An electrical relay that uses a conducting liquid in the switching mechanism. In the relay, a pair of moveable switching contacts is positioned between a pair of fixed electrical contact pads. A surface of each contact supports a droplet of a conducting liquid, such as a liquid metal. An actuator is energized to move the pair of switching contacts, closing the gap between one of the fixed contact pads and one of the switching contacts, thereby causing conducting liquid droplets to coalesce and form an electrical circuit. At the same time, the gap between the other fixed contact pad and the other switching contact is increased, thereby causing conducting liquid droplets to separate and break an electrical circuit. The actuator is then de-energized and the switching contacts return to their starting positions. The volume of liquid metal is chosen so that liquid metal droplets remain coalesced or separated because of surface tension in the liquid. The relay is amenable to manufacture by micro-machining techniques.
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