Switch structure and method

US8354899B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• General Electric Company · US

Inventors

• Christopher Fred Keimel · Schenectady, US
• Marco Francesco Aimi · Niskayuna, US
• Shubhra Bansal · Niskayuna, US
• Reed Roeder Corderman · Niskayuna, US
• Kuna Venkat Satya Rama Kishore · Kanchinakote, IN
• Eddula Sudhakar Reddy · Bengaluru, IN
• Atanu Saha · Bengaluru, IN
• Kanakasabapathi Subramanian · Clifton Park, US
• Parag Thakre · Bengaluru, IN
• Alex David Corwin · Niskayuna, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 23, 2009
• Grant date: Jan 15, 2013
• Expiry date: Aug 24, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T29/49105
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Provided is a device, such as a switch structure, that includes a contact and a conductive element that is configured to be deformable between a first position in which the conductive element is separated from the contact and a second position in which the conductive element contacts the contact. The conductive element can be formed substantially of metallic material configured to inhibit time-dependent deformation. For example, the metallic material may be configured to exhibit a maximum steady-state plastic strain rate of less than 10−12 s−1 when subject to a stress of at least about 25 percent of a yield strength of the metallic material and a temperature less than or equal to about half of a melting temperature of the metallic material. The contact and the conductive element may be part of a microelectromechanical device or a nanoelectromechanical device. Associated methods are also provided.