Journal
JOURNAL OF MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS
Volume 21, Issue 5, Pages 1209-1217Publisher
IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC
DOI: 10.1109/JMEMS.2012.2198046
Keywords
Antistiction; contact resistance; leverage; lifetime; microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) relay; micro-switch; power switching; stand-off voltage; torsion
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Funding
- Korea Science and Engineering Foundation
- Smart IT Convergence System Research Center
- Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology [R11-2007-045-03003-0]
- National Research Foundation of Korea [2011-0031848, R11-2007-045-03003-0, 2010-0009901] Funding Source: Korea Institute of Science & Technology Information (KISTI), National Science & Technology Information Service (NTIS)
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This paper reports on a novel electrostatically actuated microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) relay for use in power-switching applications. It features a levering and torsional spring to enhance the stand-off voltage and contact endurance by means of an active-opening scheme. The proposed relay is based on a unique stacked-electrode structure and a soft insulating layer under the contact material that make it possible to obtain extremely low contact resistance, resulting in high current driving capability and reliable contact endurance. The fabricated relay demonstrated actuation voltages under 40 V, a switching time of 230 mu s, and a maximum stand-off voltage of 360 V, which is the highest level among electrostatically actuated MEMS relays reported to date. The contact resistance was under 5 m Omega at 40 V of applied voltage, and more than 1 A could be carried. The contact reliability in a hot-switching condition was investigated for various dc current levels. At a current of 10 mA, the relay operated for more than 10(7) cycles before the test was stopped. In addition, the permanent contact stiction during switching operation at a 200-mA current level was overcome with a pull-off (active-opening) voltage of 90 V by the levering and torsional spring. Using this healing process, a device that failed at about 10(4) switching cycles in the 200-mA hot-switching mode was revived and reoperated with negligible contact resistance variation, lasting up to 4.9 x 10(5) cycles, constituting an order-of-magnitude enhancement in the lifetime even after failure.
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