EP3977497A1 - Anordnung von mems-schaltern - Google Patents
Anordnung von mems-schalternInfo
- Publication number
- EP3977497A1 EP3977497A1 EP20754658.1A EP20754658A EP3977497A1 EP 3977497 A1 EP3977497 A1 EP 3977497A1 EP 20754658 A EP20754658 A EP 20754658A EP 3977497 A1 EP3977497 A1 EP 3977497A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- mems switches
- arrangement according
- arrangement
- mems
- plane
- 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.)
- Pending
Links
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
- H01H1/0036—Switches making use of microelectromechanical systems [MEMS]
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H1/00—Contacts
- H01H1/0036—Switches making use of microelectromechanical systems [MEMS]
- H01H2001/0084—Switches making use of microelectromechanical systems [MEMS] with perpendicular movement of the movable contact relative to the substrate
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H71/00—Details of the protective switches or relays covered by groups H01H73/00 - H01H83/00
- H01H2071/008—Protective switches or relays using micromechanics
Definitions
- the invention relates to an arrangement of MEMS switches with movable elements.
- MEMS micro-electro-mechanical system
- MEMS switches are based on the mostly electrostatically actuated movement of a movable element, in particular a small bar, the movement of which moves the MEMS switch into an open position or a closed position.
- the microscopic dimensions of the movable element advantageously allow short switching times and almost complete freedom from wear.
- the current carrying capacity and voltage strength of moving elements of MEMS switches is too low for many applications.
- several MEMS switches can be interconnected to form an arrangement and, in particular, arranged in a matrix. This requires the arrangement of a large number of identically manufactured MEMS switches, which must show identical behavior over the entire operating time. This can be achieved with a high process quality, but a large number of MEMS switches can rarely be achieved.
- the inventive arrangement of MEMS switches has MEMS switches with movable elements, the MEMS switches being switched with one another in a total cross-tied circuit.
- the MEMS switches are advantageously arranged like a matrix.
- the circuit in a total cross-tied circuit has a number of advantages: On the one hand, several MEMS switches are connected in parallel in a TCT circuit, which increases the current carrying capacity of the arrangement compared to individual MEMS Switches are increased proportionally to the number of MEMS switches connected in parallel. In addition, as a result of MEMS switches connected in series, the dielectric strength of the arrangement is increased compared to the dielectric strength of individual MEMS switches. In this respect, the arrangement is already designed to be fail-safe due to the increased current-carrying capacity and the increased voltage strength.
- the additional cross connections in the TCT circuit also enable a redundant design of the MEMS switches, so that faulty MEMS switches can easily be bypassed using the additional conduction paths.
- conductor connections advantageously extend along at least two planes spaced from one another.
- the MEMS switches each have a Bie geelement as a movable element in an expedient development.
- each of the MEMS switches has a first electrical contact on the movable element and the MEMS switches each have a second electrical contact, the first contacts being located on a first of the levels and the second contacts on a second of the levels Levels are located.
- two planes spaced apart from one another, along which conductor connections can be arranged, can be formed on the movable element and at a distance from it.
- a conductive connection can then be established between components located in the two planes.
- gate contacts are present in the arrangement according to the Invention, which are located in the first and / or second level.
- the MEMS switches each have at least a first and a second part, the first part being formed with a silicon substrate and / or the second part being formed with a glass wafer.
- the first part is preferably formed with a silicon-on-insulator substrate, in particular with a silicon-on-glass substrate.
- the first and second parts are expediently bonded to one another, for example by means of at least one eutectic and / or anodic bond and / or a silicon direct bond.
- At least one of the or each of the MEMS switches is particularly preferably designed and manufactured as described in the exemplary embodiment of DE 10 2017 215 236 A1.
- the first plane is expediently arranged on the first part and the second plane on the second part, or the first plane is arranged on the second part and the second plane is arranged on the first part.
- FIG. 1 schematically in a plan view
- the arrangement 10 of MEMS switches 20 according to the invention is a matrix arrangement of MEMS switches 20 in which the MEMS switches 20 are arranged in a rectangular grid of rows 30 and columns 35 oriented perpendicular to one another.
- the MEMS switches 20 are each connected in series in rows 30 in the matrix arrangement.
- the MEMS switches 20 each have a source 40 and a drain connection 50, which the MEMS switch 20 in an open position electrically isolates from one another by spacing a first switch contact 60 and a second switch contact 70 from one another and in a closed position brings each other into electrically conductive contact.
- the MEMS switches 20 each have a gate contact 80, which, depending on the application of potential with a gate potential 85, exerts an electrostatic force on a bending beam 90 (see also FIGS. 2 and 3) of the MEMS switch 20, which carries the second switch contact 70.
- the bending beam 90 can be deflected, the second switching contact 70 being electrically conductively contacted on the first switching contact 60 in a rest position of the bending beam 90 and being isolated from the first switching contact 60 in a deflected position.
- a ground contact 93 is arranged at ground potential 96 on each of the MEMS switches 20, relative to which a source potential of the source connection 50 and a gate potential of the gate contact 80 each define a voltage.
- the MEMS switches 20 are therefore opened or closed by means of the gate contact 80.
- the source connections 40 and the drain connections 50 of the MEMS switches 20 of different rows 30 and each of a common column 35 are connected to one another by means of a connecting line 100.
- These connecting lines 100 across different rows 30 each in a column 35 form a total cross-tied circuit (TCT circuit) with the remaining circuit of arrangement 10 described above.
- TCT circuit total cross-tied circuit
- the connecting lines 100 are each oriented perpendicular to the orientation of the longitudinal center axis L of the bending beam 90.
- the connecting lines 100 consequently cross provided line connections 110 of the gate contacts 80 and line connections 120 of the ground contacts 93 at intersection points 130.
- crossing points 130 do not actually form any real crossing points in a plane, but only appear in a circuit diagram as such crossing points 130.
- the connecting lines 100 on the one hand and the line connections 110 of the gate contacts 80 and the line connections 120 of the ground contacts 93 run into one another parallel and spaced planes.
- the MEMS switch 20 comprises two parts: A first part 150 is formed with a silicon-on-insulator substrate which has two silicon layers 160 , 170, which are separated by a glass layer 180. A first of the silicon layers 160 has a thickness which is approximately 30 times as thick as the remaining, second, silicon layer 170 which has a thickness of 10 micrometers. The second silicon layer 170 forms the bending beam 90, which is hinged to the first silicon layer 160 in a region 185 by means of the glass layer 180 and has a free end 190.
- the bending bar 90 extends with its free end 190 in the direction parallel to the unlimited, ie longest, more or less flat, directions of extension of the glass layer 180 from the area 185, so that in the undeflected state the longitudinal center axis L of the bending bar 90 is parallel to the unlimited directions of extension the glass layer 180 extends.
- the silicon of the second silicon layer 170 and the glass of the glass layer 180 have been removed between the region 185 and the free end 190, so that the free end 190 can oscillate freely.
- the bending beam 90 has the first switching contact 60 at its free end 190.
- the MEMS switch 20 also has a second part 210, which is formed with a glass wafer 220.
- the glass wafer 220 has two trenches 230, 240 which extend perpendicularly to the longitudinal center axis L of the bending beam 90 and which are open towards the first part 150 of the MEMS switch 20.
- a first of the two trenches 230 extends with its width along the entire free part of the bending beam 90 and beyond the free end 190 of the bending beam 90, so that the bending beam 90 can pivot freely into the first trench 230.
- the second switch contact 70 Facing the first switch contact 60, the second switch contact 70 is attached to the bottom of the first trench 230, so that the bending beam 90 contacts the first switch contact 60 and the second switch contact 70 with one another
- the second trench 240 extends parallel to the first trench 230 and opens towards the region 185.
- the second trench 240 is spaced apart from the first trench 230 by a fraction of its width, so that a web is located between the first trench 230 and the second trench 240 which rests against the end of the region 185 which is at the free end 190 of the bending beam 90 adjoins.
- the surface of the bending beam 90 facing the second part forms a first plane 245, along which the connecting lines 100 of the source connections 40 extend with their conduction direction, ie the direction of a current flow through the connecting lines 100, in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing .
- the connecting lines 100 extend along the region 185.
- a base 250, 260 of the trenches 230, 240 extending essentially parallel to the longitudinal center axis L of the bending beam 90 forms a second plane 265, along which the connecting lines 110 of the gate contacts 80 extend with their Line direction extend perpendicular to the plane of the drawing.
- the connecting lines 120 can also extend along the second plane 265, for example along the floor 260.
- the MEMS switches 20 in this exemplary embodiment are formed and manufactured from as described in the laid-open specification DE 10 2017 215 236 A1.
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Electromagnetism (AREA)
- Micromachines (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
DE102019211460.1A DE102019211460A1 (de) | 2019-07-31 | 2019-07-31 | Anordnung von MEMS-Schaltern |
PCT/EP2020/071269 WO2021018888A1 (de) | 2019-07-31 | 2020-07-28 | Anordnung von mems-schaltern |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP3977497A1 true EP3977497A1 (de) | 2022-04-06 |
Family
ID=72050815
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP20754658.1A Pending EP3977497A1 (de) | 2019-07-31 | 2020-07-28 | Anordnung von mems-schaltern |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20220277913A1 (de) |
EP (1) | EP3977497A1 (de) |
DE (1) | DE102019211460A1 (de) |
WO (1) | WO2021018888A1 (de) |
Family Cites Families (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP2004055410A (ja) * | 2002-07-22 | 2004-02-19 | Advantest Corp | バイモルフスイッチ、バイモルフスイッチ製造方法、電子回路、及び電子回路製造方法 |
JP2005536013A (ja) * | 2002-08-08 | 2005-11-24 | エックスコム ワイアレス インコーポレイテッド | マルチモルフ・アクチュエータと静電ラッチメカニズムとを有するマイクロ・ファブリケーションされた双投リレー |
US8687325B2 (en) * | 2008-09-11 | 2014-04-01 | General Electric Company | Micro-electromechanical switch protection in series parallel topology |
US8576029B2 (en) * | 2010-06-17 | 2013-11-05 | General Electric Company | MEMS switching array having a substrate arranged to conduct switching current |
US8570713B2 (en) * | 2011-06-29 | 2013-10-29 | General Electric Company | Electrical distribution system including micro electro-mechanical switch (MEMS) devices |
US20170062165A1 (en) * | 2015-08-26 | 2017-03-02 | Innovative Micro Technology | Device with separation limiting standoff |
DE102016215001A1 (de) * | 2016-08-11 | 2018-02-15 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | Schaltzelle mit Halbleiterschaltelement und mikroelektromechanischem Schaltelement |
DE102017215236A1 (de) | 2017-08-31 | 2019-02-28 | Siemens Aktiengesellschaft | MEMS-Schalter und Verfahren zur Herstellung eines MEMS-Schalters |
-
2019
- 2019-07-31 DE DE102019211460.1A patent/DE102019211460A1/de not_active Withdrawn
-
2020
- 2020-07-28 WO PCT/EP2020/071269 patent/WO2021018888A1/de active Search and Examination
- 2020-07-28 US US17/631,077 patent/US20220277913A1/en active Pending
- 2020-07-28 EP EP20754658.1A patent/EP3977497A1/de active Pending
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US20220277913A1 (en) | 2022-09-01 |
WO2021018888A1 (de) | 2021-02-04 |
DE102019211460A1 (de) | 2021-02-04 |
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