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US 7,733,200 B2Granted
MEMS actuator
AssigneeAlcatel-Lucent USA Inc.
InventorsVladimir Anatolyevich Aksyuk, Flavio Pardo, Maria Elina Simon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus including substrate, pusher assembly, and flexor assembly adjacent to pusher assembly. Pusher assembly includes hot and cold pusher arms. First ends of hot and cold pusher arms are anchored over substrate. Second ends of hot and cold pusher arms are coupled together and suspended for lateral displacement over substrate. Flexor assembly includes flexor arm, and conductor having actuator contact. First end of flexor arm is anchored over substrate. Pusher assembly is configured for causing lateral displacement of second end of flexor arm and of actuator contact over the substrate. Method includes providing apparatus and causing pusher assembly to laterally displace second end of flexor arm and actuator contact over substrate.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a micro-electromechanical actuator, including
- a substrate;
- a pusher assembly including a hot pusher arm and a cold pusher arm, first ends of the hot and cold pusher arms being anchored over the substrate and second ends of the hot and cold pusher arms being coupled together and suspended for lateral displacement over the substrate;
- and
- a flexor assembly adjacent to the pusher assembly, the flexor assembly including a flexor arm having a first end, a second end, and an elongated region between the first and second ends, the first end of the flexor arm being anchored over the substrate, the flexor arm including an actuator contact being spaced apart along the elongated region from the first end;
- the flexor arm including a conductor forming first conductive path extending between the actuator contact and the first end of the flexor arm along the elongated region, the first conductive path being laterally displaceable over the substrate and being part of an external electrical circuit.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- providing a micro-electromechanical actuator, including:
- a substrate;
- a pusher assembly including a hot pusher arm and a cold pusher arm, first ends of the hot and cold pusher arms being anchored over the substrate and second ends of the hot and cold pusher arms being coupled together and suspended for lateral displacement over the substrate;
- and a flexor assembly adjacent to the pusher assembly, the flexor assembly including a flexor arm having a first end, a second end, and an elongated region between the first and second ends, the first end of the flexor arm being anchored over the substrate, the flexor arm including an actuator contact being spaced apart along the elongated region from the first end, the flexor arm including a conductor forming a first conductive path extending between the actuator contact and the first end of the flexor arm along the elongated region, the first conductive path being part of an external electrical circuit;
- and
- causing the pusher assembly to laterally displace the first conductive path over the substrate.
3 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a micro-electromechanical actuator, including
- a substrate;
- a pusher assembly including a hot pusher arm and a cold pusher arm, first ends of the hot and cold pusher arms being anchored over the substrate and second ends of the hot and cold pusher antis being coupled together and suspended for lateral displacement over the substrate;
- a flexor assembly adjacent to the pusher assembly, the flexor assembly including a flexor arm and a conductor arm, the conductor arm being adjacent to the flexor arm;
- the flexor arm having a first end, a second end, and an elongated region between the first and second ends, the first end of the flexor arm being anchored over the substrate, and the second end of the flexor arm being laterally displaceable over the substrate;
- the conductor arm having a first end, a second end, and an elongated region between the first and second ends, the first end of the conductor arm being anchored over the substrate, the conductor arm including an actuator contact being spaced apart along the elongated region from the first end, the conductor arm including a conductor forming a first conductive path extending between the actuator contact and the first end of the conductor arm along the elongated region of the conductor arm, the first conductive path being laterally displaceable over the substrate and being part of an external electrical circuit.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- providing a micro-electromechanical actuator, including:
- a substrate;
- a pusher assembly including a hot pusher arm and a cold pusher arm, first ends of the hot and cold pusher arms being anchored over the substrate and second ends of the hot and cold pusher arms being coupled together and suspended for lateral displacement over the substrate;
- a flexor assembly adjacent to the pusher assembly, the flexor assembly including a flexor arm and a conductor arm, the conductor arm being adjacent to the flexor arm;
- the flexor attn having a first end, a second end, and an elongated region between the first and second ends, the first end of the flexor arm being anchored over the substrate, and the second end of the flexor arm being laterally displaceable over the substrate;
- the conductor arm having a first end, a second end, and an elongated region between the first and second ends, the first end of the conductor arm being anchored over the substrate, the conductor arm including an actuator contact being spaced apart along the elongated region from the first end, the conductor arm including a conductor forming a first conductive path extending between to actuator contact and the first end of the conductor arm along the elongated region of the conductor arm, the first conductive path being part of an external electrical circuit;
- and
- causing the pusher assembly to laterally displace the first conductive path over the substrate.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.