JP2713802B2 - Electrostatic relay and method of manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrostatic relay and a method of manufacturing the same, and more specifically, an electrostatic force generated when a voltage is applied as a driving mechanism for opening and closing a contact. And a method for manufacturing such an electrostatic relay.

[Conventional technology]

Electrostatic relays do not require an electromagnetic coil to generate electromagnetic force unlike conventional relays, and have the feature that the overall structure of the relay can be extremely miniaturized. Research and development are being pursued as relays can be manufactured.

8 and 9 show the structure of a conventional electrostatic relay. In FIG. 8, the electrode portions are cross-hatched to make it easier to distinguish them from other portions. The electrostatic relay includes a movable electrode block A and a fixed electrode block B, and a spacer C that integrally joins the blocks A and B in a state where the blocks A and B face each other with a space therebetween. The movable electrode block A is made of a silicon substrate, and the silicon substrate is processed by fine processing means such as selective etching to form a necessary structural portion.

The movable electrode block A includes a thin plate-shaped movable plate 20 connected to the frame portion 10 via a thin T-shaped connecting portion 12 at the center of the frame portion 10 constituting the outer periphery. When the connecting portion 12 is elastically deformed, the other end of the movable plate 20 pivots toward the fixed electrode block B. On the surface of the movable plate 20 facing the fixed electrode block B, a U-shaped contact electrode 30 is formed along the outer periphery of the movable plate 20 from a protruding piece 22 protruding along the longitudinal side of the movable plate 20. . A drive electrode 14 for applying a drive voltage to the movable plate 20 is provided on the upper surface of the frame portion 10.

The fixed electrode block B is made of a flat glass material, and on the surface thereof, contact electrodes 40, 40 are formed at positions opposed to both ends of the U-shape of the movable contact electrode 30, and the movable plate 20 is A fixed-side drive electrode 50 is formed at a position facing the fixed side.

The spacer C is made of a columnar glass or the like, and the fixed electrode block B and the movable electrode block A are integrally joined with a silicone adhesive or the like with the spacer C interposed therebetween, and a small gap (for example, about 10 μm) is provided between the electrode blocks A and B. ).

The operation of the above-described electrostatic relay will be described. When a voltage is applied between the drive electrode 14 of the movable electrode block A and the drive electrode 50 of the fixed electrode block B, an electrostatic attraction is generated between the two and the movable electrode block is moved. The plate 20 is attracted to the fixed-side drive electrode 50. As a result, both ends of the contact electrode 30 of the movable plate 20 come into contact with the fixed-side contact electrodes 40, 40, and the contact circuit is closed. That is, opening and closing of an output circuit connected to the contact electrodes 40, 40 can be controlled by using a voltage applied between the drive electrodes 14, 50 as an input.

As can be seen from the structure and operation as described above, the electrostatic relay can be manufactured using a semiconductor element manufacturing technology such as a photoengraving technology or a fine processing technology, so that an extremely small one can be manufactured. Compared to conventional electromagnetic relays, the volume can be reduced to 1/10 or less, high-speed operation is possible, heat generation during use is extremely low, and mass production can be performed at low cost. Has advantages.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, the above-described electrostatic relay having the conventional structure has a problem that the gap (gap) between the movable electrode block A and the fixed electrode block B cannot be set accurately, and the characteristics and performance of the relay operation vary.

This is because the electrode blocks A and B are assembled by bonding with an adhesive with a spacer C such as a glass plate interposed therebetween, so that the processing error of the spacer, the error of the applied thickness of the adhesive, and the adhesive were pressed. When the adhesive moves or deforms, the thickness of the adhesive decreases due to drying and hardening of the adhesive.As a result, the gap between the two electrode blocks A and B tends to vary and errors occur, and the thickness of the adhesive deviates from place to place. When there is, both electrode blocks A,
The parallelism of B may also be curled. The interval between the movable electrode block A and the fixed electrode block B is an important condition that determines the action of electrostatic force and the operating distance of the movable piece 20, so if this interval is incorrect, the operation of the relay also becomes inaccurate. Performance may vary or reliability may be poor.

To reduce the size of an electrostatic relay, use a two-electrode block.
It is necessary to set the distance between A and B as narrow as possible.However, in the conventional structure combining the spacer and the adhesive,
First, there is a limit in processing to reduce the thickness of the spacer, and the adhesive needs to have a certain coating thickness to exhibit sufficient adhesive strength. , B must not be in contact with each other, and the interval must be set wider so that the relay can be operated in consideration of variations in the thickness of the spacer and the adhesive.
Due to such a problem, the distance between the two electrode blocks A and B cannot be reduced in the conventional electrostatic relay.

Further, in the conventional electrostatic relay, the movable electrode block A
However, there is a problem that it is technically difficult to form the drive electrodes 14 and the like on the complicated uneven surface of the movable electrode block A because of using a complicated uneven structure.

That is, as shown in FIG.
It is necessary to use a photolithography technique to form a pattern on the upper surface of the narrow frame portion 10 left on the outer periphery of the movable electrode block A by engraving the location where the movable piece 20 is formed. With technology, it is very difficult in terms of process to accurately pattern an article having large irregularities.

In order to solve the above problem, it is conceivable to form the drive electrode 14 on the lower surface side of the movable electrode block A, that is, on the surface of the movable piece 20 on the contact electrode 30 side. However, with such a structure, the drive electrode 14 is hidden behind the movable electrode block A and faces downward.
There is a problem that the work of connecting the lead wire connected to the external circuit becomes extremely difficult, and this is not practical.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to make it possible to narrow and accurately set the interval between the movable electrode block A and the fixed electrode block B in the above-described electrostatic relay, thereby stabilizing the operation performance and improving the reliability. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrostatic relay that can be downsized. Also,
Another object is to provide an electrostatic relay in which a drive electrode can be easily formed. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing the above-described electrostatic relay.

[Means for solving the problem]

In order to solve the above problems, the electrostatic relay according to the present invention has a movable electrode block and a fixed electrode block that are opposed to each other with an interval, and the movable electrode block has a main body joined to the fixed electrode block, A movable plate having one end movably supported with respect to the main body; and a contact electrode provided on a surface of the movable plate on the fixed electrode block side. The fixed electrode block is provided at a position facing the movable piece. In the electrostatic relay comprising a drive electrode and a contact electrode provided at a position facing the movable contact electrode,
The joint connecting the movable electrode block and the fixed electrode block is made of an alloy obtained by closely heating a plurality of thin film layers including at least one metal layer disposed between the two electrode blocks and alloying them.

The materials, shapes, and other structures of the movable electrode block and the fixed electrode block may be basically the same as known electrostatic relays and the like. Although the movable electrode block is made of a semiconductor substrate such as a silicon substrate, complicated uneven shapes can be easily processed by using a conventional semiconductor element manufacturing technique, which is preferable in manufacturing. Since the fixed electrode block does not require such complicated processing, an insulating plate such as a glass plate may be used as it is.

As the shape and support structure of the movable plate, for example, one end of the rectangular movable plate is formed integrally with the main body of the movable electrode block through a thin beam-shaped connecting portion, and fine processing by selective etching or the like is performed. It is preferable that the movable plate is supported by a part of the movable electrode block so that one end of the movable plate can move toward the fixed electrode block. The specific structure of the connecting portion can be freely changed.

The movable-side and fixed-side contact electrodes are formed on opposing surfaces of the movable electrode block and the fixed electrode block, respectively. The drive electrodes formed on the fixed electrode block may be the same as the drive electrodes in the conventional electrostatic relay.

The joint connects the movable electrode block and the fixed electrode block at a fixed interval, and performs the same function as the spacer and the adhesive in the conventional electrostatic relay.
In the present invention, a single-layer or multiple-layer thin film layer is formed on each surface of the movable electrode block and the fixed electrode block as a bonding portion, and an alloy obtained by closely heating both of the thin film layers to form an alloy is used. Is used. The thin film layer formed on both electrode blocks is a combination of metal and metal or metal and nonmetal, such as gold and silicon, which are alloyed by heating. If multiple thin film layers are formed on the electrode block,
The top layer, that is, the thin film layer exposed on the surface is combined with a material that forms an alloy with the thin film layer exposed on the surface of the other electrode block. If the multiple thin film layers that make up the joint have a sandwich structure in which one thin film layer that forms the alloy is sandwiched between the other thin film layers, the alloy can be formed satisfactorily, and a joint with excellent quality performance can be obtained. Can be formed.

The thin film layer is formed by ordinary thin film forming means such as a sputtering method, an evaporation method, and a CVD method. Using such a thin film forming means, a thin film layer having a precisely set thickness is formed. The distance between the movable electrode block and the fixed electrode block is determined by the total thickness of the thin film layers.

When a conductive alloy is used as the joint, the drive electrode of the movable electrode block can be transferred to the fixed electrode block. That is, no drive electrode is formed on the movable electrode block, and a second drive electrode is provided on the surface of the fixed electrode block on which the drive electrode (first drive electrode) is formed by using the same material and manufacturing means. The second drive electrode is connected to the joint made of the conductive alloy. The second drive electrode is electrically connected to the movable electrode block via the joint. It is preferable that the second drive electrode is formed so as to extend partially to a position outside the movable electrode block so as to facilitate wiring work to an external circuit. The first
If a voltage is applied between the driving electrode and the second driving electrode,
An electrostatic force is generated between the first drive electrode and the movable piece of the movable electrode block that is electrically connected to the second drive electrode.

As the conductive alloy forming the joint portion, an alloy made of any conductive metal can be used, and specific examples include the above-mentioned alloys of gold and silicon.

To form a joint consisting of an alloy of gold and silicon,
A gold layer is formed on one surface of the movable electrode block and the fixed electrode block by the thin film forming means as described above, and a polysilicon layer is formed on the other surface. When the two electrode blocks are closely contacted and heated, gold and silicon are alloyed from a contact portion between the gold layer and the polysilicon layer to form a joint, and the two electrode blocks are joined and integrated. However, as a combination of materials for forming the conductive alloy, in addition to the above-described gold and silicon, a metal and a nonmetal that are alloyed by close contact heating to form a conductive alloy can be arbitrarily combined.

When a silicon substrate is used for the movable electrode block, if a joint is formed by alloying silicon and gold, the material constituting the joint is diffused into the silicon substrate of the movable electrode block, causing inconvenience. An intermediate layer made of a conductive material that does not react and alloy with silicon below the alloying temperature of gold and silicon is provided between the electrode block and the polysilicon layer to be joined, and then between the movable electrode block and the fixed electrode block. By heating the thin film layer in close contact, alloying up to the silicon substrate of the movable electrode block can be prevented. As such an intermediate layer, for example, chromium is preferable. Chromium has good adhesion to the silicon substrate and good conductivity. However, if the material forming the alloy, the substrate material of the movable electrode block, and the processing conditions for close contact heating are different, the material used for the intermediate layer is selected and used.

The surface of the movable electrode block facing the fixed electrode block may be flat. However, if a step is provided between the surface of the movable piece and the surface of the main body joined to the fixed electrode block, this may be achieved. The gap between the movable piece and the first drive electrode of the fixed electrode block can be set by the step. In other words, in this case, the distance between the two electrode blocks is determined by both the thickness of the bonding portion and the step. In addition, instead of providing a step in the movable electrode block, it is possible to provide a step in the fixed electrode block or to provide a step in both electrode blocks, but it is possible to provide a step in the movable electrode block. It is preferable in manufacturing processing.

The manufacturing method of the electrostatic relay other than the above is used in the manufacturing technology of semiconductor elements and other electronic elements,
It is performed in the same manner as a normal electrostatic relay by combining a thin film forming technique, a photoengraving technique, or a fine processing technique such as selective etching.

[Action]

If the joint connecting the movable electrode block and the fixed electrode block is made of an alloy obtained by alloying the thin film layer disposed between the two electrode blocks by closely heating, the dimensional accuracy of the joint becomes extremely accurate. . That is, the thin film layer formed on the surfaces of both electrode blocks can be manufactured with a high precision using a normal thin film forming means.
In the process of heating the thin film layers by close contact heating and alloying, there is no deformation or thickness reduction like an adhesive, so the thickness of the thin film layer does not change at all, and the thin film layer prepared in advance An alloy having a thickness equal to the sum of the thicknesses is formed. As a result, the thickness of the joint is formed very accurately.

When the step as described above is provided on the surface of the movable electrode block facing the fixed electrode block, the distance between the two electrode blocks can be set by both the step and the thickness of the joint. The step on the surface of the movable electrode block is
It can be performed accurately using a fine processing technique such as selective etching. In addition, since a step that is large compared to the thickness of the joint formed from the thin film layer can be easily processed, the production can be performed more efficiently than setting the distance between the two electrode blocks only by the thickness of the joint. it can.

By using a conductive alloy as the joint and providing a second drive electrode on the fixed electrode block and electrically connecting the second drive electrode to the movable electrode block via the joint, the second drive electrode faces the movable plate. The first drive electrode and the second drive electrode
By applying a voltage between the drive electrodes, a movable plate can be operated by generating an electrostatic force between the movable plate and the first drive electrode. In other words, no drive electrode is formed on the movable electrode block, and the first and second drive electrodes may be provided on the same surface of the fixed electrode block.

When an alloy of gold and silicon is used as an alloy forming the joint, alloying is performed at a relatively low temperature, so that the heating temperature may be low and the working time may be short.

When the movable electrode block is formed of a silicon substrate and an alloy of gold and silicon is used as a joint, a reaction alloy between silicon and the surface of the movable electrode block between the silicon substrate surface and the joint is formed at a temperature lower than the alloying temperature of gold and silicon. If an intermediate layer made of a material that is not provided is provided, the silicon substrate of the movable electrode block does not come into contact with the alloy, so that the problem that the material forming the alloy diffuses into the silicon substrate does not occur, and the joining made of a good alloy is not performed. A part can be formed and sufficient bonding strength can be exhibited.

〔Example〕

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the same reference numerals are given to portions common to the above-described conventional example.

1 and 2 show the overall structure of an electrostatic relay, in which a movable electrode block A and a fixed electrode block B are integrally joined with a joint 70 interposed therebetween. In FIG. 1, cross-hatching is applied to the electrode portion to make it easy to distinguish it from other portions.

As the material of the movable electrode block A, a (100) silicon single crystal substrate 1 is used. Although the thickness of the entire movable electrode block A varies depending on the purpose and application, for example, about 390 μm
The degree is used. After an insulating layer composed of a silicon oxide layer 16 and a silicon nitride layer 18 is formed on both surfaces of the silicon substrate 1, a predetermined shape portion is formed by using a fine processing technique such as photolithography.

The movable electrode block A includes a thick frame portion 10 constituting a rectangular outer periphery and serving as a main body, and a thin rectangular movable plate 20 disposed inside the frame portion 10. The movable plate 20 is formed in a thin plate shape by excavating the silicon substrate 1 from the upper surface side of the movable electrode block A. One short side of the movable plate 20 having a rectangular shape is connected to the frame portion 10 via a connecting portion 12 having a T shape. Along the long sides of the movable plate 20, the connecting portion 12
And a strip-shaped protruding piece 22 protruding on the opposite side to the above. The lower surface of the movable plate 20 and the frame 10 on the side where the joint 70 is formed
There is a slight step D between the lower surfaces, and the movable plate 20 is located slightly above. The gap between the movable electrode block A, that is, the movable plate 20 and the fixed electrode block B is formed between the step D and the joint 70. Is set.

An example of a method for manufacturing the above-described movable plate 20 will be described.
The insulating layers 16 and 18 on the upper surface side of the silicon substrate 1 are patterned by photolithography. Using the patterned insulating layers 16 and 18 as a mask, anisotropic etching is performed using an aqueous solution of ethylenediamine and pyrocatechol or potassium hydroxide or the like to dig down the structure on the upper surface side of the movable plate 20. An insulating layer is also provided on the lower surface side of the silicon substrate 1.
After patterning 16, 18, anisotropic etching is performed to dig through the periphery of the movable plate 20,
A predetermined shape is formed by digging a little into the lower surface of the. The thickness of the movable plate 20 is, for example, about 30 μm. On the entire lower surface of the movable electrode block A, an insulating layer made of a silicon nitride layer 18 of about 5000 mm is formed, and a new insulating layer is formed on a part of the surface of the movable plate 20 and the frame 10 from which the insulating layer has been removed in the previous step. Is formed.

On the lower surface side of the movable plate 20, as shown in detail in FIG.
A U-shaped contact electrode 30 is formed from the surface of the protruding piece 22 to the long side of the movable plate 20 and the short side on the connecting portion 12 side. The formation of the contact electrode 30 may be performed at the same time as the production of the thin film layers 72 and 74 constituting the joint 70. Specifically, for example,
At the location where 70 is formed, the insulating layers 16 and 18 on the lower surface of the frame portion 10 are partially removed by etching. Next, a chromium layer of 2000 mm is formed on the entire lower surface of the movable electrode block A, and a gold layer of 3000 mm is formed thereon. The chromium layer and the gold layer are etched into a predetermined pattern, and as shown in FIG. 7, the contact electrode 30 composed of the chromium layer 34 and the gold layer 36 is formed on the lower surface of the movable plate 20. Has a middle layer 74 made of chrome
And a gold layer 72 are formed. The intermediate layer 74 and the gold layer 72 are formed so as to cover from the inside of the removed portions of the insulating layers 16 and 18 to the surfaces of the insulating layers 16 and 18, and are movable through the removed portions of the insulating layers 16 and 18. Silicon substrate 1 of electrode block A
Is connected to The intermediate layer 74 and the gold layer 72 are the insulating layers 16, 1
8 and the intermediate layer 74 and the gold layer 72 when overlapping and bonding with the thin film layer of the fixed electrode block B.
Can reliably contact with the thin film layer on the fixed electrode block B side.

The penetrating portion between the movable plate 20 and the frame portion 10 of the movable electrode block A may be formed by excavating by etching before forming each electrode or the thin film layer, or may be formed by etching each electrode or the thin film layer. After forming the layer, it may be processed and formed by an appropriate fine processing means.

The fixed electrode block B is composed of a glass substrate 4, and a pair of contact electrodes 40, 40, a first drive electrode 50, and a second drive electrode are provided on the surface of the glass substrate 4 as shown in detail in FIG. 80 are formed. The contact electrodes 40, 40
The movable electrode block A is formed in a substantially L-shape from the position facing the tip of the protruding piece 22 to the end of the fixed electrode block B. The first drive electrode 50 is formed from a position facing the movable plate 20 of the movable electrode block A to an end of the fixed electrode block B passing between the contact electrodes 40, 40. Second
The drive electrode 80 is formed from the position where the joint portion 70 is formed to the end of the fixed electrode block B. The structure of each electrode is such that, for example, 3,000 mm of gold layers 86, 56, 46 are formed on adhesion layers 84, 54, 44 of 2,000 mm of chromium. Joint 70
Where the second drive electrode is used as shown in FIG.
A polysilicon layer 76 having a thickness of 1000 ° is formed on 80. The entire area of the first drive electrode 50 that may come into contact with the movable plate 20 is covered with an insulating layer 52 made of silicon oxide (in FIG. 1, hatched and distinguished from other parts). Cover to ensure insulation from the movable plate 20 side.

The formation of each electrode and the like of the fixed electrode block B as described above is performed by appropriately combining ordinary thin film forming means, a selective etching method, and the like. For example, after a chromium layer, a gold layer, and a polysilicon layer are sequentially formed on the entire surface of the fixed electrode block B, unnecessary layers are removed by etching, and then a silicon oxide layer is formed. Unnecessary portions may be removed by etching.

During the processing process of both electrode blocks A and B as described above,
As an etching method, in addition to wet etching, plasma etching, ion beam etching, and the like can be applied.
An appropriate etching method may be employed depending on a material or a process to be etched. Also, as a thin film forming means,
An appropriate method may be selected from an LPCVD method, a plasma CVD method, a vacuum evaporation method, a sputtering method, a normal pressure thermal CVD method, and the like.

In order to join and assemble the movable electrode block A and the fixed electrode block B having the above structure, as shown in FIG. 7, the two electrode blocks A and B are aligned and overlapped.
In this state, the thin film layers of the intermediate layer 74 made of chromium, the gold layer 72, the polysilicon layer 76, the gold layer 86, and the adhesion layer 84 made of chromium are sequentially stacked from the silicon substrate 1 side of the movable electrode block A. Will be. In this state, when heated at a heating temperature of 450 ° C. and pressed simultaneously, the adjacent gold layer 7
2. The polysilicon layer 72 and the gold layer 86 are alloyed, an alloy made of gold and silicon is formed to form a joint 70, and the movable electrode block A and the fixed electrode block B are joined and assembled.

In the above embodiment, since the thin film layer forming the alloy of the bonding portion 70 has a sandwich structure in which both sides of the polysilicon layer 72 are sandwiched between the gold layers 72 and 86, the polysilicon layer
Alloying will end when the thickness of the alloying layer, which determines the amount of material constituting 72 and the alloying composition of gold and silicon, will stably and reliably form an alloy of a certain quality It becomes possible. Further, since the so-called cracking phenomenon does not occur, there is no problem that peeling occurs due to alloying, and strong bonding can be achieved. Such an effect is achieved by forming the polysilicon layer 72 into the gold layer 7.
Not only when sandwiched between 2,86 but also when a sandwich structure in which a gold layer is sandwiched between polysilicon layers, the same effect can be obtained in a sandwich structure using a combination of other metals and non-metals.

In the electrostatic relay manufactured as described above,
As shown in FIG. 1, the gap or gap G between the movable plate 20 and the fixed electrode block B is determined by the step D between the movable plate 20 and the frame portion 10 and the thickness of each thin film layer. The dimensional accuracy of the step between the movable plate 20 and the frame 10 produced by etching is ± 0.
5μm, the thickness accuracy of each thin film layer is about ± 500Å,
The dimensional accuracy of the gap G is extremely high.

The movable electrode block A and the fixed electrode block B
In the assembled state, the movable plate 20 of the movable electrode block A and the drive electrode of the fixed electrode block B are mounted as shown in FIG.
50 are opposed to each other with a certain interval. The contact electrodes 40, 40, the first drive electrode 50, and part of the second drive electrode 80 are exposed on the surface of the fixed electrode block B outside the movable electrode block A. Therefore, in this electrostatic relay, all the wirings of the contact electrodes 40, 40 and the drive electrodes 50, 80 can be performed on the same surface of the fixed electrode block B, and the wiring work can be easily performed.

When a voltage is applied between the first and second drive electrodes 50 and 80, a voltage is applied from the second drive electrode 80 to the movable plate 20 from the silicon substrate 1 of the movable electrode block A via the joint 70, An electrostatic attraction acts between the first drive electrode 20 and the first drive electrode 50, and the other end of the movable plate 20 pivots downward about the connecting portion 12 as a fulcrum.

When one end of the movable plate 20 pivots downward, the contact electrode 30 provided on the lower surface of the protruding piece 22 of the movable plate 20 comes into contact with the fixed contact electrode 40, as shown in FIG. When the pair of fixed-side contact electrodes 40, 40 are electrically connected by the movable-side contact electrode 30, the space between the fixed-side contact electrodes 40, 40 is closed.
If the applied voltage between the movable side drive electrode 14 and the fixed side drive electrode 50 is eliminated, the movable plate 20 returns to the original state, and the fixed side contact electrode 4
0,40 will be opened. In this way, the voltage applied between the drive electrodes 14 and 50 is input and the fixed-side contact electrodes 40 and
The output between 40 can be controlled to open and close, so that a so-called relay operation is achieved.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the electrostatic relay according to the present invention, since the joint that connects the movable electrode block and the fixed electrode block is formed of an alloy obtained by closely heating a plurality of thin film layers and alloying them. The thickness of the joint is thin and very accurately set, and the interval between the movable electrode block and the fixed electrode block can be set with very high accuracy. As a result, the relay operation can be performed reliably and accurately, and the stability and reliability of performance can be improved. In addition, the distance between the two electrode blocks can be reduced to reduce the size of the entire relay.

Next, if the interval between the two electrode blocks is set by using both the configuration of the above-mentioned joint portion and the configuration of the step between the movable plate and the main body of the movable electrode block, the same exact interval as described above can be obtained. Simultaneously with the setting, it can be efficiently formed even at relatively wide intervals, so that the manufacturing efficiency can be increased and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

A first drive electrode similar to the conventional one is added to the fixed electrode block, and a second drive electrode is provided. The second drive electrode is electrically connected to the movable electrode block via a joint made of a conductive alloy. If connected, it is not necessary to form a drive electrode on the upper surface of the narrow main body of the movable electrode block, which is difficult to manufacture, and wiring can be performed easily as with the first drive electrode and contact electrode. Become. As a result, the manufacture of the electrostatic relay is facilitated, and the use of the electrostatic relay becomes convenient.

If the joining portion is made of an alloy of gold and silicon, the joining operation can be performed at a relatively low heating temperature,
The bonding performance and electrical performance of the formed bonding portion are also improved, which is preferable for improving manufacturing efficiency and quality performance.

While using a silicon substrate for the movable electrode block,
By providing the above-described intermediate layer between the surface of the movable electrode block and the joint, the material constituting the joint can be prevented from diffusing into the silicon substrate, and a high-quality alloy is used for the joint. By forming, the bonding performance and the electrical performance can be exhibited well.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 is a plan view of an electrostatic relay according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view, FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a movable electrode block, FIG. 4 is a plan view of a fixed electrode block, and FIG. FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the contact electrode portion when the contact electrode portion is opened, FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the contact electrode portion when the contact electrode portion is closed, FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part before joining of the joining portion, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view. A: movable electrode block, B: fixed electrode block, 10
… Frame part, 20… Movable plate, 12… Connecting part, 22… Projecting piece, 30… Movable contact electrode, 40… Fixed contact electrode, 50
... First drive electrode, 70... Junction, 72... Gold layer, 74.
... Intermediate layer, 76 ... Polysilicon layer, 80 ... Second drive electrode, 86 ... Gold layer, D ... Step, G ... Gap

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Tatsuhiko Irie 1048 Kadoma Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electric Works Co., Ltd. 56) References Japanese Utility Model 58-165838 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model 2-100224 (JP, U)

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] A movable electrode block and a fixed electrode block are opposed to each other with a space therebetween. The movable electrode block has a main body joined to the fixed electrode block and one end movable with respect to the main body. A supported movable plate, comprising a contact electrode provided on the surface of the movable plate on the fixed electrode block side, the fixed electrode block has a drive electrode provided at a position facing the movable piece, and a movable electrode on the movable side. In an electrostatic relay including a contact electrode and a contact electrode provided at a position facing the contact electrode, a joint connecting the movable electrode block and the fixed electrode block includes at least one metal layer disposed between the two electrode blocks. An electrostatic relay characterized in that it is made of an alloy in which a plurality of thin film layers including a plurality of thin film layers are closely contacted and heated to form an alloy. 2. A static electrode according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the movable electrode block facing the fixed electrode block is provided with a step between the surface of the movable piece and the surface of the main body joined to the fixed electrode block. Electric relay. 3. A second drive electrode is provided on the same surface of the fixed electrode block, separately from the first drive electrode provided at a position facing the movable piece of the fixed electrode block. 3. The electrostatic relay according to claim 1, wherein the first member is electrically connected to the movable electrode block via a joint made of a conductive alloy that connects the movable electrode block and the fixed electrode block. 4. 4. The bonding portion according to claim 1, wherein the bonding portion is made of an alloy of gold and silicon alloyed by closely heating the gold layer and the polysilicon layer disposed between the two electrode blocks. Electrostatic relay. 5. The movable electrode block is made of a silicon substrate, and an intermediate layer made of a material that does not react and alloy with silicon at a temperature lower than the alloying temperature of gold and silicon is provided between the surface of the movable electrode block and the joint. The electrostatic relay according to claim 4. 6. The method for manufacturing an electrostatic relay according to claim 4, wherein a gold layer is exposed on one surface of the movable electrode block and the fixed electrode block, and polysilicon is formed on the other surface. A single-layer or multiple-layer thin film layer is formed so that the layers are exposed, and the thin film layer between the two electrode blocks is heated in close contact with each other to form a joint made of an alloy of gold and silicon. A method for manufacturing an electrostatic relay.