National Semiconductor Corporation

Aditi Dutt Chaudhuri

Peter B Johnson

Dok Won Lee

Peter J Hopper

William David French

Peter Smeys

Andrei Papou

A micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) relay includes a switch with a first contact region and a second contact region that are vertically separated from each other by a gap. The MEMS relay requires a small vertical movement to close the gap and therefore is mechanically robust. In addition, the MEMS relay has a small footprint and, therefore, can be formed on top of small integrated circuits.

MEMS relay and method of forming the MEMS relay

A galvanic isolation system provides galvanic isolation in digital transfer integrated circuits by using conductivity modulation of the semiconductor substrate. Modulation of the conductivity of the substrate affects eddy current losses of a (differential) RF inductor that is isolated from the substrate by a sufficient amount of dielectric material, which provides a basis for signal transfer from the modulated substrate to the inductor across the isolation barrier.

System and method of galvanic isolation in digital signal transfer integrated circuits utilizing conductivity modulation of semiconductor substrate

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Aditi Dutt Chaudhuri