the second substrate electrode.

11. The micro-electro-mechanical switch of claim 10 wherein the first conducting transmission line is suspended above the input line and the first output line when the first armature is in an open position, and mechanically and electrically contacts the input line and the first output line when the first armature is in a closed position and the second conducting transmission line is suspended above the input line and the second output line when the second armature is in an open position, and mechanically and electrically contacts the input line and the second output line when the second armature is in a closed position.

12. The micro-electro-mechanical switch of claim 11 wherein the first armature is in a closed position when the second armature is in an open position and the first armature is in an open position when the second armature is in a closed position.

13. The micro-electro-mechanical switch of claim 10 wherein the first suspended armature electrode and the second suspended armature electrode are electrically connected to an armature electrode bias pad.

14. The micro-electro-mechanical switch of claim 10 wherein the first suspended armature electrode is connected to a first armature electrode bias pad and the second suspended armature electrode is electrically connected to a second armature electrode bias pad, and the first and second armature electrode bias pads are electrically isolated from each other.

15. The micro-electro-mechanical switch of claim 10 wherein the first transmission line further comprises a first set of one or more contact dimples that project below a bottom surface of the first armature and the second transmission line further comprises a second set of one or more contact dimples that project below a bottom surface of the second armature.

16. The micro-electro-mechanical switch of claim 15 wherein a gap between the first set of one or more contact dimples and a plane defined by the top of the input line and the first output line is less than a gap between the first armature lower structural layer and the substrate, and wherein the first set of one or more contact dimples mechanically and electrically contact the input line and the first output line when the first armature is in the closed position and a gap between the second set of one or more contact dimples and a plane defined by the top of the input line and the second output line is less than a gap between the second armature lower structural layer and the substrate, and wherein the second set of one or more contact dimples mechanically and electrically contact the input line and the second output line when the second armature is in the closed position.

17. The micro-electro-mechanical switch of claim 16 wherein the first suspended armature electrode, the second suspended armature electrode, the first set of one or more contact dimples, and the second set of one or more contact dimples each comprise layers of gold and titanium.

18. The micro-electro-mechanical switch of claim 10 wherein the input pad, the first output pad, the second output pad, the first substrate electrode, the second substrate electrode, the first suspended armature electrode and the second suspended armature electrode each comprise layers of gold, nickel, and gold germanium.

19. The micro-electro-mechanical switch of claim 10 further comprising:

a first armature structural layer disposed above and in contact with the first armature lower structural layer and the first suspended armature electrode; and

a second armature structural layer disposed above and in contact with the second armature lower structural layer and the second suspended armature electrode.

20. The micro-electro-mechanical switch of claim 19, wherein the structural layers comprise silicon nitride.