An electromechanical power switch device and methods thereof. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are devices including a semiconductor substrate, at least one integrated circuit device on a front surface of the semiconductor substrate, an insulating layer on the at least one integrated circuit device, and an electromechanical power switch on the insulating layer. By way of example, the electromechanical power switch may include a source and a drain, a body region disposed between the source and the drain, and a gate including a switching metal layer. In some embodiments, the body region includes a first body portion and a second body portion spaced a distance from the first body portion and defining a body discontinuity therebetween. Additionally, in various examples, the switching metal layer may be disposed over the body discontinuity.

Methods of operating a switching device are provided. The switching device is formed in an interconnect, the interconnect including a plurality of metallization levels, and has an assembly that includes a beam held by a structure. The beam and structure are located within the same metallization level. Locations of fixing of the structure on the beam are arranged so as to define for the beam a pivot point situated between these fixing locations. The structure is substantially symmetric with respect to the beam and to a plane perpendicular to the beam in the absence of a potential difference. The beam is able to pivot in a first direction in the presence of a first potential difference applied between a first part of the structure and to pivot in a second direction in the presence of a second potential difference applied between a second part of the structure.

A passive wireless switch circuit and related apparatus are provided. In examples discussed herein, an apparatus includes a smaller number of voltage circuits configured to control a larger number of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switches. The voltage circuits passively generate a number of constant voltages based on a number of radio frequency (RF) signals to collectively identify each of the MEMS switches. A decoder circuit decodes the constant voltages to identify a selected MEMS switch and provides a selected constant voltage higher than a defined threshold voltage to close the selected MEMS switch. As such, it may be possible to eliminate active components and/or circuits from the passive wireless switch circuit, thus helping to reduce leakage and power consumption. It may be further possible to reduce conductive traces between the voltage circuits and the MEMS switches, thus helping to reduce routing complexity and footprint of the apparatus.

A method of forming a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) includes forming a lower electrode on a first insulator layer within a cavity of the MEMS. The method further includes forming an upper electrode over another insulator material on top of the lower electrode which is at least partially in contact with the lower electrode. The forming of the lower electrode and the upper electrode includes adjusting a metal volume of the lower electrode and the upper electrode to modify beam bending.

According to one embodiment, an IC chip includes a plurality of fuse elements including a plurality of fuse portions each of which is to be cut off by a stress, and a plurality of actuator portions provided for the plurality of fuse portions, respectively, and each of which applies a stress to corresponding one of fuse portions, and a control circuit supplying a control signal for cutting off desired one of the fuse portions to corresponding one of the actuator portions.

According to one embodiment, an IC chip includes a plurality of fuse elements including a plurality of fuse portions each of which is to be cut off by a stress, and a plurality of actuator portions provided for the plurality of fuse portions, respectively, and each of which applies a stress to corresponding one of fuse portions, and a control circuit supplying a control signal for cutting off desired one of the fuse portions to corresponding one of the actuator portions.

The present disclosure relates to an electronic high-frequency component for accommodating micro-devices, having at least two housing parts which are joined together by a metal frame and which enclose a cavity, and at least one input signal line configured to introduce electrical high-frequency signals from outside of the component into the cavity. The input signal line is connected to a signal line via. Furthermore, the high-frequency component also has at least one short-circuit via which electrically connects the metal frame to at least one of the housing parts of the component.

A micro-electromechanical-system (MEMS) switch (1) is formed in a substrate (2) and includes a first RF signal line (3) and a second RF signal line (4), a deformable membrane (5), an activator (7) configured to deform the membrane (5), a substrate track, and a membrane track. The RF signal lines (3, 4) are connected by one of the membrane track and the substrate track. A membrane RF ground (9, 10) is integrated into the membrane (5), and the membrane RF ground is electrically connected to a substrate RF ground (11, 12, 3, 14), the membrane RF ground framing and being formed parallel to at least one among the membrane track (8) and the substrate track, such that the RF ground (9, 10) closely follows the RF signal path, in order to guide the propagation of the RF signal of the first RF signal line (3) to the second RF signal line (4) when the switch is in the on state.

A MEMS switch contains an RF electrode 102, pull-down electrodes 104 and anchor electrodes 108 located on a substrate 101. A plurality of islands 226 are provided in the pull-down electrode and electrically isolated therefrom. On top of the RF electrode is the RF contact 206 to which the MEMS-bridge 212, 214 forms an ohmic contact in the pulled-down state. The pull-down electrodes 104 are covered with a dielectric layer 202 to avoid a short-circuit between the bridge and the pull-down electrode. Contact stoppers 224 are disposed on the dielectric layer 202 at locations corresponding to the islands 226, and the resulting gap between the bridge and the dielectric layer in the pulled-down state reduces dielectric charging. In alternative embodiments, the contact stoppers are provide within the dielectric layer 202 or disposed on the islands themselves and under the dielectric layer. The switch provides good controllability of the contact resistance of MEMS switches over a wide voltage operating range.

A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) switch with liquid dielectric and a method of fabrication thereof are provided. In the context of the MEMS switch, a MEMS switch is provided including a cantilevered source switch, a first actuation gate disposed parallel to the cantilevered source switch, a first drain disposed parallel to a movable end of the cantilevered source switch, and a liquid dielectric disposed within a housing of the microelectromechanical system switch.