Patent ID: 8120443

Claim:
A circulator, comprising: at least three ports including a port designed to be connected to a transmitting/receiving antenna, an input port for receiving a radiofrequency or microwave signal to be transmitted to the port, an output port configured to be connected to a receiving device or a load, wherein said circulator further comprises two identical electromechanical micro-switches of the series type formed on a same substrate, and including a first micro-switch being disposed in order to allow the transmission of the radiofrequency or microwave signal from said input port corresponding to a first signal line of said first micro-switch to the port designed to be connected to the antenna, corresponding to a second signal line of said first micro-switch, a second micro-switch being disposed in order to allow the signal transmission between the port designed to be connected to the antenna, corresponding to the first signal line of said second micro-switch, and said output port corresponding to the second signal line of said second micro-switch, and an impedance matching circuit connected to said port designed to be connected to the antenna, said matching circuit having a function of virtual obstacle to the transmission or a reflection of the radiofrequency or microwave signal from said port to the input port, wherein each of the first and second micro-switches is formed on a substrate coated with a passivation layer, wherein: a mobile metal membrane forming a bridge over a switching region between the first signal line and the second signal line isolated from the first line, the first and second signal lines disposed within the projected extension of one another, said mobile metal membrane comprising at least one layer of a metal selected from Al, Au or Cu, a voltage control electrode formed on the passivation layer, within said switching region, and comprising two electrically isolated parts, a dielectric material of high relative permittivity greater than one hundred, and invariant with frequency, disposed in direct contact on top of said control electrode, and having a shape such that in a direction of the first and second signal lines, said control electrode is wider on either side, and in an orthogonal direction, the dielectric material protrudes on either side from said control electrode, and comes into contact with said passivation layer.