Micro-Electro-Mechanical System/Field-Effect-Transistor Hybrid Switch for Energy Scavenging System

An innovative micro-electro-mechanical system/metal--oxide--semiconductor field-effect-transistor (MEMS/MOSFET) hybrid switch is presented. The main switch of the hybrid device is a MOSFET switch whose gate voltage is supplied through a MEMS switch. The electrostatic operation mechanism and inherent hysteresis characteristics of MEMS switch combined with the characteristics of MOSFET provides a high current handling capability, a low power consumption, self-referencing, a high noise immunity, and an ease of control and all of these advantages are experimentally demonstrated in practical circuits. This hybrid switch can be employed in energy scavenging system and in other electronic devices in order to save standby energy.