Investigation of Characteristics of Electrostatically Actuated MEMS Switch with an Active Contact Breaking Mechanism

The electrostatically actuated MEMS switch with resistive contact is presented. The movable electrode is a beam suspended on its torsion hinges. The contact material is platinum. The switch has an active breaking mechanism making it possible to protect it against stiction and provide a low actuation voltage. The measuring technique for the operating characteristic in the “hot” mode under a low direct current is described. The pull-in voltage and the breaking voltage, the switching time, and the dependence of the contact resistance on the number of actuation cycles are measured. The wear of contact surfaces is investigated. The operation of the switch in a bistable mode is demonstrated, in which the closed condition is maintained without applying the actuation voltage and the state transition occurs due to the active contact breaking mechanism.