Low operation voltage of inkjet-printed plastic sheet-type micromechanical switches

We have fabricated plastic micromechanical switches using inkjet printing technologies. By reducing the device dimensions, particularly the spacing between the electrodes for electrostatic attraction, the operation voltage is reduced to 6.6 V. The frequency response exceeds 1 kHz when the operation voltage is above 20 V. When the number of periodic cycles of the rectangular voltage waveforms that are applied to the control electrodes in air exceeds 2x10(6), the on resistance changes slightly from 25 to 30 Omega, thereby demonstrating the reliability and stability of the present plastic switches. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics.