Solid state really refers to not using gas plasma (vacuum tubes). Personally I would call MEMS devices like this solid state, even though it has moving parts. Everything in it is in the "solid" (physics solid) state, there is no liquid or gas involved.
Solid state originates in solid state physics, as opposed to physics involving liquids or gases. The MEMS on the device are moving due to solid state physics.
Well for electronic components your basic three chioces for states of matter are solid, liquid, and gas.
Silicon crystals are naturally solid-state, car batteries and most can capacitors are liquid-state with their electrolyte, leaving many vacuum tubes no other choice but to be gaseous-state.
Now these air chips don't have any electrolyte so that rules out liquid, and all the components are solid materials so the component itself is actually solid-state, and so are other MEMS devices, even though they have moving parts.
Like an electric motor which is just iron, copper, and steel, a key solid-state electrical component.
A lot of times it's used to say no parts that move or slide relative to eachother. Things like piezo transducers and DLP mems chips are still considered solid state. Certainly a fuzzy line at best
I'm being super pedantic here, but see how you said hybrid before solid state in your third sentence when explaining it? That's basically what I just suggested would be a clearer name.
> It's not a strictly zero-fluid solid-state chemistry, instead utilizing a semi-solid layout that includes solid material suspended in a liquid electrolyte.
Was going to make some cynical comment about how it's just a new liquid/gas that we don't know enough about to be scared of yet. Sounds like it's a solid material that generates cooling from material stresses sounds similar to piezoelectric.
Funny that the alternative also uses tantalum and in its solid state... I know, I know, "solid tantalum" refers to a technology and the alternative is a new technology, or at least an improvement over the older one.
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