Patent ID: 7830066

Claim:
A device for coupling an input signal to an output signal, comprising: a piezoelectric actuator comprising a support layer, a first piezoelectric electrode overlying the support layer, a piezoelectric material layer overlying the first piezoelectric electrode layer, and a second piezoelectric electrode overlying the piezoelectric material layer; and an electrostatic actuator comprising a contact shorting bar formed over the support layer, wherein the contact shorting bar is coupled to receive the input signal, a first electrostatic actuator portion overlying the support layer and a second electrostatic actuator portion overlying the support layer, wherein the piezoelectric actuator is coupled to the electrostatic actuator at the contact shorting bar, and wherein the first electrostatic portion comprises a first electrode and a second electrode and the second electrostatic portion comprises a third electrode and a fourth electrode, and wherein each of the first electrode and the third electrode is coupled to a power supply voltage and wherein each of the second electrode and the fourth electrode is coupled to a ground voltage, and wherein the piezoelectric actuator and the electrostatic actuator are arranged in a manner that they are separated physically from each other both in a first direction and a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction.