Patent ID: 7312678

Claim:
A micro-electromechanical relay, comprising: a base substrate having a support surface; a cantilever beam attached to the support surface, the cantilever beam having an actuatable free end; the cantilever beam comprising structural layers with differing thermal coefficients of expansion, and the cantilever beam being actuatable by a change of temperature of the cantilever beam; a shuttle movable on the base substrate by a shuttle actuator to and from a contact position between the actuatable free end of the cantilever beam and the substrate; electrical contacts on at least two of the free end of the cantilever beam, the shuttle and the support surface such that movement of the actuatable free end of the cantilever beam towards the shuttle closes the electrical contacts; and the cantilever beam being arranged to move away from the substrate when actuated, to allow the shuttle to move under the free end of the cantilever beam, and to press against the shuttle when un-actuated.