Design and characterization of inertia-activated electrical micro-switches fabricated and packaged using low-temperature photoresist molded metal-electroplating technology

Inertia-activated electrical switches have been designed and realized using a low-temperature photoresist molded metal-electroplating micro-fabrication technology compatible with processed substrates containing micro-electronic signal-processing circuits. Packaging of the switches has also been implemented using this low-temperature plating process. A simple but accurate lumped spring-mass model is developed based on analytical and numerical analyses. Predictions of the behavior of switches with a range of different designs have been verified using both drop-hammer and shaker tests. With the application of an anti-stiction hydrophobic coating, susceptibility to stiction-induced storage and operational failure has been reduced. Unencapsulated switches making over 50 million contacts have been demonstrated at room ambient.