US 6,876,047 B2Granted

MEMS device having a trilayered beam and related methods

AssigneesTurnstone Systems, Inc., Wispry, Inc.

InventorsShawn Jay Cunningham, Dana Richard DeReus, Subham Sett, Svetlana Tatic-Lucic

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Abstract

MEMS Device Having A Trilayered Beam And Related Methods. According to one embodiment, a movable, trilayered microcomponent suspended over a substrate is provided and includes a first electrically conductive layer patterned to define a movable electrode. The first metal layer is separated from the substrate by a gap. The microcomponent further includes a dielectric layer formed on the first metal layer and having an end fixed with respect to the substrate. Furthermore, the microcomponent includes a second electrically conductive layer formed on the dielectric layer and patterned to define an electrode interconnect for electrically communicating with the movable electrode.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A microscale, electrostatically actuated switch having a movable, trilayered microcomponent, the switch comprising:

(a) a substrate including a stationary electrode and a stationary contact attached thereto;
(b) a resilient structural layer including at least one end fixed with respect to the substrate, a bottom surface suspended over the substrate, and a top surface opposing the bottom surface;
(c) a movable electrode attached to the bottom surface of the resilient structural layer whereby the movable electrode is separated from the stationary electrode by a first gap;
(e) an electrode interconnect attached to the top surface of the resilient structural layer and connected to the movable electrode for electrical communication;
(f) a movable contact attached to the bottom surface of the resilient structural layer whereby the movable contact is separated from the stationary contact by a second gap and wherein the movable contact is positioned adjacent the at least one end and the movable electrode substantially covers an area of the bottom surface surrounding the movable contact;
and
(g) a contact interconnect formed on the top surface of the resilient structural layer and connected to the movable contact for electrical communication.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/290,779Filed 8 Nov 2002 · us provisional application
Priority: 9 Nov 2001
Published: US 2003/0116848 A126 Jun 2003
Granted: 5 Apr 2005
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification33 codes

B81B 3/0024
Structures acting upon the moving or flexible element for transforming energy into mechanical movement or vice versa, i.e. actuators, sensors,…:…
B81B 3/0051
Constitution or structural means for controlling the movement of the flexible or deformable elements: for defining the movement, i.e. structures…
B81C 1/0015
Comprising flexible or deformable structures: cantilevers
H01H 59/0009
Electrostatic relays; Electro-adhesion relays: making use of micromechanics

Family

Application60/337,527Us provisional application · filed 9 Nov 2001
Application60/337,528Us provisional application · filed 9 Nov 2001
Application60/337,529Us provisional application · filed 9 Nov 2001
Application60/338,055Us provisional application · filed 9 Nov 2001
Application60/338,069Us provisional application · filed 9 Nov 2001
Application60/338,072Us provisional application · filed 9 Nov 2001
US 2003/0116848 A1Pre-grant publication · published 26 Jun 2003
US 6,876,047 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.