Microrelay working parallel to the substrate

• US 6,613,993 B1
• Filed: 09/18/2001
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ABB Research Ltd. (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Research Ltd. (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Strümpler, Ralf
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, J. R.
• Application Number:
  US09/936,836
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 200/181, 333/101-108, 333/262, 361/233, 361/283--29, 735/140--51
• US Class Current: 200/181
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/20 Bridging contacts for circuit breakers H01H73/045
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 59/0009 making use of micromechanics
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/34 Stationary parts for restricting or subdividing the arc, e.g. barrier plate

Abstract

The invention relates to a novel micro relay for switching electric currents, in which a movable contact piece 1 moves parallel to the substrate.

Claims

1. A micro relay having

a substrate

a movable contact piece on the substrate,

an elastic suspension for the movable contact piece, and

an electrically operable drive for the movable contact piece, wherein the movable contact piece can be moved essentially parallel to the substrate, in the suspension, by the drive.

2. The micro relay as claimed in claim 1, in which the movable contact piece has at least one major part of its functional structure in the form of a two-dimensional structure in a plane parallel to the substrate.

3. The micro relay as claimed in claim 1, in which the elastic suspension has at least one major part of its functional structure in the form of a two-dimensional structure in a plane parallel to the substrate.

4. The micro relay as claimed in claim 1, in which the drive has at least one major part of its functional structure in the form of a two-dimensional structure in a plane parallel to the substrate.

5. The micro relay as claimed in claim 2, having a buried layer, which is arranged between the two-dimensional structure and the substrate and is removed under movable structure parts.

6. The micro relay as claimed in claim 2, in which the two-dimensional structure is composed essentially of silicon.

7. The micro relay as claimed in claim 5, in which the buried layer is composed essentially of silicon dioxide.

8. The micro relay as claimed in claim 1, in which the movable contact piece has a rod which is arranged parallel to the substrate and connects a contact surface to the drive.

9. The micro relay as claimed in claim 8, in which the rod has a lattice structure.

10. The micro relay as claimed in claim 1, in which the movable contact piece has a contact surface which runs obliquely with respect to the movement direction and at right angles to the substrate.

11. The micro relay as claimed in claim 1, in which any movement of the movable contact piece which closes the micro relay results in a transverse movement component between contact surfaces on the movable contact piece and a stationary contact piece.

12. The micro relay as claimed in claim 1, in which the drive has an electrostatically acting toothed finger structure.

13. The micro relay as claimed in claim 1, in which the elastic suspension has a meandering web.

14. The micro relay as claimed in claim 1, having an arcing chamber structure.

15. A process for producing a micro relay as claimed in claim 1, in which a two-dimensional structuring process parallel to the substrate is used to provide the movable contact piece with at least one major part of its functional structure.

16. A process for producing a micro relay as claimed in claim 1, in which a two-dimensional structuring process parallel to the substrate is used to provide the drive with at least a major part of its functional structure.

17. A process for producing a micro relay as claimed in claim 1, in which a two-dimensional structuring process parallel to the substrate is used to provide the elastic suspension with at least a major part of its functional structure.

18. The process as claimed in claim 15, in which the two-dimensional structuring process is an ion etching process.

19. The process as claimed in claim 18, in which the ion etching process is an RIE process.

20. The process as claimed in claim 15, in which a buried layer which is arranged between the two-dimensional structures, and the substrate is partially removed in order to detach structure parts from the substrate.

21. The process as claimed in claim 15, in which the two-dimensional structures are composed essentially of silicon.

22. The process as claimed in claim 20, in which the buried layer is composed essentially of silicon dioxide.