Multiple droplet liquid MEMS component
View Patent ↗A liquid micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) component includes a board, a channel, multiple liquid droplets, and one or more conductive elements. The channel is within the board and contains the multiple liquid droplets. A first liquid droplet has first properties and a second liquid droplet has second properties. When a force is applied upon the first and second liquid droplets, the first liquid droplet changes in accordance with the first properties with respect to the one or more conductive elements and the second liquid droplet changes in accordance with the second properties with respect to the one or more conductive elements thereby changing one or more characteristics of the liquid MEMS component.
1. A liquid micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) component comprises:
a board;
a channel within the board;
a first magnetic liquid droplet contained within the channel, wherein the first magnetic liquid droplet has first properties;
a second magnetic liquid droplet contained within the channel, wherein the second magnetic liquid droplet has second properties; and
one or more conductive elements proximal to the channel, wherein, when a force is applied upon the first and second magnetic liquid droplets, the first magnetic liquid droplet changes in accordance with the first properties with respect to the one or more conductive elements and the second magnetic liquid droplet changes in accordance with the second properties with respect to the one or more conductive elements thereby changing one or more characteristics of the liquid MEMS component.
2. The liquid MEMS component of claim 1 further comprises:
a droplet activating module operable to generate the force in response to a control signal, wherein the force includes one or more of: an electric field, a magnetic field, heat, compression, expansion, and mechanical actuation.
3. The liquid MEMS component of claim 1 further comprises:
the first properties including one or more of: a first density, a first conductivity, a first permittivity, a first permeability, a first expansion factor, a first contraction factor, and a first viscosity; and
the second properties including one or more of: a second density, a second conductivity, a second permittivity, a second permeability, a second expansion factor, a second contraction factor, and a second viscosity.
4. The liquid MEMS component of claim 1 further comprises:
the first magnetic liquid droplet including a first dielectric doped droplet;
the second magnetic liquid droplet including a second dielectric doped droplet; and
the one or more conductive elements including first and second capacitive plates, wherein, when the force is applied, the first dielectric doped droplet changes in accordance with the first properties with respect to the first and second capacitive plates and the second dielectric doped droplet changes in accordance with the second properties with respect to the first and second capacitive plates such that the liquid MEMS component functions as a variable capacitor.
5. The liquid MEMS component of claim 1 further comprises:
the first magnetic liquid droplet including a first ferrite doped droplet;
the second magnetic liquid droplet including a second ferrite doped droplet; and
the one or more conductive elements including a winding, wherein, when the force is applied, the first ferrite doped droplet changes in accordance with the first properties with respect to the winding and the second ferrite doped droplet changes in accordance with the second properties with respect to the winding such that the liquid MEMS component functions as a variable inductor.
6. The liquid MEMS component of claim 1 further comprises:
the first magnetic liquid droplet including a first ferrite doped droplet;
the second magnetic liquid droplet including a second ferrite doped droplet; and
the one or more conductive elements including a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein, when the force is applied, the first ferrite doped droplet changes in accordance with the first properties with respect to the primary winding and the secondary winding and the second ferrite doped droplet changes in accordance with the second properties with respect to the primary winding and the secondary winding such that the liquid MEMS component functions as a variable transformer.
7. The liquid MEMS component of claim 1 further comprises:
the first magnetic liquid droplet including a first conductive droplet;
the second magnetic liquid droplet including a second conductive droplet; and
the one or more conductive elements including a first pair of electrical contacts and a second pair of electrical contacts, wherein, when the force is applied at a first level, the first conductive droplet electrically couples to the first pair of electrical contacts and, when the force is applied at a second level, the second conductive droplet electrically couples to the second pair of electrical contacts such that the liquid MEMS component functions as a switch network.
8. The liquid MEMS component of claim 1 , wherein the board comprises at least one of:
a printed circuit board (PCB);
an integrated circuit (IC) package substrate;
a redistribution layer (RDL) of a PCB or of an IC package substrate.
9. The liquid MEMS component of claim 1 further comprises:
a third magnetic liquid droplet contained within the channel, wherein the third magnetic liquid droplet has third properties, wherein, when the force is applied, the third magnetic liquid droplet changes in accordance with the third properties with respect to the one or more conductive elements thereby further changing the one or more characteristics of the liquid MEMS component.
10. A liquid micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) component comprises:
a board;
a channel within the board;
a first electrically conductive liquid droplet contained within the channel, wherein the first electrically conductive liquid droplet has first properties;
a second electrically conductive liquid droplet contained within the channel, wherein the second electrically conductive liquid droplet has second properties; and
one or more conductive elements proximal to the channel, wherein, when a force is applied upon the first and second electrically conductive liquid droplets, the first electrically conductive liquid droplet changes in accordance with the first properties with respect to the one or more conductive elements and the second electrically conductive liquid droplet changes in accordance with the second properties with respect to the one or more conductive elements thereby changing one or more characteristics of the liquid MEMS component.
11. The liquid MEMS component of claim 10 further comprises:
a droplet activating module operable to generate the force in response to a control signal, wherein the force includes one or more of: an electric field, a magnetic field, heat, compression, expansion, and mechanical actuation.
12. The liquid MEMS component of claim 10 further comprises:
the first properties including one or more of: a first density, a first conductivity, a first permittivity, a first permeability, a first expansion factor, a first contraction factor, and a first viscosity; and
the second properties including one or more of: a second density, a second conductivity, a second permittivity, a second permeability, a second expansion factor, a second contraction factor, and a second viscosity.
13. The liquid MEMS component of claim 10 further comprises:
the first electrically conductive liquid droplet including a first ferrite doped droplet;
the second electrically conductive liquid droplet including a second ferrite doped droplet; and
the one or more conductive elements including a winding, wherein, when the force is applied, the first ferrite doped droplet changes in accordance with the first properties with respect to the winding and the second ferrite doped droplet changes in accordance with the second properties with respect to the winding.
14. The liquid MEMS component of claim 10 further comprises:
the first electrically conductive liquid droplet including a first ferrite doped droplet;
the second electrically conductive liquid droplet including a second ferrite doped droplet; and
the one or more conductive elements including a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein, when the force is applied, the first ferrite doped droplet changes in accordance with the first properties with respect to the primary winding and the secondary winding and the second ferrite doped droplet changes in accordance with the second properties with respect to the primary winding and the secondary winding.
15. The liquid MEMS component of claim 10 further comprises:
the first electrically conductive liquid droplet including a first conductive droplet;
the second electrically conductive liquid droplet including a second conductive droplet; and
the one or more conductive elements including a first pair of electrical contacts and a second pair of electrical contacts, wherein, when the force is applied at a first level, the first conductive droplet electrically couples to the first pair of electrical contacts and, when the force is applied at a second level, the second conductive droplet electrically couples to the second pair of electrical contacts.
16. The liquid MEMS component of claim 10 , wherein the board comprises at least one of:
a printed circuit board (PCB);
an integrated circuit (IC) package substrate;
a redistribution layer (RDL) of a PCB or of an IC package substrate.
17. The liquid MEMS component of claim 10 further comprises:
a third electrically conductive liquid droplet contained within the channel, wherein the third electrically conductive liquid droplet has third properties, wherein, when the force is applied, the third liquid droplet changes in accordance with the third properties with respect to the one or more conductive elements thereby further changing the one or more characteristics of the liquid MEMS component.
18. A liquid micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) component comprises:
a board;
a channel within the board;
a first electrically conductive liquid droplet contained within the channel, wherein the first electrically conductive liquid droplet has first electrically conductive properties;
a second electrically conductive liquid droplet contained within the channel, wherein the second electrically conductive liquid droplet has second electrically conductive properties; and
one or more conductive elements proximal to the channel, wherein, when a force is applied upon the first and second electrically conductive liquid droplets, the first electrically conductive liquid droplet changes in accordance with the first electrically conductive properties with respect to the one or more conductive elements and the second electrically conductive liquid droplet changes in accordance with the second electrically conductive properties with respect to the one or more conductive elements thereby changing one or more characteristics of the liquid MEMS component.
19. The liquid MEMS component of claim 18 further comprises:
the first electrically conductive properties including one or more of: a first conductivity, a first permittivity and a first permeability; and
the second electrically conductive properties including one or more of: a second conductivity, a second permittivity and a second permeability.
20. The liquid MEMS component of claim 18 further comprises:
a third electrically conductive liquid droplet contained within the channel, wherein the third electrically conductive liquid droplet has third electrically conductive properties, wherein, when the force is applied, the third liquid droplet changes in accordance with the third electrically conductive properties with respect to the one or more conductive elements thereby further changing the one or more characteristics of the liquid MEMS component.