Electricity: magnetically operated switches – magnets – and electr – Electromagnetically actuated switches – Contact-actuating means
Patent
1984-12-14
1986-02-11
Broome, Harold
Electricity: magnetically operated switches, magnets, and electr
Electromagnetically actuated switches
Contact-actuating means
335128, 335185, H01H 300, H01H 5108
Patent
active
045701393
ABSTRACT:
A silicon substrate (2,22) having a SiO.sub.2 layer (4,24) grown on its upper surface and a metallization layer (6,26) of magnetic material subsequently deposited on the upper surface of the SiO.sub.2 layer is etched to define a cantilever beam (8,38) extending over a recess (12,32) in the substrate (2,22) having a magnetic layer (6,26) along the top surface thereof. The resulting structure is subsequently masked with a photoresist layer to enable a second layer (14,34) of magnetic material to be deposited on the first layer. The photoresist layer is stripped forming a second magnetic layer (14,34) projecting from the unsupported end of the cantilever beam over and spaced from a fixed stop (10,30) of magnetic material adjacent the unsupported end of the cantilever beam. In one version the magnetic material (6,14) serves as electrical current carrying contacts which close upon application of a magnetic field to the switching device. Alternatively, an additional layer (36) of better quality electrical conducting material may be bonded to the second magnetic layer (34) as a bridging contact (38) oriented at right angles to the major dimension of the cantilever beam (38) and a pair of contact surfaces (40,42) are bonded to the insulating layer (24) along lateral edges of the substrate (22).
REFERENCES:
"Micromechanical Membrane Switches on Silicon", Jul., 1979, IBM J. Res. Develop., vol. 23, No. 4, pp. 376-385, Kurt E. Petersen.
"Silicon as a Mechanical Material", May, 1982, Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 70, No. 5, pp. 420-457, (see particularly pp. 450-452).
Broome Harold
Eaton Corporation
Grace C. H.
Vande Zande L. G.
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