Variable capacitor and associated fabrication method
US6229684A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 15, 1999 |
| Grant date | May 8, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 15, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01H2061/006
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A variable capacitor having low loss and a correspondingly high Q is provided. In addition to a substrate, the variable capacitor includes at least one substrate electrode and a substrate capacitor plate that are disposed upon the substrate and formed of a low electrical resistance material, such as HTS material or a thick metal layer. The variable capacitor also includes a bimorph member extending outwardly from the substrate and over the at least one substrate electrode. The bimorph member includes first and second layers formed of materials having different coefficients of thermal expansion. The first and second layers of the bimorph member define at least one bimorph electrode and a bimorph capacitor plate such that the establishment of a voltage differential between the substrate electrode and the bimorph electrode moves the bimorph member relative to the substrate electrode, thereby altering the interelectrode spacing as well as the distance between the capacitor plates. As such, the capacitance of the variable capacitor can be controlled based upon the relative spacing between the bimorph member and the underlying substrate. A method is also provided for micromachining or ot…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.