Micro-Fabricated bi-stable Mechanical Switch Actuated by a Single Thermal Actuator

A miniaturized, micro-fabricated planar bi-stable mechanical switch is introduced, featuring a lever-based displacement amplifier and a single electro-thermal actuator. This switch utilizes a straightforward geometrical principle to transition between two stable states, ensuring reliable and repeatable operation. Realized on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, the device is designed to be compact and energy-efficient while identifying ON/OFF states through an electrical connection, being able to switch between the "ON" and "OFF" mechanical states after 19,000 times as identified by a rigid electrical detection procedure repeated test, with corresponding minimum drive voltages of 8.9 V and 8.7 V. The I-V curve in the locked state shows that its surface contact is nearly ideal, which means there is basically no threshold voltage, and the resistance is only about 2.5 kΩ.