FULLY INTEGRATED MAGNETICALLY ACTUATED MICROMACHINED RELAYS

A fully integrated magnetically actuated micromachined relay has been successfully fabricated and tested. This particular device uses a sing le-layer coil to actuate a movable upper magnetically responsive platf orm. The minimum current for actuation was 180 mA, resulting in an act uation power of 33 mW, Devices have been tested which can make and bre ak 1.2 A of current through the relay contacts when the relay is elect romagnetically switched. Operational lifetimes in excess of 850 000 op erations have been observed, Contact resistances as low as 22.4 m Omeg a have been observed under electromagnetic actuation. Magnetic and str uctural finite-element (FE) simulations have been performed using ANSY S to calculate both the actuation and contact forces.