MEMS mirrors with precision clamping mechanism

Abstract

A microelectromechanical (MEMS) apparatus has a base and a flap with a portion coupled to the base so that the flap may move out of the plane of the base between first and second position. The base may have a cavity with largely vertical sidewalls that contact a portion of the flap when the flap is in the second position Electrodes may be placed on the vertical sidewalls and electrically isolated from the base to provide electrostatic clamping of the flap to the sidewall. The base may be made from a substrate portion of a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer and the flap defined from a device layer of the SOI wafer. The flap may be connected to the base by one or more flexures such as torsional beams. An array of one or more of such structures may be used to form an optical switch.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.