Patent ID: 7132723

Claim:
A radio frequency (RF) micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device, comprising: an RF circuit substrate and an RF conducting path disposed on the RF circuit substrate; a piezoelectric thin film actuator having a proximal end that is fixed relative to the RF circuit substrate and a cantilever end that is spaced from the RF circuit substrate, wherein the piezoelectric thin film actuator includes a first electrode, a second electrode, an elastic layer disposed on the second electrode, an isolation layer provided on the elastic layer along a plane substantially parallel to a surface of the RF circuit substrate, and a piezoelectric layer disposed between the first and second electrodes such that when a voltage potential is applied to the first and second electrodes, the isolation layer reduces electrical arcing between the first and second electrodes, wherein the first and second electrodes have a length between about 300 microns (μm) and about 500 microns (μm); and a conducting path electrode disposed on the cantilever end of the piezoelectric thin film actuator; wherein the cantilever end of the piezoelectric thin film actuator is movable between a first position whereat the conducting path electrode is spaced from the RF conducting path a first distance and a second position whereat the conducting path electrode is spaced from the RF conducting path a second distance, and wherein the second distance is less than the first distance.