High-Performance Lateral-Actuating Magnetic MEMS Switch

A lateral-actuating magnetic MEMS switch has been fabricated, which generates an estimated 200 μN of magnetic closing force with less than 0.7 V of actuation voltage and 13-mW power. The switch closes in 65 μs, reaches steady state within 200 μs, and has a powerful return force of 70 μN. The contact resistance was 0.1 to 0.4 Ω and lasted 3 ·10⁶ cycles before failure. The device uses low-temperature processing (<; 300°C), low voltage, and substrate-agnostic fabrication technology that facilitates fabrication on (and integration with) a wide variety of substrates and technologies.