Design and reliability of a micro-relay technology for zero-standby-power digital logic applications

Micro-electro-mechanical (MEM) relays recently have been proposed for ultra-low-power digital logic applications because their ideal switching behavior can potentially allow the supply voltage (V<inf>DD</inf>) to be scaled down further than for CMOS devices [1–3]. This paper describes design techniques to achieve reliable (high-endurance) MEM relay operation. Prototype relays fabricated using a CMOS-compatible process are demonstrated to operate with low surface adhesion force, adequately low on-state resistance (≪ 100kΩ) over a wide temperature range (20°C–200°C), and ≫10⁹ on/off switching cycles in N<inf>2</inf> ambient without stiction- or welding-induced failure. Measured characteristics are well predicted by both ANSYS simulations and an analytical model. Using the calibrated analytical model, scaled relay technology is projected to achieve ≫10× energy savings over comparably sized CMOS technology at throughputs up to ∼100MHz.