Experimental Studies of Contact Detachment Delay in Microrelays for Logic Applications

The abrupt switching behavior of mechanical switches makes it imperative to ensure that they turn OFF more rapidly than they turn ON. In a complementary logic circuit, slower turn-OFF than turn-ON could lead to the formation of a direct current path between the power supply and the ground, which would result in undesirable dynamic power dissipation during signal transitions. In this brief, the contact detachment delay (τ_CD) of microrelays is systematically characterized and investigated. τ_CD is shown to be correlated with contact adhesive force and the mechanical properties of the contact materials; τ_CD can also be reduced by ultrathin-oxide coating and contact area scaling.