Claims
- 1. A radio frequency switch, comprising:
a magnet; an electromagnet formed on said magnet; a transmission line formed on said electromagnet, said transmission line having a ground line and a signal line; and a movable contact connected to one of said ground line and said signal line, said movable contact capable of electrically coupling said ground line with said signal line.
- 2. The radio frequency switch of claim 1, wherein said transmission line is capable of propagating a radio frequency signal if said ground line is electrically decoupled from said signal line.
- 3. The radio frequency switch of claim 1, wherein said transmission line is incapable of propogating a radio frequency signal if said ground line is electrically coupled with said signal line.
- 4. The radio frequency switch of claim 1, wherein said movable contact is capable of being magnetically actuated.
- 5. The radio frequency switch of claim 1, wherein said movable contact is latchable.
- 6. The radio frequency switch of claim 1, wherein said magnet, said electromagnet, said transmission line, and said movable contact have dimensions at a micron order of magnitude.
- 7. The radio frequency switch of claim 1, wherein said magnet is formed on a substrate.
- 8. The radio frequency switch of claim 1, wherein said magnet is made of permalloy.
- 9. The radio frequency switch of claim 1, wherein said electromagnet comprises:
a layer of dielectric material; an electromagnetic coil formed in said layer of dielectric material; and means to couple electrically said electromagnetic coil to a current source.
- 10. The radio frequency switch of claim 1, wherein said transmission line is a coplanar waveguide.
- 11. The radio frequency switch of claim 10, wherein said coplanar waveguide comprises a layer of dielectric material formed on said electromagnet, said signal line, said ground line, and a second ground line formed on said layer of dielectric material, wherein said signal line is positioned between said ground line and said second ground line, said signal line separated from said ground line and said second ground line.
- 12. The radio frequency switch of claim 11, further comprising a ground plane positioned between said layer of dielectric material and said electromagnet.
- 13. The radio frequency switch of claim 12, further comprising means to couple electrically said ground plane to at least one of said ground line and said second ground line.
- 14. The radio frequency switch of claim 1, wherein said movable contact is a cantilever.
- 15. The radio frequency switch of claim 14, wherein said cantilever comprises:
a layer of conducting material; and a magnet formed on said layer of conducting material.
- 16. The radio frequency switch of claim 15, wherein said magnet is made of permalloy.
- 17. The radio frequency switch of claim 14, wherein said cantilever is elastic.
- 18. The radio frequency switch of claim 14, wherein said cantilever is supported by lateral torsion flexures.
- 19. The radio frequency switch of claim 18, wherein at least one of said lateral torsion flexures is capable of electrically coupling said cantilever with said one of said ground line and said signal line.
- 20. The radio frequency switch of claim 14, wherein said cantilever is supported by a post.
- 21. The radio frequency switch of claim 20, wherein said post is elastic.
- 22. The radio frequency switch of claim 20, wherein said post is capable of electrically coupling said cantilever with said one of said ground line and said signal line.
- 23. A method for propagating a radio frequency signal from a first transmission line to a second transmission line, comprising the steps of:
(1) connecting a latchable, magnetically actuated radio frequency switch between the first and the second transmission lines; and (2) electrically decoupling a ground line of the latchable, magnetically actuated radio frequency switch from a signal line of the latchable, magnetically actuated radio frequency switch.
- 24. A method of making a latchable, magnetically actuated radio frequency microswitch, comprising the steps of:
(1) forming a magnet on a substrate; (2) forming an electromagnet on the magnet; (3) forming, on the electromagnet, a transmission line with a ground line and a signal line; and (4) forming a movable contact connected to one of the ground line and the signal line.
- 25. The method of claim 24, wherein said forming the magnet on the substrate step comprises the step of:
depositing a soft magnetic material onto the substrate, thereby forming the magnet.
- 26. The method of claim 24, wherein said forming the electromagnet on the magnet step comprises the steps of:
(a) depositing a first layer of a dielectric material onto the magnet; (b) depositing a layer of a sacrificial material onto the first layer of the dielectric material; (c) forming a hole in the layer of the sacrificial material, wherein the hole defines the electromagnet; and (d) depositing a conductive material in the hole, thereby forming the electromagnet.
- 27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the steps of:
(e) removing the sacrificial material; and (f) depositing a second layer of the dielectric material onto the first layer and the conductive material.
- 28. The method of claim 24, wherein said forming, on the electromagnet, the transmission line with the ground line and the signal line step comprises the steps of:
(a) depositing a layer of a dielectric material onto the electromagnet; (b) depositing a sacrificial layer onto the layer of the dielectric material; (c) forming a first hole, a second hole, and a third hole in the layer of the sacrificial material, wherein the first hole defines the ground line, the second hole defines the signal line, and the third hole defines a second ground line; and (d) depositing a conductive material in the first hole, the second hole, and the third hole, thereby forming the transmission line with the ground line, the signal line, and the second ground line.
- 29. The method of claim 28, wherein said depositing the layer of the dielectric material onto the electromagnet step comprises the steps of:
(i) depositing a layer of a conductive material onto the electromagnet; and (ii) depositing a layer of the dielectric material onto the layer of the conductive material.
- 30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:
(iii) forming a fourth hole in the layer of the dielectric material, wherein the fourth hole is aligned with at least one of the first hole and the third hole; and (iv) depositing the conductive material into the fourth hole.
- 31. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of:
(e) removing the sacrificial material.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/470,202, filed May 14, 2003, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60470202 |
May 2003 |
US |