Importance

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Abstract

A silicon substrate (2,22) having a SiO.sub.2 layer (4,24) grown on its upper surface and a metallization layer (6,26) of magnetic material subsequently deposited on the upper surface of the SiO.sub.2 layer is etched to define a cantilever beam (8,38) extending over a recess (12,32) in the substrate (2,22) having a magnetic layer (6,26) along the top surface thereof. The resulting structure is subsequently masked with a photoresist layer to enable a second layer (14,34) of magnetic material to be deposited on the first layer. The photoresist layer is stripped forming a second magnetic layer (14,34) projecting from the unsupported end of the cantilever beam over and spaced from a fixed stop (10,30) of magnetic material adjacent the unsupported end of the cantilever beam. In one version the magnetic material (6,14) serves as electrical current carrying contacts which close upon application of a magnetic field to the switching device. Alternatively, an additional layer (36) of better quality electrical conducting material may be bonded to the second magnetic layer (34) as a bridging contact (38) oriented at right angles to the major dimension of the cantilever beam (38) and a pair of contact surfaces (40,42) are bonded to the insulating layer (24) along lateral edges of the substrate (22).

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First Claim