Rocker-arm actuator for a segmented mirror
AssigneeLucent Technologies Inc.
InventorDennis Greywall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A MEMS device having a movable plate supported on a substrate by a support structure that is hidden under the plate and yet which can be implemented to enable rotation of the plate with respect to the substrate about a rotation axis lying at the plate surface. As a result, the support structure does not take up any area within the plane of the plate, while enabling rotation of the plate, during which the plate does not substantially move sideways. The latter property reduces potential physical interference between neighboring plates in an arrayed MEMS device and enables implementation of a segmented mirror having relatively narrow gaps between adjacent segments and, thus, a relatively large fill factor, e.g., at least 98%.
Claims25
A device, comprising a deformable beam connected between first and second rocker arms movably supported on a substrate, wherein:
- the first rocker arm is adapted to rotate with respect to the substrate about a first sway axis;
- the second rocker arm is adapted to rotate with respect to the substrate about a second sway axis;
- and
- said rotations of the first and second rocker arms deform the deformable beam and cause the deformable beam to move with respect to the substrate.
A device, comprising a plate supported on a substrate by a support structure connected between the plate and the substrate, wherein motion of the support structure relative to the substrate causes rotation of the plate about a first rotation axis lying substantially at a surface of the plate and offset from the substrate by a first offset distance, which is greater than an offset distance from the substrate for any part of the support structure.
A device, comprising:
- means for supporting a mass on a substrate;
- and
- means for moving the means for supporting, wherein:
- motion of the means for supporting with respect to the substrate causes rotation of the mass about a first rotation axis offset from the substrate by a first offset distance, which is greater than an offset distance from the substrate for any part of the means for supporting.
A method of operating a device having a deformable beam, the method comprising deforming the deformable beam using first and second rocker arms, each rocker arm connected to said beam and movably supported on a substrate, said beam deformed when the first rocker arm rotates with respect to the substrate about a first sway axis and the second rocker arm rotates with respect to the substrate about a second sway axis, said rotations of the first and second rocker arms deforming the deformable beam and causing the deformable beam to move with respect to the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.