Fully integrated magnetic micromotors and methods for their fabrication
AssigneeGeorgia Tech Research Corporation
InventorsMark G. Allen, Chong-Hyuk Ahn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A planar fully integrated variable reluctance micromotor (10) is microfabricated on a substrate base (18). The micromotor includes a pin (19), rotor (12) with radially extending poles (16), and a stator (20) having a plurality of poles (21) configured in pairs (22) circumferentially spaced about the rotor. The rotor is microfabricated in place, or in situ, contiguous to the substrate base. The pairs of stator poles include a multilevel core (26) wrapped around a meander conductor (27) which is connected to bonding pads (32). The variable reluctance micromotor is particularly adapted to operating as a micropump (45) for conductive fluids.
Claims11
A method for microfabricating a planar fully integrated variable reluctance micromotor having a multilevel core, a planar meander conductor, and a rotor, comprising the steps of:
- providing a substrate;
- forming a rotor support on said substrate;
- forming a sacrificial layer about said rotor support for forming a rotor;
- forming a rotor, a pin, and a bottom core layer contiguous to said substrate, said rotor formed over said sacrificial layer;
- forming a meander conductor;
- forming a plurality of core via connections in contact with said bottom core layer;
- forming a top core layer so as to complete a magnetic circuit;
- and
- removing said sacrificial layer thereby releasing said rotor, thereby surrounding said rotor by a gap allowing said rotor to freely rotate about said pin, and thereby positioning said rotor on a first level of said multilevel core, wherein said first level is adjacent to said substrate.
A method for microfabricating a fully integrated variable reluctance magnetic micromotor, comprising the steps of:
- providing a substrate;
- forming a rotor support;
- applying sacrificial layers to said substrate;
- etching said sacrificial layers so as to form electroplating molds;
- forming a rotor concentrically about said rotor support and a pin on said rotor support by applying structural layers in said electroplating molds with standard electroplating techniques, said rotor being substantially contiguous to said substrate;
- removing said sacrificial layers thereby releasing said rotor and thereby allowing said rotor to freely rotate about said pin thereby surrounding said rotor by a gap, and thereby positioning said rotor on a first level of a multilevel core, wherein said first level is adjacent to said substrate;
- and
- forming a plurality of stator coils on said substrate, said stator coils being radially spaced around said rotor.
A method for microfabricating a variable reluctance magnetic micropump, comprising the steps of:
- providing a substrate base;
- forming a pin fixed to said base, said pin having a central axis;
- forming a rotor having a plurality of rotor poles and rotatably mated to said pin for rotating about said axis of said pin, said rotor formed on a first level of a multilevel core and adjacent to said substrate base;
- forming a stator having a plurality of stator poles circumferentially arranged about said rotor;
- forming a means for encasing said rotor;
- forming an inlet flow channel coupled to said encasing means;
- and
- forming an outlet flow channel coupled to said encasing means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.