Electrostatic microactuator with viscous liquid damping
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsToshiko Hirano, Dan S. Kercher, Charles M. Mate
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Abstract
A micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) type electrostatic microactuator has a fixed electrode and a movable electrode, with the movable electrode being attached to the substrate by a flexure. Each electrode has a plurality of fingers with the fixed electrode fingers and the movable electrode fingers interleaved in a comb-like arrangement. A nonconductive viscous liquid is located between the fingers for damping motion of the movable electrode relative to the fixed electrode. The liquid is held in a reservoir attached to the movable electrode. Capillary pressure pulls the liquid from the reservoir into the small gaps between the interleaved fingers.
Claims18
An electrostatic microactuator comprising:
- a substrate;
- a first structure fixed to the substrate and having a plurality of fingers;
- a spring-like structure having one end fixed to the substrate;
- a movable element attached to the other end of the spring-like structure and having a plurality of fingers, the fingers of the movable element and the fingers of the fixed structure being interleaved in a comb-like arrangement with gaps between adjacent fingers;
- and
- a liquid located in the gaps and in contact with the fingers of the movable element and the fixed structure.
A micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) type electrostatic microactuator having a substrate supporting a fixed electrode and a movable electrode, each electrode having a plurality of fingers, the fixed electrode fingers and the movable electrode fingers being interleaved with gaps between adjacent interleaved fingers, the microactuator including a nonconductive liquid located in the gaps and in contact with the fingers for damping motion of the movable electrode relative to the fixed electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.