A micromechanical switch with electrostatically driven liquid-metal droplet

This paper presents the use of a microscale liquid-metal droplet as a contact and moving part in a micromechanical switch with electrostatic actuation. Design, FEM analysis, fabrication and testing of the device are reported. The droplet is driven by a given voltage bias that induces electrostatic f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSensors and actuators. A, Physical Vol. 97; pp. 672 - 679
Main Authors Kim, Joonwon, Shen, Wenjiang, Latorre, Laurent, Kim, Chang-Jin
Format Journal Article Conference Proceeding
LanguageEnglish
Published Lausanne Elsevier B.V 01.04.2002
Elsevier Science
Subjects
Droplet switch
Electrostatic force
Exact sciences and technology
Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy
Liquid-metal
Mechanical instruments, equipment and techniques
Micromechanical devices and systems
Microswitch
Physics
Shadow mask
Shadow mask
Microswitch
Liquid-metal
Droplet switch
Electrostatic force
Micromechanical devices
Finite element method
Shadow method
Digital simulation
Switches
Theoretical study
Droplets
Liquid metals
Experimental study
Masks
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Summary:This paper presents the use of a microscale liquid-metal droplet as a contact and moving part in a micromechanical switch with electrostatic actuation. Design, FEM analysis, fabrication and testing of the device are reported. The droplet is driven by a given voltage bias that induces electrostatic force between a grounded liquid-metal and an imbedded actuation electrode. The electrodes and the liquid-metal droplet are placed inside of an anisotropically etched silicon cavity. A novel technique to make shadow masks utilizing thin wafers is used to pattern the electrodes inside the silicon cavity.
ISSN:0924-4247
1873-3069
DOI:10.1016/S0924-4247(02)00022-5