For microelectromechanical system (MEMS) optical switch integrating various functions, increasing the shock resistance is important for increasing their range of applications. In this study, a MEMS optical switch was designed with high shock resistance based on displacement-limited structures. A back-support structure and glass cap work together to protect the movable microstructure against out-of-plane displacement. A double-sided deep reactive ion etching process was used to fabricate the MEMS optical switch on a silicon-on-insulator substrate. A model was constructed based on displacement-limited dynamics to explain the protection mechanism under high overloads. Experimental results indicated that the MEMS optical switch survived overloads as high as 25,000 g with an impulse of 105 µs, which far surpass the shock resistances of existing designs. This study is expected to promote the application of functional MEMS optical switch in high shocking environments

displacement-limited structures, light weight design, microelectromechanical system, optical switch, shock-resistant