# US 11,028,840 B2 · Microelectromechanical systems fabricated with roll to roll processing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,028,840 B2 - Document ID: US11028840B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/439,925 - Filed: 2019-06-13 - Published: 2020-02-27 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2014-10-31 - Assignees: Encite LLC - Applicants: Encite LLC - Inventors: Stephen Alan Marsh - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11028840B2 ## CPC - F04B 43/043: {Micropumps} - F04B 19/006: {Micropumps (F04B43/043 and F04B43/095 take precedence)} - F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F) ## Abstract Roll to roll processing techniques are described to produce microelectromechanical systems having releasable and movable mechanical structures. A micro-pump that includes a pump body having compartmentalized pump chambers, with plural inlet and outlet ports and valves and plural membranes enclosing the pump chambers is described as a representative example. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of manufacturing a microelectromechanical system, the microelectromechanical system comprising a fixed body element and an element that is releasable from the fixed body element and moveable relative to the fixed body element, the method comprising: patterning a first sheet of a flexible plastic material having a metal coating on one surface of the sheet to produce a first metallic region on the one surface; patterning the first sheet to produce the fixed body element from the first sheet of flexible plastic material and the releasable and moveable feature aligned with the first metallic region, with the patterning of the releasable and moveable feature leaving the releasable and moveable feature tethered to a portion of the fixed body element; and laminating a second sheet of a flexible plastic material to the first sheet to provide a composite laminated structure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the microelectromechanical system is a micro-pump, and the fixed body element is a pump body and the releasable and moveable element is a valve element. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein the patterning of the first sheet comprises ablating that produces the first metallic region and a second metallic region on the first sheet, with the moveable, releasable element being a first moveable, releasable element and the micro pump comprising: a second moveable, releasable element patterned from the portion of the first sheet having the second metallic region, with the first and second moveable, releasable elements being valve elements at inlets and outlets of the pump body. ### Claim 4 The method of claim of 2 wherein the moveable, releasable elements are a T-shaped member of a T valve that is an outlet valve and an Omega-shaped member of an Omega valve that is an inlet valve. ### Claim 5 The method of claim of 1 further comprising: depositing a conductive layer on a first surface of the second sheet. ### Claim 6 The method of claim of 5 wherein depositing of the conductive layer occurs prior to lamination of the second sheet. ### Claim 7 The method of claim of 1 wherein the microelectromechanical system is fabricated on a roll to roll processing line, and the method further comprises: removing the first sheet of the flexible plastic material having the metal coating from a first roll; and removing the second sheet of the flexible plastic material having a metal coating on one surface from a second roll; and wherein ablating occurs at a first station, patterning occurs at a second station, and lamination occurs at a third station. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: depositing a conductive layer on a first surface of the second sheet; and patterning the conductive layer on the second sheet to provide isolated regions of the conductive layer that provide electrodes on the second sheet. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: dicing the composite laminated structure into individual dies comprising the fixed body element and the releasable and moveable feature; stacking the individual dies to produce a stacked structure; and laminating the stacked structure to produce a component of the microelectromechanical system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein the microelectromechanical system is a micro-pump, and the fixed body element is a pump body and the releasable and moveable element is a valve element and with patterning of the first sheet comprising: ablating the first sheet to produce the first metallic region and a second metallic region on the first sheet, with the moveable, releasable element being a first moveable, releasable element, and the micro pump further comprising: a second moveable, releasable element patterned from the the second metallic region, with the first and second moveable, releasable elements being valve elements at inlets and outlets of the pump body. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: dicing the composite laminated structure into individual dies comprising the fixed body element and the releasable and moveable feature. ### Claim 12 A method of manufacturing a moveable element in a microelectromechanical system, the method comprising: unrolling from a first roll a first sheet of a flexible material having a metal coating on one surface of the sheet; patterning the metal coating leaving at least an isolated region of the metal coating; unrolling from a second roll a second sheet of a flexible material; producing at a first patterning station from the first sheet and the second sheet a body element and a moveable element, with the moveable element aligned with the region in the first sheet of material as the first and second sheets traverse through the first patterning station; unrolling from a third roll a third sheet of a flexible material having a metallic layer on the third sheet; laminating at a laminating station the third sheet to the second sheet. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the microelectromechanical system is a micro-pump and the moveable element is a moveable, releasable element that provides a valve element. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the moveable and releasable element is a first moveable and releasable element, and micro-pump further comprises: a second moveable and releasable element, with the first and the second moveable and releasable elements are valve elements at inlets and outlets of a pump body element. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 further comprising: dicing the composite laminated structure into individual dies comprising the fixed body element and the releasable and moveable feature.