MEMS devices on flexible substrate
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsPhillip J. Bergeron, Brent D. Lunceford, John D. Geissinger, Douglas B. Gundel, Justine A. Mooney, Ravi Palaniswamy, Siang Sin Foo
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Abstract
A flexible film including one or more MEMS elements and articles including the flexible film are described. The flexible film includes a polymer layer between two metal layers with one of the metal layers containing a perforation. The polymer layer includes voided regions that allow for relative movement of the two metal layers.
Claims16
A flexible film, comprising:
- one or more MEMS elements;
- a first metallic layer having a first outer major surface and a first inner major surface;
- a first polymer layer adjacent the first metallic layer, the first inner major surface facing the first polymer layer;
- a second metallic layer having a second outer major surface and a second inner major surface, the second inner major surface facing the first polymer layer, the first polymer layer disposed between the first and second metallic layers,
- wherein each MEMS element in the one or more MEMS elements includes:
- a first metallic region in the first metallic layer, the first metallic region including a first perforation;
- a first voided region in the first polymer layer, the first voided region extending continuously through a thickness of the first polymer layer;
- and
- a second metallic region in the second metallic layer, the second metallic region including a portion that is capable of a movement relative to the first metallic region,
- wherein the flexible film is sufficiently flexible that the flexible film can be wound into a roll of the flexible film.
An article comprising a non-planar surface and a flexible film conformably attached to the non-planar surface, wherein the flexible film comprises:
- one or more MEMS elements;
- a first metallic layer having a first outer major surface and a first inner major surface;
- a first polymer layer adjacent the first metallic layer, the first inner major surface facing the first polymer layer;
- a second metallic layer having a second outer major surface and a second inner major surface, the second inner major surface facing the first polymer layer, the first polymer layer disposed between the first and second metallic layers,
- wherein each MEMS element in the one or more MEMS elements includes:
- a first metallic region in the first metallic layer, the first metallic region including a first perforation;
- a first voided region in the first polymer layer, the first voided region extending continuously through a thickness of the first polymer layer;
- and
- a second metallic region in the second metallic layer, the second metallic region including a portion that is capable of a movement relative to the first metallic region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.