EP1026718B1 - Electrostatically controlled micro-relay device - Google Patents
Electrostatically controlled micro-relay device Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP1026718B1 EP1026718B1 EP19990830731 EP99830731A EP1026718B1 EP 1026718 B1 EP1026718 B1 EP 1026718B1 EP 19990830731 EP19990830731 EP 19990830731 EP 99830731 A EP99830731 A EP 99830731A EP 1026718 B1 EP1026718 B1 EP 1026718B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- electrode
- petal
- supporting base
- relay device
- micro
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H59/00—Electrostatic relays; Electro-adhesion relays
- H01H59/0009—Electrostatic relays; Electro-adhesion relays making use of micromechanics
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H1/00—Contacts
- H01H1/12—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage
- H01H1/14—Contacts characterised by the manner in which co-operating contacts engage by abutting
- H01H1/20—Bridging contacts
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H59/00—Electrostatic relays; Electro-adhesion relays
- H01H59/0009—Electrostatic relays; Electro-adhesion relays making use of micromechanics
- H01H2059/0081—Electrostatic relays; Electro-adhesion relays making use of micromechanics with a tapered air-gap between fixed and movable electrodes
Definitions
- the present invention relates to an electrostatically controlled micro-relay device.
- electrostatic motors having low power and small dimensions suitable for use as actuators in microelectronic technology applications, for actuating mechanical devices and the like in conditions in which vibrations take place, such as in the automotive field.
- electrostatical actuators make use of flexible blades, also called cilia, or "petals”, which are electrically conductive, each having one end associated with a stator and the opposite end adjacent to a movable element.
- the application of voltage pulses between the petals and one electrode associated to the movable element causes adhesion by electrostatical effect of the petals to the movable element with a resulting movement of the latter relative to the stator.
- the invention is directed in particular to a device as set forth in the pre-characterizing portion of claim 1.
- a device of this type is disclosed in DE 197 30 715 C.
- the object of the present invention is that of proposing a new improved type of micro-relay.
- the invention provides a micro-relay device characterised in that it comprising:
- numeral 1 generally designates a device comprising two electrostatic micro-relays.
- the device 1 comprises a supporting base or substrate 2, and a movable part 3.
- the supporting base 2 is constituted by a leaf 4 of alumina, silicon, glass, or plastic material, depending upon the applications, having a thickness of a few millimeters.
- leaf 4 two separate electrodes 5, 6 are provided, such as by evaporation, sputtering, spin-coating or screenprinting. Subsequently the surface is insulated by a layer 7 of dielectric or ferroelectric material having a thickness between one tenth and a few tens of micrometers.
- the movable part 3 is constituted by a petal 8 in form of a metal film, provided by evaporation or sputtering, having a thickness of a few micrometers and a length between a few hundreds of micrometers and a few millimeters.
- a petal 8 in form of a metal film, provided by evaporation or sputtering, having a thickness of a few micrometers and a length between a few hundreds of micrometers and a few millimeters.
- two layers of insulating dielectric material 9 are provided having a thickness of a few micrometers.
- two bars 10 of electrically conductive material, acting as movable contacts are subsequently provided by evaporation or electrode deposition.
- the movable contacts 10 have a thickness of a few hundreds of micrometers, depending upon the electric current which is to be supplied through them.
- Petal 8 is secured at both its ends on the surface of base 2.
- petal 8 may be applied also to the case in which one petal 8 is provided having a single movable contact 10 and co-operating with a single electrode 5, associated with a single pair of movable contacts 11. It is further apparent that petal 8 may have any shape and be connected to the fixed part of the device even only at one end thereof.
Description
- a supporting base, carrying one electrode and one pair of fixed electric contacts, spaced apart from each other, located at the two sides of the electrode, and
- a movable petal, comprising a thin film of electrically conductive material, having at least a first end connected to the supporting base and a movable part carrying a movable contact which has end portions projecting laterally from the petal,
whereby the petal has both its ends connected to the supporting base and carries a second movable contact for co-operation with a second pair of fixed contacts provided on the supporting base at the two sides of a second electrode. One can alternatively cause closing either of the first movable contact on the first pair of fixed contacts or of the second movable contact on the second pair of fixed contacts, by alternatively applying voltage either between the petal and the first electrode or between the petal and the second electrode.
Claims (5)
- Electrostatically controlled micro-relay device comprising:a supporting base (2), carrying at least one electrode (5) and a pair of fixed electric contacts (11) spaced apart from each other, located at the two sides of the electrode (5),a movable petal (8) comprising a thin film of electrically conductive material, having at least one end portion connected to the supporting base (2) and a movable part carrying a movable contact (10) having an end portions projecting laterally from the petal (8),
characterised in that the petal (8) has both its ends connected to the supporting base (2) and is provided with a second movable contact (10) which is for co-operation with a second pair of fixed contacts (10) provided above the supporting base (2) at the two sides of a second electrode (6) which is also associated to the supporting base (2) at a position spaced from said first electrode (5). - Micro-relay device according to claim 1, characterised in that the supporting base (2) includes a layer of dielectric material (7) which covers the first and second electrode (5, 6).
- Micro-relay device according to claim 1, characterised in that the supporting base (2) includes a leaf (4) constituted by a material chosen among alumina, silicon, glass, plastics.
- Micro-relay device according to claim 1, characterised in that each movable contact (10) is arranged above the petal (8) with the interposition of a layer of dielectric material (9).
- Micro-relay device according to claim 1, characterised in that also the movement of the petal away from said electrode (5) is obtained by applying an electric voltage.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
ITTO990072 IT1307131B1 (en) | 1999-02-02 | 1999-02-02 | ELECTROSTATIC CONTROL MICRO-RELAY DEVICE. |
ITTO990072 | 1999-02-02 |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1026718A2 EP1026718A2 (en) | 2000-08-09 |
EP1026718A3 EP1026718A3 (en) | 2001-09-12 |
EP1026718B1 true EP1026718B1 (en) | 2003-02-05 |
Family
ID=11417411
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP19990830731 Expired - Lifetime EP1026718B1 (en) | 1999-02-02 | 1999-11-25 | Electrostatically controlled micro-relay device |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP1026718B1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE69905233T2 (en) |
ES (1) | ES2189379T3 (en) |
IT (1) | IT1307131B1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE10040867A1 (en) * | 2000-08-21 | 2002-05-23 | Abb Research Ltd | Microswitch has contact bearer deformable parallel to substrate with shape of symmetrical oscillation trough in stable off position, shape of asymmetrical trough in stable on position |
FR2854726B1 (en) | 2003-05-09 | 2005-08-26 | St Microelectronics Sa | MICROCOMMUTER WITH SEVERAL CLOSED POSITIONS WITH SIDE MOVEMENT |
DE102004010150B9 (en) | 2004-02-27 | 2012-01-26 | Eads Deutschland Gmbh | High-frequency MEMS switch with bent switching element and method for its production |
KR100693345B1 (en) * | 2005-11-30 | 2007-03-09 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Mems switch |
Family Cites Families (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE19730715C1 (en) * | 1996-11-12 | 1998-11-26 | Fraunhofer Ges Forschung | Method of manufacturing a micromechanical relay |
JPH10162713A (en) * | 1996-11-29 | 1998-06-19 | Omron Corp | Micro relay |
DE19736674C1 (en) * | 1997-08-22 | 1998-11-26 | Siemens Ag | Micromechanical electrostatic relay |
-
1999
- 1999-02-02 IT ITTO990072 patent/IT1307131B1/en active
- 1999-11-25 ES ES99830731T patent/ES2189379T3/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1999-11-25 EP EP19990830731 patent/EP1026718B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1999-11-25 DE DE1999605233 patent/DE69905233T2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP1026718A2 (en) | 2000-08-09 |
EP1026718A3 (en) | 2001-09-12 |
ES2189379T3 (en) | 2003-07-01 |
DE69905233T2 (en) | 2003-11-06 |
IT1307131B1 (en) | 2001-10-29 |
ITTO990072A1 (en) | 2000-08-02 |
DE69905233D1 (en) | 2003-03-13 |
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