Systems and methods for forming an electrostatic MEMS switch include forming a movable cantilevered beam on a first substrate, forming the electrical contacts on a second substrate, and coupling the two substrates using a hermetic seal. Electrical access to the electrostatic MEMS switch may be made by forming vias through the thickness of the second substrate. The cantilevered beam may be formed by etching the perimeter shape in the device layer of an SOI substrate. An additional void may be formed in the movable beam such that it bends about an additional hinge line as a result of the additional void. This may give the beam and switch advantageous kinematic characteristics.

A Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based NM cross-point switch, a MEMS-based system, and a method provide MEMS-based cross-point electrical switching for a Layer 0 flow-based switch. The NM cross-point switch includes N inputs each at least 10 Gbps, M output each at least 10 Gbps, a plurality of Radio Frequency (RF) MEMS switches selectively interconnecting the N inputs to the M outputs; and control and addressing circuitry to selectively control the plurality of RF MEMS switches to switch each of the N inputs to a corresponding output of the M outputs. The systems and methods provide an electrical switching fabric for flow-based switching of wavelengths that can be part of a Reconfigurable Electrical Add/Drop Multiplexer (READM) with similar functionality as a ROADM in the electronic domain.

Deep via technology is used to construct an integrated silicon cantilever and cavity oriented in a vertical plane which creates an electrostatically-switched MEMS switch in a small wafer area. Another embodiment is a small wafer area electrostatically-switched, vertical-cantilever MEMS switch wherein the switch cavity is etched within a volume defined by walls grown internally within a silicon substrate using through vias.

Deep via technology is used to construct an integrated silicon cantilever and cavity oriented in a vertical plane which creates an electrostatically-switched MEMS switch in a small wafer area. Another embodiment is a small wafer area electrostatically-switched, vertical-cantilever MEMS switch wherein the switch cavity is etched within a volume defined by walls grown internally within a silicon substrate using through vias.

Deep via technology is used to construct an integrated silicon cantilever and cavity oriented in a vertical plane which creates an electrostatically-switched MEMS switch in a small wafer area. Another embodiment is a small wafer area electrostatically-switched, vertical-cantilever MEMS switch wherein the switch cavity is etched within a volume defined by walls grown internally within a silicon substrate using through vias.

Deep via technology is used to construct an integrated silicon cantilever and cavity oriented in a vertical plane which creates an electrostatically-switched MEMS switch in a small wafer area. Another embodiment is a small wafer area electrostatically-switched, vertical-cantilever MEMS switch wherein the switch cavity is etched within a volume defined by walls grown internally within a silicon substrate using through vias.