MEMS switch with prolonged lifetime under hot switching conditions based on gold as contact material

Ohmic MEMS switches can be operated reliable under DC load if important factors determining its reliability are considered as a whole. First of all, these are bi-directional actuation with high forces, a very low contact resistance and good heat dissipation. The present work describes the reliability of a surface-micromachined ohmic switch with gold contacts, combining all this features. Hot switching of 50mA at 10VDC is possible in ambient air for more than 50 million cycles. With a load of 10mA more than 100 million cycles have been demonstrated repeatedly.