Patent ID: 7405641

Claim:
A micro-electro-mechanical switch comprising: a substrate; an signal transmission line on top of the substrate, the signal transmission line having a first signal end and a second signal end where the first signal end is electrically isolated from the second signal end and with a signal transmission electrode located at the first signal end of the signal transmission line; an activation transmission line having a first activation end and a second activation end with a substrate activation electrode located between the first activation end and the second activation end; a signal transmission portion comprising a signal armature having a first signal armature end and a second signal armature end, the signal transmission portion comprising a top insulator layer and a bottom insulator layer with a conducting transmission line therebetween, where the conducting transmission line at the second signal armature end is electrically connected with the second signal armature end through a signal via/anchor formed through the bottom insulating layer of the signal transmission portion, where the signal transmission portion further comprises a metal contact at the first signal armature end extending from the conducting transmission line through the bottom insulating layer of the signal transmission portion, thereby being exposed for electrical contact, and being positioned such that as the signal armature is urged toward the substrate, the metal contact electrically contacts with the signal transmission electrode at the first signal end of the signal transmission line; an activation portion comprising an activation armature having a first activation end and a second activation end, the activation portion comprising a top insulator layer and a bottom insulator layer with a conductive layer formed therebetween, where a portion of the conductive layer proximate the substrate activation electrode is formed as an armature activation electrode and where the second activation end of the activation armature is electrically connected with the second end of the activation transmission line through a activation via/anchor formed through the bottom insulating layer so that an activation signal may be applied along the activation transmission line, drawing the armature activation electrode toward the substrate activation electrode, thus drawing the activation portion toward the substrate; and a mechanical linkage connecting the activation portion with the signal transmission portion so that the activation portion and the signal transmission portion move in concert; whereby when an activation signal is applied along the activation transmission line, both the activation portion and the signal transmission portion are drawn toward the substrate to a substantially closed position, where the metal contact of the signal transmission portion electrically contacts the electrode at the first signal end of the signal transmission line.