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US 7,622,813 B2Granted
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.
Claims25
An electronic module comprising:
- a device microstructure having an alignment structure, the alignment structure having a selected size and shape;
- and
- a substrate having at least one receptacle, the at least one receptacle having a size and shape complementary to the size and shape of the alignment structure,
- wherein the device microstructure is configured to be seated within the at least one receptacle at a single orientation, the single orientation of the device microstructure based on the shape of the alignment structure and the shape of the at least one receptacle;
- wherein the alignment structure comprises:
- a first structure projecting from the device microstructure, and
- one or more alignment structure recesses in said first structure;
- and
- wherein the at least one receptacle comprises:
- a receptacle recess shaped to mate with said first structure, and
- one or more receptacle structures projecting from said recess, said one or more receptacle structures shaped to mate with said one or more alignment structure recesses in said first structure.
8 more elements
An electronic module comprising:
- an alignment structure formed 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;
- one or more receptacles formed 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;
- 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 or more receptacles at a single orientation.
1 more element
An electronic module comprising:
- a device microstructure having an alignment structure, said alignment structure having a selected size and shape and including a first structure with one or more alignment structure recesses formed therein;
- and
- a substrate having at least one receptacle, said at least one receptacle having a size and shape complementary to said size and shape of said alignment structure and including a receptacle recess shaped to mate with said first structure and one or more receptacle structures projecting from said recess, said one or more receptacle structures shaped to mate with said one or more alignment structure recesses in said first structure, and said device microstructure being configured to be seated within said at least one receptacle at a particular orientation based on the shape of the alignment structure and the shape of the at least one receptacle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.