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US 7,223,635 B1Granted
Oriented self-location of microstructures with alignment structures
AssigneeHRL Laboratories, LLC
InventorPeter D. Brewer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic apparatus comprising one or more microstructures on a substrate and a method for fabricating the electronic apparatus. The microstructures have alignment structures that allow the microstructures to be oriented in receptacles having shapes that are complementary to the shapes of the alignment structures. The alignment structures are shapes that vary when rotated 360°, such that the microstructures are positioned at a specific orientation in the receptacles.
Claims27
A method for fabricating an electronic module comprising:
- forming an alignment structure on a device microstructure, the alignment structure having a selected size and shape;
- forming one or more receptacles in a substrate, the one or more receptacles having a size and shape complementary to the size and shape of the alignment structure;
- and
- seating the alignment structure in one complementary-shaped receptacle of the one or more receptacles at a single orientation;
- the single orientation of the alignment structure based on the shape of the alignment structure and the shape of the complementary-shaped receptacle,
- wherein the shape of the alignment structure and the shape of the one complementary-shaped receptacle are selected so that the alignment structure can only be seated in the one complementary-shaped receptacle at a single orientation.
3 more elements
A method for fabricating an electronic module comprising:
- forming an alignment structure on a device microstructure, the alignment structure comprising a first alignment structure projecting from the device microstructure;
- and one or more alignment structure recesses in the first alignment structure;
- forming one or more receptacles in a substrate, the one or more receptacles each comprising a first receptacle recess having a bottom, the first receptacle recess being shaped and sized so as to be capable of receiving said first alignment structure and facilitating the rotation of the first alignment structure when at least part of the first alignment structure is initially received in the first receptacle recess, and one or more receptacle structures projecting from the bottom of the first receptacle recess, the one or more receptacle structures shaped to mate with the one or more alignment structure recesses in the first alignment structure;
- capturing the alignment structure in one of the receptacles;
- and
- seating the alignment structure in the one of the receptacle;
- wherein the shape of the one or more alignment structure recesses and the shape of the one or more receptacle structures are selected so that the alignment structure can only be seated in the one receptacle at a single orientation.
4 more elements
A method for fabricating an electronic module comprising:
- forming an alignment structure on a device microstructure, the alignment structure comprising a first alignment structure projecting from the device microstructure;
- and one or more second alignment structures projecting from the first alignment structure;
- forming one or more receptacles in a substrate, the one or more receptacles each comprising a first receptacle recess having a bottom, the first receptacle recess being shaped and sized so as to be capable of receiving the first alignment structure and facilitating the rotation of the first alignment structure when at least part of the first alignment structure is initially received in the first receptacle recess, the first receptacle recess further comprising one or more second receptacle recesses disposed in the bottom of the first receptacle recess, the one or more second receptacle recesses shaped to receive the one or more second alignment structures;
- capturing the alignment structure in one of the receptacles;
- and
- seating the alignment structure in the one of the receptacles;
- wherein the shape of the one or more second alignment structures and the shape of the one or more second receptacle recesses are selected so that the alignment structure can only be seated in the receptacle at a single orientation.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.