US 6,574,033 B1 · Microelectromechanical systems device and method for fabricating same

Abstract

One aspect of the invention provides a method for fabricating a microelectromechanical systems device. The method comprises fabricating an array of first elements, each first element conforming to a first geometry; fabricating at least one array of second elements, each second element conforming to a second geometry; wherein fabricating the arrays comprises selecting a defining aspect of each of the first and second geometries based on a defining characteristic of each of the first and second elements; and normalizing differences in an actuation voltage required to actuate each of the first and second elements, wherein the differences are as a result of the selected defining aspect, the defining characteristic of each of the elements being unchanged.

Claims41

Dependent claims

A microelectromechanical systems device comprising:

a plurality of elements each having at least two layers, the layers being disposed in a stacked relationship with a gap therebetween when the element is in an undriven state, the plurality of elements being of at least two different types, each type differing in a height of its gap;
and
a driving mechanism to drive the plurality of elements to a driven state, wherein one of the layers of each element is electrostatically displaced relative to the other layer to close the gap between the layers, and wherein a minimum voltage required to actuate the driving mechanism is substantially different for each type of element.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Microelectromechanical systems device and method for fabricating same

Life of this patent

Microelectromechanical systems device and method for fabricating same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims41