Electromechanical switch

1 . An apparatus, comprising:

a structure having a cavity, and first and second cavity sides on opposite sides of the cavity;

a first electrical terminal on the first cavity side of the structure;

a second electrical terminal on the second cavity side of the structure, and the second electrical terminal including an extension that includes a first electrical contact;

a beam extending from the first cavity side and bendable around more than one axis, the beam including:

a metal layer electrically coupled to the first electrical terminal;

opposite first and second beam sides, in which the first beam side is coupled to the first electrical terminal; and

a second electrical contact on the second beam side and electrically coupled to the metal layer, in which the second electrical contact overlaps at least a portion of the extension and faces the first electrical contact; and

an actuator configurable to bend the beam around a first axis, and configurable to bend the beam around a second axis different from the first axis by moving the second beam side towards the extension.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the apparatus further includes first and second protrusion structures between the extension and the beam; and

wherein the second beam side are in contact with the first and second protrusion structures and with part of the extension when the beam bends.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first and second protrusion structures are part of the extension facing the beam.

4 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first and second protrusion structures are part of the beam facing the extension.

5 . The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a third protrusion structure between the first and second protrusion structures, the third protrusion structure having a shorter height than the first and second protrusion structures, and the second beam side are in contact with the first, second, and third protrusion structures when the beam bends around the second axis.

6 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second electrical contact is between the first and second protrusion structures.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the beam includes a third electrical contact and a fourth electrical contact on the second beam side, the second electrical contact being between the third and fourth electrical contacts; and

wherein the first protrusion structure overlaps with the third electrical contact, the second protrusion structure overlaps with the fourth electrical contact, and the first and second protrusion structures are metallic.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the extension includes a curved surface facing the second beam side; and

wherein the beam bends around the second axis when the second beam side is in physical contact with at least part of the curved surface.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is configured to bend the beam around a third axis parallel to the second axis by moving the second beam side against the extension.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the beam includes opposing third and fourth beam sides;

wherein the apparatus further includes first, second, third, and fourth protrusion structures on the second beam side between the extension and the beam, the first protrusion structure proximate the third beam side, the second protrusion structure proximate the fourth beam side, and the third and fourth protrusion structures are between the first and second protrusion structures; and

wherein the second beam side are in physical contact with the first, second, third, and fourth protrusion structures, a first part of the extension between the first and third protrusion structures, a second part of the extension between the third and fourth protrusion structures, and a third part of the extension between the fourth and second protrusion structures, when the beam bends around the second axis and the third axis.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuator includes a fringing field actuator.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the fringing field actuator includes a comb drive.

13 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the fringing field actuator is in a periphery of the beam.

14 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the beam includes an opening, and the fringing field actuator overlaps the opening of the beam.

15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuator includes a planar conductor overlapping the beam.

16 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is a first actuator, the first actuator including a fringing field actuator; and

wherein the apparatus further comprises a second actuator, the second actuator including a planar conductor overlapping the beam.

17 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a controller having a voltage ramp circuit output coupled to the actuator,

wherein the controller is configured to generate a voltage ramp at the voltage ramp circuit output.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the beam includes an actuator portion insulated from the metal layer; and

wherein the voltage ramp circuit output is coupled to the actuator portion of the beam.

19 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the beam includes a first set of parallel metal segments and a second set of parallel metal segments, the parallel metal segments within each set are spaced apart, and the first and second set of parallel metal segments are orthogonal to each other.

20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein at least some parallel metal segments of the first set of parallel metal segments or the second set of parallel metal segments are part of the actuator.

21 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the beam is mechanically coupled only to the first cavity side when the beam is in an unbent state.