Microswitch with Mixed Piezoelectric and Electrostatic Actuation

In this article, a new concept of microswitch is investigated with the objective to decrease the actuation voltage. It consists in a component with two kinds of actuation mechanisms: piezoelectric actuation and electrostatic actuation. The structures were realized with a technology compatible with CMOS technology. Aluminium nitride (AIN) was selected as piezoelectric material for its maturity and integration capabilities.