Micromechanical actuator

A micromechanical actuator, comprising:

• a movable first spring element having metal and/or silicon, said first spring element being attached at a first point and freely movable at a second point;
• a second spring element connected to the first spring element and having silicon;
• an electrically insulating material, on which the second spring element is partially arranged;
• a substrate to which the electrically insulating material is applied, wherein the second spring element is arranged at a distance from the substrate above the substrate on a first plane, and wherein the first spring element is arranged above the second spring element on a second plane at a distance from the first plane such that the first and second spring elements are movable with respect to the substrate;
• and
• a third spring element mechanically coupled to the first spring element and constructed to induce an elastic deformation of the second spring element by a change in length.

A method for producing an actuator, comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate having a layer located thereon composed of an electrically insulating material and a layer located thereon which has silicon and is arranged on a first plane;
• forming a recess in the layer having silicon on the first plane;
• bridging the recess with an electrochemically deposited sacrificial layer;
• structured electrochemical deposition of an additional layer above and to the side of the sacrificial layer;
• partially removing the sacrificial layer by etching to form first, second and third spring elements;
• and
• forming at least one electrically insulating holder to connect the first spring element to the third spring element.

A method for producing an actuator, comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate having a layer located thereon composed of an electrically insulating material and a layer located thereon which has silicon and is arranged on a first plane;
• forming a recess in the layer having silicon on the first plane;
• filling the recess with a filler;
• leveling a surface of the filler;
• depositing a sacrificial layer of metal on the layer having silicon on the first plane above the recess;
• structured electrochemical deposition of an additional layer above and to the side of the sacrificial layer;
• partially removing the sacrificial layer and the filler by etching to form first, second and third spring elements;
• and
• forming at least one electrically insulating holder to connect the first spring element to the third spring element.