Patent ID: 7414500

Claim:
A micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) slotline switch, comprising: a slotline transmission line structure defined on top of a substrate; a doubly-anchored conductive beam disposed perpendicular to, and above said slotline transmission line structure so that there is a predetermined space between the doubly-anchored conductive beam and the slotline transmission line structure; a beam conductive contact attached to the doubly-anchored conductive beam above a slot of the slotline transmission line structure; a recess conductive contact formed in a recess of said substrate and forming a parallel-plate capacitor with said beam conductive contact; a conductive trace defined on the bottom surface of the substrate forming a microstrip-to-slotline transition for coupling signals in microstrip line to the slotline transmission line structure; said beam and recess conductive contacts being spaced apart, and the doubly-anchored conductive beam being continuously movable when a voltage is applied between the beam and the recess conductive contacts.