Patent ID: 7250837

Claim:
An electro-mechanical micro-switch device comprising: a first fixed electrode; a second fixed electrode; and a movable electrode, supported by a support structure, positioned with respect to the first and second electrodes so that the position of the movable electrode can be selectively placed in one of two opposing states defined by the first and second electrodes under application of a voltage with respect to at least one of the first and second electrodes, a pull-in voltage being defined for the device, wherein the movable electrode and the support structure are part of a flexible structure and wherein elastic potential energy stored in the flexible structure is used for switching between said two states so that the movable electrode can switch from being pulled-in to the first fixed electrode to being pulled-in to the second fixed electrode under application of a first voltage lower than the pull-in voltage, and from being pulled-in to the second fixed electrode to being pulled-in to the first fixed electrode under application of a second voltage lower than the pull-in voltage.