No abstract

In this paper we present the design, fabrication, and preliminary characterization of a MEMS thermal switch. The thermal switch operates by changing the conductive path between two silicon die by moving a dielectric liquid, such as glycerin or water, using electrowetting. The result is a bi-stable thermal switch that can change between a low thermal resistance state and a high thermal resistance state. Preliminary measurements show the switching time to be on the order of a second. Numerical modeling indicates a thermal resistance ratio of Roff/on > 25 is feasible with a power consumption in the low micro-watt range.