Switch device and circuit including switch device

• US 8,450,625 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2012
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujita, Shinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): BARRERA, RAMON M
• Application Number:
  US13/421,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20120168290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 200/181, 200/600, 977/732
• US Class Current: 200/181
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/025 using fullerenes, e.g. C60, or nanotubes, e.g. carbon or silicon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/16 Memory cell being a nanotube, e.g. suspended nanotube
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 23/00 Digital stores characterised by movement of mechanical parts to effect storage, e.g. using balls; Storage elements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 59/0009 making use of micromechanics

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a switch device includes a first switching unit provided on a base substance. The first switching unit includes a first supporting electrode, a first beam, a first contact point electrode, a first floating conductive layer and a first control electrode. The first supporting electrode is fixed to the base. The first beam includes a first holding part and a first movable part. The first holding part is fixed to the base. The first movable part has one end connected to the first holding part. The first contact point electrode is fixed to the base and faces the first movable part. The first floating conductive layer is fixed to the first movable part via a first insulating part and stores a charge. The first control electrode is fixed to the base and faces the first floating conductive layer.

Claims

1. A switch device comprising:

a first switching unit provided on a base,

the first switching unit including;

a first supporting electrode fixed to the base;

a first beam including;

a first holding part fixed to the base, electrically connected to the first supporting electrode, and including metal-carbidized multilayer graphene; and

a first movable part having one end connected to the first holding part, separated from the base and including multilayer graphene;

a first contact point electrode fixed to the base and facing the first movable part;

a first floating conductive layer fixed to the first movable part via a first insulating part and storing a charge; and

a first control electrode fixed to the base and facing the first floating conductive layer.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first control electrode puts the first movable part into a contact state or a non-contact state to the first contact point electrode by an applied first electrical signal.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first switching unit further includes a first contact electrode provided between the first movable part and the first insulating part.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein a portion of the first movable part to which the first floating conductive layer is fixed is metal-carbidized.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein a first facing holding part connected to another end of the first movable part is fixed to the base and includes the metal-carbidized multilayer graphene.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the first switching unit further includes a first facing supporting part fixed to the base, fixing the first facing holding part and being conductive, and an insulating film provided between the first facing supporting part and the first facing holding part.

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein

the first floating conductive layer is annexed to the first movable part between the first holding part and the first facing holding part, and

a contact point part being in contact with the first contact point electrode includes the metal-carbidized multilayer graphene.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein

the first floating conductive layer is annexed to an end of the first beam on an opposite side to the first holding part, and

the first contact point electrode is in contact with the first movable part between the first holding part and the first floating conductive layer.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein a charge is injected into the first floating conductive layer by a tunnel current passing through the first insulating part.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein a charge is injected into the first floating conductive layer by electron irradiation.

11. The device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a second switching unit provided on the base,

the second switching unit including;

a second supporting electrode fixed to the base;

a second beam including;

a second holding part fixed to the base, electrically connected to the second supporting electrode and including the metal-carbidized multilayer graphene; and

a second movable part having one end connected to the second holding part, separated from the base and including the multilayer graphene;

a second contact point electrode fixed to the base and facing the second movable part;

a second floating conductive layer fixed to the second movable part via a second insulating part and storing a charge; and

a second control electrode fixed to the base, facing the second floating conductive layer, and putting the second movable part into a contact state or a non-contact state to the second contact point electrode by an applied second electrical signal,

the first movable part being separated from the first contact point electrode when the first electrical signal is not applied to the first control electrode, and

the second movable part contacting the second contact point electrode when the second electrical signal is not applied to the second control electrode.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein

the first switching unit further includes

a first facing contact point electrode fixed to the base and facing the first movable part at another end of the first movable part, and

a first facing control electrode fixed to the base, facing the first floating conductive layer at the another end of the first movable part, and putting the first movable part into a contact state or a non-contact state to the first facing contact point electrode by an applied first facing electrical signal.

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein

the device is controlled by the first facing electrical signal applied to the first facing control electrode, and

one of potential of the first contact point electrode and potential of the first facing contact point electrode is output from the first supporting electrode.

14. The device according to claim 12, wherein

the device is controlled by the first facing electrical signal applied to the first facing control electrode, and

an electrical signal input to the first supporting electrode is output from one of the first contact point electrode and the first facing contact point electrode.

15. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first floating conductive layer is provided in the same plane as a plane in which the first movable part is provided along an extending direction of the first beam.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the first floating conductive layer includes the metal-carbidized multilayer graphene.

17. A circuit comprising:

a first switching unit provided on a base; and

a second switching unit provided on the base,

the first switching unit including;

a first supporting electrode fixed to the base;

a first beam including;

a first holding part fixed to the base, electrically connected to the first supporting electrode, and including metal-carbidized multilayer graphene; and

a first movable part having one end connected to the first holding part, separated from the base and including multilayer graphene;

a first contact point electrode fixed to the base and facing the first movable part;

a first floating conductive layer fixed to the first movable part via a first insulating part and storing a charge; and

a first control electrode fixed to the base, facing the first floating conductive layer, and putting the first movable part into a contact state or a non-contact state to the first contact point electrode by an applied first electrical signal, and

the second switching unit including;

a second supporting electrode fixed to the base;

a second beam including;

a second holding part fixed to the base, electrically connected to the second supporting electrode and including the metal-carbidized multilayer graphene; and

a second movable part having one end connected to the second holding part, separated from the base and including the multilayer graphene;

a second contact point electrode fixed to the base and facing the second movable part;

a second floating conductive layer fixed to the second movable part via a second insulating part and storing a charge; and

a second control electrode fixed to the base, facing the second conductive layer, and putting the second movable part into a contact state or a non-contact state to the second contact point electrode by an applied second electrical signal,

a first elastic force of the first movable part being larger than a first van del Waal'"'"'s force configured to operate between the first movable part and the first contact point electrode when the first movable part and the first contact point electrode contact each other, and

a second elastic force of the second movable part being smaller than a van del Waal'"'"'s force configured to operate between the second movable part and the second contact point electrode when the second movable part and the second contact point electrode contact each other.

18. The circuit according to claim 17, wherein the first switching unit is connected to the second switching unit in parallel.

19. The circuit according to claim 17, wherein the first switching unit is connected to the second switching unit in series.

20. The circuit according to claim 17, wherein the first switching unit and the second switching unit are stacked on the base.

21. A circuit comprising:

a logic circuit unit provided on a base;

a plurality of interconnects connected to the logic circuit unit; and

a first switching unit connected to at least two interconnects of the plurality of interconnects and configured to control electrical connection between the at least two interconnects,

the first switching unit including;

a first supporting electrode fixed to the base;

a first beam including;

a first holding part fixed to the base, electrically connected to the first supporting electrode, and including metal-carbidized multilayer graphene; and

a first movable part having one end connected to the first holding part, separated from the base and including multilayer graphene;

a first contact point electrode fixed to the base and facing the first movable part;

a first floating conductive layer fixed to the first movable part via a first insulating part and storing a charge; and

a first control electrode fixed to the base and facing the first floating conductive layer.