Nanometric electromechanical actuator and method of manufacturing the same
AssigneeCommissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives
InventorsLouis Hutin, Giulia Usai
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Abstract
A method for manufacturing an electromechanical actuator includes providing a primary stack of layers comprising a monocrystalline layer, providing a secondary stack of layers, and forming, in the etching layer, at least three pads. The method further includes encapsulating the three pads by a first encapsulation layer, assembling the primary stack of layers with the secondary stack of layers, removing the first substrate, and forming a movable electrode in the monocrystalline layer.
Claims12
A method for manufacturing an electromechanical actuator comprising a fixed actuation electrode, a fixed contact electrode and a movable electrode, the actuator further comprising a stack of layers, the movable electrode comprising an anchoring portion secured to the stack of layers and a movable portion configured to have a rest position and a contact position, the rest position corresponding to an absence of contact between the movable portion of the movable electrode and the fixed contact electrode, the contact position corresponding to a contact between the movable portion of the movable electrode and the fixed contact electrode when a non-zero bias is applied between the movable electrode and the fixed actuation electrode, said method comprising:
- providing a primary stack of layers comprising:
- a first substrate;
- a monocrystalline layer disposed on an upper surface of the first substrate;
- an interlayer disposed on an upper surface of the monocrystalline layer;
- an etching layer disposed on an upper surface of the interlayer;
- providing a secondary stack of layers comprising:
- a second substrate;
- a transfer layer disposed on an upper surface of the second substrate;
- forming by etching, in the etching layer, at least three pads selectively at the interlayer;
- encapsulating the three pads by a first encapsulation layer;
- assembling the primary stack of layers with the secondary stack of layers by bonding at least one portion of an exposed surface of the first encapsulation layer with at least one portion of the exposed surface of the transfer layer so as to form a bonding interface;
- removing the first substrate;
- forming by etching the anchoring portion and the movable portion of the movable electrode in the monocrystalline layer;
- removing a sacrificial portion of the interlayer to release the movable portion of the movable electrode and so as to preserve a portion of the interlayer between the anchoring portion of the movable electrode and at least one portion of one of the three pads.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.