High-Power Magnetically Actuated Microswitches Fabricated in Laminates

We report on a microelectromechanical magnetic dc switch that operates at low control voltage (3 V), magnetically latches at on/off stage, and switches large voltages and currents, both dc and ac, in under 3 ms. The device, which measures 3 mm × 3 mm fully packaged, has been measured to handle 0.97 A at 10.6 Vdc (10.2 W) and 15 W at 110 Vac. This represents a remarkable power-handling capability for such a small device, which is almost impossible to achieve in conventional microelectromechanical system devices. The device is constructed using laminate MEMS technology, which is fully compatible with large-scale manufacturing by advanced microelectronics packaging manufacturers. This device has important applications in electronic switching applications for dc circuits, ac circuits, and, potentially, for RF circuits.