Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) resonant switches and applications for power converters and amplifiers
First Claim
1. A resonating switch apparatus, comprising:
- a) a substrate, andb) a driven element that resonates in a driven element radial-contour mode;
c) a switch contact proximal to the driven element;
d) a drive electrode that drives a disk resonator that oscillates in a drive resonator radial-contour mode, wherein the driven element is mechanically coupled to the disk resonator through a nonconductive coupling beam;
e) wherein the driven element contacts the switch contact upon a sufficient amplitude oscillation imparted by the disk resonator.
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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.
17 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A resonating switch apparatus, comprising:
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a) a substrate, and b) a driven element that resonates in a driven element radial-contour mode; c) a switch contact proximal to the driven element; d) a drive electrode that drives a disk resonator that oscillates in a drive resonator radial-contour mode, wherein the driven element is mechanically coupled to the disk resonator through a nonconductive coupling beam; e) wherein the driven element contacts the switch contact upon a sufficient amplitude oscillation imparted by the disk resonator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A resonating switch, comprising:
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a) a substrate; b) a driven element spaced above and connected to the substrate; c) a drive electrode proximal to at least one driven element; d) a switch contact proximal to at least one driven element; e) wherein the drive electrode oscillates the driven element at resonance in a radial-contour mode; f) wherein the driven element periodically electrically connects the switch contact; g) a physical connection between two or more of the driven elements, wherein the oscillation of at least one of the driven elements is transmitted to at least one other driven element; and h) wherein the physical connection is an insulator. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. A method of signal switching, comprising:
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(a) providing a resonant switch apparatus, said resonant switch apparatus comprising; (i) a substrate, and (ii) a driven element that oscillates at resonance; (iii) a switch contact proximal to the driven element; and (iv) a drive electrode proximal to the driven element; (v) wherein the driven element periodically contacts the switch contact upon a sufficient amplitude oscillation imparted by the drive electrode; and (b) driving the driven element, so as to cause vibration of the driven element at resonance in a radial-contour mode. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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Specification