MEMS Heater or Emitter Structure for Fast Heating and Cooling Cycles
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorChristoph Glacer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
According to various embodiments, a MEMS device includes a substrate, an electrically movable heating element having a first node coupled to a first terminal of a first voltage source and the second node coupled to a reference voltage source, a first anchor anchoring the first node and a second anchor anchoring the second node of the electrically movable heating element to the substrate, and a cavity between the first anchor and the second anchor and between the electrically movable heating element and the substrate.
Claims25
A method for operating a MEMS element that includes a movable heater element overlying a substrate, the method comprising:
- heating the movable heater element by causing a current to flow through the movable heater element while the movable heater element is spaced from the substrate;
- and
- cooling the movable heater element by causing the movable heater element to physically contact while being electrically isolated from the substrate.
A method for forming a micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) heater element, the method comprising:
- forming a dielectric layer over a substrate;
- patterning the dielectric layer to form a cavity within the dielectric layer;
- forming a sacrificial layer in the cavity;
- depositing an insulating layer over the sacrificial layer;
- depositing a resistive conductor layer over the insulating layer;
- patterning the resistive conductor layer to form a heater element that overlies the cavity and extends to two regions of the dielectric layer;
- and
- removing the sacrificial layer from the cavity so that a portion of the heater element is spaced from the substrate.
A MEMS device comprising:
- a substrate;
- an electrically movable heating element having a first node and a second node, wherein the first node is coupled to a first terminal of a first voltage source and the second node is coupled to a reference voltage source;
- a first anchor anchoring the first node and a second anchor anchoring the second node of the electrically movable heating element to the substrate;
- and
- a cavity between the first and the second anchors and between the electrically movable heating element and the substrate.
A MEMS device comprising:
- a region of material with a cavity formed therein;
- an movable membrane anchored to the region of material and overlying the cavity, the movable membrane including an electrically movable heating element;
- a first piezo material physically attached the movable membrane at a first portion of the region of material;
- and
- a second piezo material physically attached the movable membrane at a second portion of the region of material, wherein the first and second piezor materials are configured to cause the membrane to move between a first position at a top of the cavity to a second position within the cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.