MEMS switch and electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10508025-B2
Application number	US-201615255757-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2016
Priority date	Sep 2, 2015
Publication date	Dec 17, 2019
Grant date	Dec 17, 2019

Abstract

A MEMS switch includes a first signal line provided in a first beam, a first GND adjacent to the first signal line, a second signal line provided in a second beam, and a second GND adjacent to the second signal line. A contact terminal is fixed to any one of the first signal line and the second signal line and performs connection between the first signal line and the second signal line according to deformation of the first beam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A MEMS switch, comprising:
a first flexible member;
a first signal line provided to the first flexible member;
a first ground electrode provided to the first flexible member and adjacent to the first signal line;
a second flexible member adjacent to the first flexible member with a gap;
a second signal line provided to the second flexible member; and
a second ground electrode provided to the second flexible member and adjacent to the second signal line,
a first driving element that deforms at least the first flexible member; and
a contact terminal that is fixed to anyone of the first signal line and the second signal line and that performs connection between the first signal line and the second signal line according to the deformation of the first flexible member,
wherein the first signal line and the first ground electrode are provided on the first flexible member,
the second signal line and the second ground electrode are provided on the second flexible member,
the second ground electrode extends to be adjacent to the first signal line via a first gap, and the first signal line is located to be interposed between the first ground electrode and the second ground electrode to thereby constitute a first coplanar waveguide, and
the first ground electrode extends to be adjacent to the second signal line via a second gap, and the second signal line is located to be interposed between the second ground electrode and the first ground electrode to thereby constitute a second coplanar waveguide.

2. The MEMS switch according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first flexible member and the second flexible member are arranged in point symmetry in a plan view.

3. An electronic device, comprising:
the MEMS switch according to claim 1 ,
a signal input element; and
a signal processing element connected to the signal input element via the MEMS switch.

4. A piezoelectric MEMS switch, comprising:
a flexible member including one end portion cantilever-supported by a substrate, and a separation portion thereby separated from the substrate;
a first signal line provided in the flexible member;
a second signal line provided to be separated from the first signal line;
a first pair of grounds provided in the flexible member;
a driving element for deforming the flexible member;
a contact terminal for a signal line that is provided in the flexible member and that switches between electrical connection and disconnection between the first signal line and the second signal line due to deformation of the flexible member by the driving element;
a second pair of grounds provided so that the second pair of grounds are separated from the second signal line and the second signal line is interposed therebetween in a plan view; and
a pair of contact terminals for grounding that switch between electrical connection and disconnection between one of the first pair of grounds and one of the second pair of grounds and between the other of the first pair of grounds and the other of the second pair of grounds due to deformation of the flexible member by the driving element when the contact terminal switches between the electrical connection and the disconnection between the first signal line and the second signal line due to deformation of the flexible member by the driving element,
wherein the first pair of grounds are provided so that the first pair of grounds are separated from the first signal line in the separation portion of the flexible member and the first signal line is interposed therebetween in the plan view,
at least a portion of the driving element overlaps the first pair of grounds in the separation portion of the flexible member in the plan view, and
a timing at which the pair of contact terminals for grounding performs switching from an electrical disconnection state to a connection state between one of the first pair of grounds and one of the second pair of grounds and between the other of the first pair of grounds and the other of the second pair of grounds due to deformation of the flexible member by the driving element is earlier than a timing at which the contact terminal for the signal line performs switching from an electrical disconnection state to a connection state between the first signal line and the second signal line due to deformation of the flexible member by the driving element.

5. A piezoelectric MEMS switch, comprising:
a flexible member including one end portion cantilever-supported by a substrate, and a separation portion thereby separated from the substrate;
a first signal line provided in the flexible member;
a second signal line provided to be separated from the first signal line;
a first pair of grounds provided in the flexible member;
a piezoelectric driving element for deforming the flexible member; and
a contact terminal that is provided in the flexible member and that switches between electrical connection and disconnection between the first signal line and the second signal line due to deformation of the flexible member by the piezoelectric driving element,
wherein the first pair of grounds are provided so that the first pair of grounds are separated from the first signal line in the separation portion of the flexible member and the first signal line is interposed therebetween in a plan view, and
at least a portion of the piezoelectric driving element overlaps the first pair of grounds in the separation portion of the flexible member in the plan view.

6. The piezoelectric MEMS switch according to claim 5 ,
wherein at least a portion of the first signal line does not overlap the piezoelectric driving element in the separation portion of the flexible member in the plan view.

7. The piezoelectric MEMS switch according to claim 5 ,
wherein, in the separation portion of the flexible member, a distance from each of the pair of grounds to the first signal line is shorter than a distance from the first signal line to the piezoelectric driving element.

8. The piezoelectric MEMS switch according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a second pair of grounds provided so that the second pair of grounds are separated from the second signal line and the second signal line is interposed therebetween in the plan view; and
a pair of contact terminals for grounding that switch between electrical connection and disconnection between one of the first pair of grounds and one of the second pair of grounds and between the other of the first pair of grounds and the other of the second pair of grounds due to deformation of the flexible member by the piezoelectric driving element when the contact terminal for a signal line switches between the electrical connection and the disconnection between the first signal line and the second signal line due to deformation of the flexible member by the piezoelectric driving element.

9. The piezoelectric MEMS switch according to claim 5 , wherein the first signal line and the first pair of grounds are provided at substantially a same vertical position.

Assignees

• Tdk Corp

Inventors

• Akiyama Jotaro
• Endou Kenji
• Aoyagi Takashi
• Osanai Katsunori
• Inoue Tohru

Classifications

• B81B7/008

  MEMS characterised by an electronic circuit specially adapted for controlling or driving the same (B81B7/0087 takes precedence; arrangements for starting, regulating, braking, or otherwise controlling an actuator H02N; control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators G09G3/00) · CPC title

• B81B2201/014

  having a cantilever fixed on one side connected to one or more dimples · CPC title

• B81B3/0097

  Devices comprising flexible or deformable elements not provided for in groups B81B3/0002 - B81B3/0094 · CPC title

• B81B2203/04

  Electrodes · CPC title

• B81B2203/0118

  Cantilevers · CPC title