Patent ID: 9096419
Filing Date: 2015-08-04
Classification: B81B,H01F,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An electromechanical systems (EMS) device, comprising: a substrate; a stationary electrode over the substrate; a movable electrode over the stationary electrode and configured to move to three or more positions across a gap by electrostatic actuation between the movable electrode and the stationary electrode; a plurality of tethers symmetrically disposed around the edges of the movable electrode; and a plurality of protrusions connected to and protruding from a first surface of the EMS device, the plurality of protrusions rotationally symmetric about a center of the movable electrode, wherein the movable electrode is configured to continue moving closer towards the stationary electrode when any of the protrusions makes contact with a second surface of the EMS device opposite the first surface during actuation, wherein the first surface includes one of: a surface of the substrate facing the movable electrode, a surface of the movable electrode facing the substrate, and a surface of the plurality of tethers facing the substrate, wherein at least one of the first surface and the second surface of the EMS device is non-rigid.