Method and structure for a pusher-mode piezoelectrically actuated liquid metal switch
First Claim
1. A structure for an electrical switch, comprising:
- a chamber housed within a solid material, said chamber filled with an actuator liquid;
a plurality of switch contacts within the chamber, wherein the plurality of switch contacts are coupled to the solid material;
a plurality of liquid metal globules, coupled to the plurality of switch contacts and coupled to the chamber; and
a plurality of piezoelectric elements coupled to a plurality of membranes, said plurality of membranes coupled to the chamber, wherein the plurality of piezoelectric elements are within a reservoir, said reservoir containing actuating liquid.
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Abstract
A method and structure for an electrical switch. According to the structure of the present invention, a liquid-filled chamber is housed within a solid material. A plurality of switch contacts within the liquid-filled chamber are coupled to the solid material, while a plurality of piezoelectric elements are coupled to a plurality of membranes. The plurality of membranes are coupled to the liquid-filled chamber. The plurality of switch contacts are coupled to a plurality of liquid metal globules. According to the method, a piezoelectric element is actuated, causing a membrane element to be deflected. The deflection of the membrane element increases pressure of actuator liquid and the increase in pressure of the actuator liquid breaks a liquid metal connection between a first contact and a second contact of the electrical switch.
85 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A structure for an electrical switch, comprising:
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a chamber housed within a solid material, said chamber filled with an actuator liquid; a plurality of switch contacts within the chamber, wherein the plurality of switch contacts are coupled to the solid material; a plurality of liquid metal globules, coupled to the plurality of switch contacts and coupled to the chamber; and a plurality of piezoelectric elements coupled to a plurality of membranes, said plurality of membranes coupled to the chamber, wherein the plurality of piezoelectric elements are within a reservoir, said reservoir containing actuating liquid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A structure for an electrical switch, comprising:
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a piezoelectric substrate layer; an actuator fluid reservoir layer coupled to the piezoelectric substrate layer, said actuator fluid reservoir layer further comprising one or more piezoelectrically actuated pusher elements; a membrane layer coupled to the actuator fluid reservoir layer, said membrane layer comprising one or more membranes coupled to the one or more piezoelectrically actuated pusher elements; a liquid metal channel layer coupled to the membrane layer; a circuit substrate layer coupled to the liquid metal channel layer; and an actuator liquid-filled chamber housed within the liquid metal channel layer, wherein the actuator liquid-filled chamber comprises one or more globules of liquid metal coupled to one or more switch contacts, said actuator liquid-filled chamber coupled to the one or more membranes. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for electrical switching of one or more electrical signals using a liquid metal switch, comprising:
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actuating a piezoelectric element; deflecting a membrane element by the actuation of the piezoelectric element; increasing a pressure of actuator liquid by the deflection of the membrane element; the increase in pressure of the actuator liquid breaking a liquid metal connection between a first contact and a second contact of the liquid metal switch, wherein the liquid metal connection is maintained by a surface tension between a liquid metal and the first contact and the second contact; and after breaking the liquid metal connection establishing a second liquid metal connection between the second contact and a third contact, further comprising; breaking the second liquid metal connection by application of a second electric potential with a polarity opposite the first electric potential, said second electric potential actuating the piezoelectric element so that a negative pressure is exerted on the membrane element thereby pulling the liquid metal to re-establish the liquid metal connection between the first contact and the second contact and break the second liquid metal connection between the third contact and the second contact. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification