Normally closed microelectromechanical switches (MEMS), methods of manufacture and design structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9786459-B2
Application number	US-201615093808-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2016
Priority date	Jun 15, 2011
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

Normally closed (shut) micro-electro-mechanical switches (MEMS), methods of manufacture and design structures are provided. A structure includes a beam structure that includes a first end hinged on a first electrode and in electrical contact with a second electrode, in its natural state when not actuated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A structure, comprising:
a first cantilever beam including a first end and a second end, the first end being hinged on a first electrode, the second end being in electrical contact with a portion of a second electrode in a non-actuated state, the first cantilever beam being comprised of a first conductive material and the second electrode being comprised of a second conductive material, different from the first conductive material, and the portion of the second electrode being located above the second end of the first cantilever beam;
a second cantilever beam including a first end and a second end, the first end being hinged on the first electrode and the second end extending over a third electrode and being out of electrical contact with the third electrode in a non-actuated state; and
a compressive film formed on an upper surface of the first cantilever beam, wherein an upper surface of the second cantilever beam is devoid of the compressive film,
the first electrode, the second electrode and the third electrode being formed on a substrate located under the first and second cantilever beams.

2. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the compressive film includes at least one material that has a coefficient of thermal expansion different from that of a coefficient of thermal expansion for the second electrode,
wherein the compressive film is formed on a first portion of the upper surface of the first cantilever beam, separated from a second portion of upper surface of the first cantilever beam which contacts the second electrode,
wherein the compressive film is a separate film from the first cantilever beam, and
wherein the second portion of the first cantilever beam which contacts the second electrode is devoid of the compressive film.

3. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the second electrode is a cantilevered structure, extending above the second end of the first cantilever beam.

4. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the first cantilever beam is in electrical contact with the first electrode.

5. The structure of claim 1 , wherein:
the first electrode comprises:
a first conductive pad; and
a second conductive pad formed on the first conductive pad,
wherein the first end of the first cantilever beam is formed on the second conductive pad.

6. The structure of claim 5 , wherein the second electrode comprises:
a first conductive pad;
a second conductive pad formed on the first conductive pad; and
a third conductive pad formed on the second conductive pad,
wherein the portion of the second electrode comprises a cantilevered conductive pad formed on the third conductive pad.

7. The structure of claim 6 , wherein the cantilevered conductive pad extends over the first cantilever beam.

8. The structure of claim 7 , wherein the cantilevered conductive pad is in electrical contact with an upper surface of the first cantilever beam.

9. The structure of claim 6 , further comprising a fourth electrode positioned on the substrate between the first electrode and the second electrode, the fourth electrode comprising a first conductive pad coplanar with the first conductive pad of the first electrode and the first conducive pad of the second electrode.

10. The structure of claim 9 , wherein the third conductive pad of the second electrode is coplanar with the first cantilever beam in the non-activated state.

11. The structure of claim 10 , wherein the fourth electrode is configured to supply a control voltage to disconnect the second end of the first cantilever beam from the cantilevered conductive pad of the second electrode and place the first cantilever beam in an opened state at the second end of the first cantilever beam.

12. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode comprises a conductive pad onto which the first ends of the first cantilever beam and the second cantilever beam are hinged.

13. The structure of claim 12 , wherein the second electrode comprises:
a first conductive pad;
a second conductive pad formed on the first conductive pad; and
a third conductive pad formed on the second conductive pad,
wherein the portion of the second electrode comprises a cantilevered conductive pad formed on the third conductive pad that extends over and in contact with the second end of the first cantilever beam.

14. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the first conductive material and the second conductive material are respectively comprised of materials to prevent the first cantilever beam and the second electrode from growing permanent bonds when in contact with one another.

15. The structure of claim 11 , further comprising a fifth electrode located on the substrate between the first electrode and the third electrode, the fifth electrode being located below and out of contact with the second cantilever beam.

16. The structure of claim 15 , wherein the fifth electrode is configured to supply a control voltage to connect the second end of the second cantilever beam structure with the third electrode to place the second cantilever beam in a closed state at the second end of the second cantilever beam.

17. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is located between the first end of the first cantilever beam and the first end of the second cantilever beam with the first cantilever beam extending in a first direction away from the first electrode toward the second electrode and the second cantilever beam extending in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, away from the first electrode toward the third electrode.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Hall Dawn D
• Lamorey Mark C H
• Stamper Anthony K

Classifications

• H01H59/0009 Primary

  making use of micromechanics · CPC title

• G06F30/39

  Circuit design at the physical level (physical level design for reconfigurable circuits G06F30/347) · CPC title

• Y10T29/49204

  Contact or terminal manufacturing · CPC title

• Y10T29/49105

  Switch making · CPC title

• Y10T29/49117

  Conductor or circuit manufacturing · CPC title