Patent ID: 9634231
Date: 2017-04-25
CPC Classifications: B81B,B81C,H01H,H01L

Claim:
1. A MEMS switch comprising: fixed support; a plate-shaped flexible beam extending along a first direction having at least one end immovably supported by the fixed support and having an extending movable surface; a movable electric contact disposed on the movable surface of the flexible beam; a fixed electric contact disposed above the movable electric contact, facing the movable electric contact and disposed at a fixed position relative to the fixed support; first piezoelectric driver disposed above the movable surface of the flexible beam, extending along the first direction from a portion above the fixed support towards the movable electric contact, and capable of displacing the movable electric contact towards the fixed electric contact by voltage driving; and second piezoelectric driver disposed at least on the movable surface of the flexible beam in a region containing the movable contact and extending along the first direction, capable of so driving a movable part of the flexible beam by voltage driving that the movable electric contact is separated from the fixed electric contact; wherein either of the first piezoelectric driver and the second piezoelectric driver has a lower electrode, a piezoelectric material layer disposed on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode disposed on the piezoelectric material layer, wherein the movable electric contact is disposed in an intermediate-width region of the flexible beam and the second piezoelectric driver includes a pair of piezoelectric actuators disposed on both outer-width sides of the movable electric contact, and wherein the fixed support comprises an SOI substrate in which an active Si layer is bonded to an Si support substrate via a silicon oxide layer, and the flexible beam comprises part of the active Si layer and has a stripe shape having a constant width and extending in a longitudinal direction.