MEMS assemblies having moving members and methods of manufacturing the same

A method of manufacturing a MEMS assembly having a displaceable member and an actuator, comprising the steps of:

• providing a first substrate having at least two shoulders and a surface;
• forming an actuator assembly by;
• diffusing impurities into the surface of the substrate to form a diffusion layer having a predetermined thickness;
• etching a plurality of first grooves in the diffusion layer, the grooves being dimensioned and disposed so as to define in the diffusion layer portions corresponding to a plurality of electrode actuators and the displaceable member therebetween;
• filling at least some of the grooves with a spacer material;
• forming a second groove in the portion of the diffusion layer corresponding to the displaceable member, the second groove extending through the thickness of the diffusion layer to expose a region of the underlying first substrate;
• and
• diffusing impurities into at least part of the exposed region of the first substrate to form a diffusion region;
• removing the spacer material from the first grooves, whereby the plural electrode actuators and the mirror body are freed, to obtain an actuator assembly.

A method of manufacturing a MEMS assembly having a displaceable member and an actuator, comprising the steps of:

• providing a first substrate having a surface;
• diffusing impurities into the surface of the first substrate to form a first diffusion region having a predetermined thickness;
• forming a groove in the first diffusion region, the groove extending through the thickness of the diffusion region to expose a portion of the first substrate lying therebeneath;
• diffusing impurities into the groove to form a second diffusion region, the first and second diffusion regions together forming the displaceable member;
• providing a second substrate having an upper layer, a lower layer, and a layer of oxide sandwiched between the upper layer and the lower layer;
• etching the upper layer toward the oxide layer at spaced intervals to form a plurality of grooves in the upper layer of the second substrate, the grooves being dimensioned and disposed so as to define a plurality of electrode actuators, wherein the plural electrode actuators remain attached to a portion of the oxide layer;
• covering at least a portion of the upper layer with a covering oxide layer, the covering oxide layer at least partially filling the grooves located in the portion of the upper layer;
• placing the first substrate and the second substrate together such that the first diffusion region contacts at least a portion of the covering oxide layer;
• and
• removing some of the covering oxide layer, including the oxide layer filling the grooves, at least some of the oxide layer remaining beneath and supporting the first diffusion region, whereby the plural electrode actuators are freed.

A method of manufacturing a MEMS assembly having a displaceable member and an actuator, comprising the steps of:

• providing a first substrate having a lower layer, a first oxide layer and the displaceable member extending from the oxide layer and lying in a plane which is not parallel to a plane of the first substrate;
• providing a second substrate having an upper layer, a lower layer and a second oxide layer being sandwiched between the upper layer and the lower layer;
• forming a plurality of grooves in the upper layer of the second substrate, the grooves being dimensioned and disposed so as to define a plurality of electrode actuators attached to a portion of the second oxide layer;
• covering at least a portion of the upper layer with a covering oxide layer so as to fill the grooves formed in the upper layer;
• placing the first substrate and the second substrate together such that the displaceable member contacts part of the covering oxide layer;
• removing the lower layer of the first substrate and the first oxide layer;
• and
• etching the covering oxide layer in an area apart from the displaceable member, including the oxide layer filling the grooves, wherein at least some of the second oxide layer remains beneath and supports the upper layer of the second substrate, whereby the plural electrode actuators are freed.

A MEMS assembly, comprising:

• a generally planar silicon base having a plurality of ridges extending therefrom;
• a generally planar covering silicon diaphragm joined to the silicon base and a plurality of ridges extending from one surface of a roof portion;
• the ridges of the silicon diaphragm interlacing with at least some of the ridges of the silicon base;
• a member disposed on a second surface of the roof portion of the silicon diaphragm, the second surface being on an opposite side of the silicon diaphragm from the plurality of ridges,
• whereby when an electrical potential is applied to the silicon base and the silicon diaphragm, the silicon base and the silicon diaphragm move toward one another.