Patent · US Expired

Folded spring based micro electromechanical (MEM) RF switch

US6307452A · kind A · utility

116Cited by
3References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 16, 1999
Grant dateOct 23, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 16, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01H2059/0072
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A micro electromechanical switch is formed on a substrate using a microplatform structure suspended on a spring suspension. The spring suspension is attached on one end to an anchor structure and extends in a substantially octagonal direction over a signal line. The microplatform has a shorting bar positioned facing a gap in the signal line and an electrical corset is formed on the signal fine to form a capacitor structure which is electrostatically attractable toward a bottom electrode upon application of a selected voltage. The switch functions from DC to at least 50 GHz with an electrical isolation of 35 dB and an insertion loss of 0.5 dB at 20 GHz. The RF switch has applications in telecommunications including wireless communications.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.