Robust MEMS actuator for relays

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device including:

a substrate having an anchoring pad thereon; and

a structural element having a beam that includes a first part that is attached to both said anchoring pad and to a second part that is movable with respect to said substrate, wherein said second part is made of an electrically conductive material, and said first part is selected from a group of materials consisting of:

a material having a first yield stress that is greater than a second yield stress of said electrically conductive material of said second part;

a material having a fatigue resistance that is greater than a second fatigue resistance of said electrically conductive material of said second part; and

a material having a creep rate that is less than a second creep rate of said electrically conductive material of said second part.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first part and said second part are consecutive sections of a long axis of said beam.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one dimension of said first part is shorter than an analogous dimension of said second part.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said beam is one of a hot beam or a cold beam.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said structural element further includes the other of said hot beam or said cold beam.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said hot beam and said cold beam each have said first part and said second part.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said first part of said hot beam has one or more dimension that is substantially equal to said same dimension of said first part of said cold beam.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said second part of said hot beam has a long axis that is substantially equal to said long axis of said second part of said cold beam.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 , further including one or more bridge structures that are fixed to both said hot beam and said cold beam.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said beam includes at least two parallel arms and at least one bridge is rigidly fixed to both arms, wherein said at least one bridge is made of a same material as said first part.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first part passes an electrical current to said second part.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including at least one wire that passes an electrical current to said second part.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said at least one wire has a strain-relief portion.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said beam is a cold beam, or said structural element further includes a cold beam, and said second part of said cold beam is configured to carry a signaling electrical current.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said second part of said beam is configured to carry an electrical current that is sufficient to heat said beam.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including:

a voltage source electrically coupled to said structural element;

a transmitter and a receiver electrically coupled to a second structural element, wherein said transmitter is configured to transmit a signal to said receiver through said structure element and said second structural element when one or both of said structure element and said second structural element are actuated to contact each other, and wherein

said MEMS device is configured as a microelectromechanical thermal actuator and said second structure element is on said substrate and adjacent to, but electrically isolated from, said structural element when said structure element and said second structure element are not actuated.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said electrically conductive material includes nickel and said first part includes silicon.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said first part comprises a different material than said second part and said second part comprises an electrically conductive material.

19. A method of use, comprising:

actuating a microelectromechanical thermal actuator device including:

applying a voltage to a structural element of said device, said structural element having a beam that includes a first part that is rigidly attached to an anchoring pad on said substrate and to a second part that is movable with respect to a substrate, and said applied voltage is configured to actuate movement of said structural element,

wherein said second part is made of an electrically conductive material and said first part is selected from a group of materials consisting of:

a material having a first yield stress that is greater than a second yield stress of said electrically conductive material of said second part;

a material having a fatigue resistance that is greater than a second fatigue resistance of said electrically conductive material of said second part; and

a material having a creep rate that is less than a second creep rate of said electrically conductive material of said second part.

20. A method of manufacturing an apparatus, comprising:

forming a microelectromechanical device having a structural element, including:

providing a substrate having a material layer thereon;

patterning said material layer to form a first part of a hot beam of said structural element;

depositing a mask layer on said substrate;

forming openings in said mask layer such that at least one of said openings defines a location of a second part of said hot beam;

depositing an electrically conductive material in said at least one opening to thereby form said second part of said hot beam; and

removing an underlying portion of said substrate to thereby release said second part from said substrate, wherein a said first part remains attached to both said substrate and to said second part and,

wherein said second part is made of an electrically conductive material and said first part is selected from a group of materials consisting of:

a material having a first yield stress that is greater than a second yield stress of said electrically conductive material of said second part;

a material having a fatigue resistance that is greater than a second fatigue resistance of said electrically conductive material of said second part; and

a material having a creep rate that is less than a second creep rate of said electrically conductive material of said second part.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein patterning said material layer further includes forming a first part of a cold beam of said structural element, and forming said openings further includes forming an opening in said mask layer such that at least one of said openings defines a location of said second part of said cold beam.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein depositing said electrically conductive material includes electrochemical or electroless deposition of a metal or metal alloy.

23. The method of claim 20 , further including manufacturing said microelectromechanical device as a microelectromechanical thermal actuator, including:

electrically coupling a voltage source to said structural element;

forming a second structural element on said substrate, wherein said second structural element is adjacent to said structural element but electrically isolated from said structural element when said structure element is not actuated; and

electrically coupling a transmitter and a receiver to one or both of said structural element or said second structural element.