Electromagnetically actuated micromachined flap

An improvement in a method of fabricating a microelectromagnetic magnetic actuator, said improvement comprising:

• providing a substantially completed microelectromechanical magnetic actuator on a sacrificial layer disposed on an underlying substrate;
• removing said sacrificial layer upon which said microelectromechanical magnetic actuator has been fabricated by etching away said sacrificial layer through at least one opening defined through said microelectromechanical magnetic actuator to expose said underlying sacrificial layer;
• and
• drying said microelectromechanical magnetic actuator while simultaneously actuating said microelectromechanical magnetic actuator to maintain the released portions of said actuator out of contact with said underlying substrate until said drying is complete.

In a method of fabricating a surface micromachine cantilevered layer disposed over an underlying substrate, an improvement comprising:

• providing said cantilevered layer on a sacrificial layer which in turn is disposed upon said substrate;
• disposing a magnetic layer on said cantilevered layer;
• removing said sacrificial layer beneath at least part of said cantilevered layer to release said cantilevered layer from said substrate;
• and
• simultaneously maintaining said cantilevered layer apart from said substrate layer by exposing said magnetic layer to a magnetic field which tends to lift said cantilevered layer away from said substrate, said cantilevered being maintained separate from said substrate until removal of said sacrificial layer is completed and possibility of adhesion of said cantilevered layer to said substrate substantially extinguished.