Hybrid optical multi-axis beam steering apparatus

A method for making an alignment means for aligning an optical element within a cavity comprising the steps of

• providing a sacrificial pad disposed on a lower surface of said substrate for delineating the approximate extent of the lower most dimensions of said lower cavity;
• providing an etch resistant film disposed over said sacrificial pad and said lower surface of said substrate;
• providing a hole through said etch resistant film, substantially centered on said sacrificial pad, said hole having lateral dimensions substantially equivalent to a cross section of said optical element;
• removing said sacrificial pad and subsequently etching said lower cavity, such that a rim of said etch resistant film substantially confines said optical element inserted therein.

A method for making an alignment means for aligning and fixing an optical element within a cavity comprising the steps of:

• providing a cover plate;
• providing a hole within said cover plate, said hole having lateral dimensions substantially equivalent to a cross section of said optical element;
• inserting, orienting and bonding said optical element within said cover plate;
• aligning said cover plate with respect to surface of said substrate and said cavity;
• bonding said cover plate to said surface of said substrate.

A method for thermally bonding two or more micromachined components together using a self solder means comprising the steps of:

• providing two or more surfaces to be joined;
• providing a thermal adhesive material exhibiting a solidus-liquidus transition that becomes adherent to another surface upon cooling from a liquid state to a solid state;
• employing a deposition means such as electroplating, sputtering, evaporation, spraying, photolithographic deposition, vapor phase deposition or the like, to deposit said thermal adhesive material at one or more locations near the juncture between said surfaces to be joined;
• employing a patterning means such as electroplating, lift-off, wet etching, dry etching, silk screening, photolithographic patterning, micro molding, syringe deposition, liquid jet deposition, or the like, to pattern said thermal adhesive material into a predetermined shape;
• exposing said apparatus to a thermal environment sufficient to induce melting, flowing and subsequent hardening of said adhesive material.

A method for electrothermally bonding two or more micromachined components together using a self solder means comprising the steps of:

• providing two or more surfaces to be joined;
• providing a thermal adhesive material exhibiting a solidus-liquidus transition that becomes adherent to another surface upon cooling from a liquid state to a solid state;
• employing a deposition means such as electroplating, sputtering, evaporation, spraying, photolithographic deposition, vapor phase deposition or the like, to deposit said thermal adhesive material at one or more locations near the juncture between said surfaces to be joined;
• employing a patterning means such as electroplating, lift-off, wet etching, dry etching, silk screening, photolithographic patterning, micro molding, syringe deposition, liquid jet deposition, or the like, to pattern said thermal adhesive material into a predetermined shape;
• providing electrically addressable heater means adjacent to, and in thermal communication with said thermal adhesive material;
• passing sufficient current through one or more said electrically addressable heater means, such that melting, flowing and subsequent hardening of said thermal adhesive material occurs.

A method for fabricating a hinge means for a suspended plate with integral, arbitrarily thin hinges comprising the steps of

• providing a substrate capable of being wet etched;
• providing a material of first predetermined thickness on said substrate, wherein said material is characterized by a resistance to substrate etchants and exhibits high fatigue strength, such as silicon nitride, silicon carbide, thin film diamond or the like;
• providing a first, etch resistant mask on said substrate with openings over said hinge areas;
• etching said hinge areas to a second predetermined thickness, such that subsequent to an underetch of said plate, said hinges are sufficiently stiff to prevent surface force induced sticking of said plate to said substrate;
• removing said first etch resistant mask;
• providing a second etch resistant mask on said substrate with openings over areas defining free edges of said plate;
• etching said free edges of said plate down to said substrate;
• etching substrate to form a cavity beneath said plate;
• dry etching entire device until said hinge areas are etched down to a third predetermined thickness,
• such that said plate, of substantially first predetermined thickness, is freely suspended above said cavity and integrally connected to said hinges, and said hinges of arbitrarily small cross section, are in turn, connected to said material of substantially first thickness disposed about the perimeter of said cavity.

A method for fabricating a hinge means for a suspended plate with integral, arbitrarily thin hinges comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate capable of being wet etched;
• providing a sacrificial pad disposed on a surface of said substrate for delineating the approximate extent of said plate;
• providing a material of first predetermined thickness on said substrate, wherein said material is characterized by a resistance to substrate etchants and exhibits high fatigue strength, such as silicon nitride, silicon carbide, thin film diamond or the like,
• providing a first, etch resistant mask on said substrate with openings over said hinge areas,
• etching said hinge areas to a second predetermined thickness, such that subsequent to an underetch of said plate, said hinges are sufficiently stiff to prevent surface force induced sticking of said plate to said substrate;
• removing said first etch resistant mask;
• providing a second etch resistant mask on said substrate with openings over areas defining free edges of said plate;
• etching said free edges of said plate down to said substrate;
• removing said sacrificial pad;
• etching substrate to form a cavity beneath said plate;
• dry etching entire device until said hinge areas are etched down to a third predetermined thickness,
• such that said plate, of substantially first predetermined thickness, is freely suspended above said cavity and integrally connected to said hinges, and said hinges of arbitrarily small cross section, are in turn, connected to said material of substantially first thickness disposed about the perimeter of said cavity.

A method for fabricating a hinge means for a suspended plate with integral, arbitrarily thin conductive hinges comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate capable of being wet etched;
• providing a material of first predetermined thickness on said substrate, wherein said material is characterized by a resistance to substrate etchants and exhibits high fatigue strength, such as silicon nitride, silicon carbide, thin film diamond or the like;
• providing a first, etch resistant mask on said substrate with openings over said hinge areas;
• etching said hinge areas to a second predetermined thickness;
• providing an electrically conductive film over surface;
• patterning said electrically conductive film to a predetermined shape;
• providing a second layer of said material over surface;
• providing said first, etch resistant mask on said substrate with openings over said hinge areas;
• etching said hinge areas to a third predetermined thickness, such that subsequent to an underetch of said plate, said hinges are sufficiently stiff to prevent surface force induced sticking of said plate to said substrate;
• removing said first etch resistant mask;
• providing a second etch resistant mask on said substrate with openings over areas defining free edges of said plate;
• etching said free edges of said plate down to said substrate;
• etching substrate to form a cavity beneath said plate;
• dry etching entire device until said hinge areas are etched down to a third predetermined thickness,
• such that said plate, of substantially first predetermined thickness, is freely suspended above said cavity and integrally connected to said hinges, and said hinges of arbitrarily small cross section, are in turn, connected to said material of substantially first thickness disposed about the perimeter and an electrical path is provided across said hinge.

A method for fabricating a hinge means for a suspended plate with integral, arbitrarily thin conductive hinges comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate capable of being wet etched;
• providing a sacrificial pad disposed on a surface of said substrate for delineating the approximate extent of said plate;
• providing a material of first predetermined thickness on said substrate, wherein said material is characterized by a resistance to substrate etchants and exhibits high fatigue strength, such as silicon nitride, silicon carbide, thin film diamond or the like;
• providing a first, etch resistant mask on said substrate with openings over said hinge areas;
• p1 etching said hinge areas to a second predetermined thickness;
• providing an electrically conductive film over surface;
• patterning said electrically conductive film to a predetermined shape;
• providing a second layer of said material over surface;
• providing said first, etch resistant mask on said substrate with openings over said hinge areas;
• etching said hinge areas to a third predetermined thickness, such that subsequent to an underetch of said plate, said hinges are sufficiently stiff to prevent surface force induced sticking of said plate to said substrate;
• removing said first etch resistant mask;
• providing a second etch resistant mask on said substrate with openings over areas defining free edges of said plate;
• etching said free edges of said plate down to said substrate;
• removing said sacrificial pad;
• etching substrate to form a cavity beneath said plate;
• dry etching entire device until said hinge areas are etched down to a third predetermined thickness,
• such that said plate, of substantially first predetermined thickness, is freely suspended above said cavity and integrally connected to said hinges, and said hinges of arbitrarily small cross section, are in turn, connected to said material of substantially first thickness disposed about the perimeter and an electrical path is provided across said hinge.