Micromachined relays provide switching solutions that are advantageous over existing technology in many aspects of device performance. In order to fully benefit from the MEMS solution in switching, however, a general integration strategy to various integrated circuit (IC) electronics needs to be developed. We describe the design and test of such an integration scheme utilizing flip-chip bonding of MEMS relays onto another substrate carrying the remainder of the circuitry. Individual devices consist of cantilever-like mechanical structure carrying a mobile electrode that is electrostatically actuated. The presence of a second substrate in the flip-chip bonded geometry provides the unique possibility of placing electrostatic actuators on both sides of the cantilever, thereby allowing active turn-on and turn-off of the relay device. The fabricated relays show switching time as short as 10 μs, actuation voltages as low as 25 V, on-state DC resistance as low as 2 Ω and open-state DC resistance as large as 1013 Ω. The device is assembled and packaged using a single-step flip-chip bonding process. Upon flip-chip bonding, the MEMS devices are completely enclosed in a small cavity between the two substrates that is sealed by a ring-type solder seal. Such technique provides the opportunity for the integrated chip to be further packaged using conventional cost-effective packaging techniques.
Integration and packaging of MEMS relays
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