A voltage controlled switching device

Patent application, 2009

A capacitive device (100, 200) comprising first (110) and second (130) layers of electrically conductive material, each of which has a first and a second main surface. The device also comprises a third layer (120) of a paraelectric phase material between the first (110) and second (120) layers, so that one of said first or second surfaces of the first and second layers face the third layer. The device (100, 200) additionally comprises a non-conducting supporting structure (160) on which the device rests, and comprises means (DC) for applying a DC voltage across the third layer (160), so that the device by means of varying the applied DC voltage may be made to alter its electrical characteristics between that of a capacitor, a short circuit or an open circuit.