HERMiT: Liquid Gallium Switch

A self-healing MEMS RF switch, which utilizes liquid gallium contacts to take the place of the traditional metal-to-metal hard contacts, is proposed in this project. Electrostatic actuation is used to drive the silicon nitride diaphragm with the upper electrode. When the upper electrode is pulled down by the electrostatic actuator, small droplets of liquid gallium work as an interface between the upper and lower electrodes. The loss of the gallium droplets can be avoided due to the unwettability of the material surrounding the contact areas.