2007 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Fundamental researches of non-arching electric contacts for MEMS relay and switch
| Project/Area Number |
17560316
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Electron device/Electronic equipment
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| Research Institution | Ishinomaki Senshu University |
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Principal Investigator |
WAKATSUKI Noboru Ishinomaki Senshu University, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Professor (40275615)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
CHUJI Nakatani Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd., Storage Intelligent System Laboratories, Researcher (90417981)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2005 – 2007
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| Keywords | electric contacts / MEMS / arc discharge / transient current switch / reed switch / electro-magnetic relay / Coulomb's electrostatic force / reactive ion etching |
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| Research Abstract |
We summarized our fundamental researches of non-arching electric contacts for MEMS relay and switch as follows.
(1) The transient current switch circuit with a timely controlled current contacts and a capacitor for a conventional energizing contacts was proposed and was experimentally confirmed. However, the required capacitance value is depending on energizing current and load inductance. For several tens ampere, the value would be more than micro-farad. Miniaturizations and cost reduction of the capacitance would be important problems.
(2)The transient current switch circuit is also effective to suppress surge noise of inductive load. No arc and no surge would be realized. However, the additional circuit including a contacts and a capacitor should guarantee the fail safe against the arc ignition. Therefore, the mechanism of arc ignition suppression and the design principal should be clear, theoretically and experimentally. Through these fundamental researches, we could just start the study.
(3) Using the transient current switch circuit, we could observe breaking contact phenomena under the condition of slow contact voltage increase. We could separately measure the mechanical, electrical and thermal phenomena. These measured data would make us to understand contact phenomena more clearly.
(4) Using the transient current switch circuit, conventional MEMS technologies were applicable to high power current contacts. And the combination of many contact points on chip would have the potential of volume needs of MEMS devices. However, actuators for make/break operation are necessary and new approach of the actuator would be studied using the transit current switch circuit.
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Research Products
(27 results)
