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US 2003/0200749 A1Published application
Thermal micro-actuator based on selective electrical excitation
AssigneeADC Telecommunications, Inc.
InventorsSusan C. Bromley, Bradley J. Nelson, Karl Vollmers, Arunkumar Subramanian, Eniko Enikov, Kamal Deep Mothilal
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thermal microactuator is provided that can be deflected in multiple positions. The actuator has a hot arm and a cold arm coupled together at their distal ends suspended above a reference plane of a substrate. A potential difference is applied across the hot arm so that a current circulates through the hot arm but not the cold arm.
Claims21
A microelectromechanical structure comprising:
- a substrate defining a reference plane;
- a first beam having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the first beam coupled to the substrate wherein the first beam extends in a first plane parallel with the reference plane, wherein the first beam comprises three layers including a dielectric layer sandwiched between two conductive layers;
- a second beam having a proximate and a distal end, the proximal end of the second beam coupled to the substrate wherein the second beam extends in the first plane parallel with the reference plane;
- and
- a connector defining a distal end of the structure, the connector coupling the distal end of the first beam to the distal end of the second beam;
- wherein a potential difference is applied between the two conductive layers of the first beam so that current flows into one conductive layer and out the other conductive layer and no potential difference is applied across the second beam.
3 more elements
A microelectromechanical structure comprising:
- a substrate defining a reference plane;
- an actuator having a portion thereof suspended above the reference plane of the substrate, the actuator comprising:
- a hot arm having a distal end, the hot arm is made of three layers including a dielectric layer sandwiched between two conductive layers;
- a cold arm having a distal end which is coupled to the distal end of the hot arm;
- wherein a potential difference is applied across the hot arm so that a current circulates through the conductive layers of the hot arm to cause the hot arm to expand and move the distal ends of the hot and cold arms towards the contact located on the substrate.
2 more elements
A microelectromechanical device comprising:
- a substrate defining a reference plane;
- a first beam having a proximal and a distal end, the proximal end of the first beam coupled to the substrate wherein the first beam extends in a plane parallel with the reference plane, the first beam formed by a three layer structure having a dielectric layer sandwiched between two conductive layers;
- a second beam having a proximal and a distal end, the proximal end of the second beam coupled to the substrate wherein the second beam extends in a plane parallel with the reference plane, the second beam formed by a three layer structure having a dielectric layer sandwiched between two conductive layers;
- a connector coupling the distal end of the first beam to the distal end of the second beam;
- wherein a potential difference is applied across the first beam and no potential difference is applied across the second beam, thereby causing greater thermal expansion in the first beam resulting in deflection of the distal ends of the first and second beams.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.