# US 9,428,382 B2 · Method for manufacturing a composite compensating balance spring > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,428,382 B2 - Document ID: US9428382B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/718,492 - Filed: 2015-05-21 - Published: 2015-12-03 - Granted: 2016-08-30 - Earliest claimed: 2014-06-03 - Assignees: The Switch Group Research and Development Ltd. - Applicants: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd - Inventors: Thierry Hessler - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9428382B2 ## CPC - B81C 1/00531: {Dry etching} - B81C 1/00539: {Wet etching} - G04B 17/06: Oscillators with hairsprings, e.g. balance {(electrically driven balances G04C3/04; contacts actuated by a balance G04C13/065)} - G04B 17/22: for the effect of variations of temperature {(alloys with small expansion coefficient C21C, C22C; adjustment of the regulator dependant on adjustment of the hands G04B18/028; depending on the difference in time with a comparison clockwork G04C11/007)} - G04B 17/227: {composition and manufacture of the material used (composition and manufacture of hairsprings G04B17/066; of springs G04B1/145; anti-magnetic alloys G04B43/007; ferrous alloys C22C; non-ferrous alloys C22C, B22F)} - B81C: PROCESSES OR APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS (making microcapsules or microballoons B01J13/02; processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/01) - G04B: MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS (spring- or weight-driven mechanisms in general F03G; electromechanical clocks or watches G04C; electromechanical clocks with attached or built-in means operating any device at pre-selected times or after predetermined time intervals G04C23/00; clocks or watches with stop devices G04F7/08) ## Abstract A method for manufacturing a composite compensating balance spring is provided, the method including providing a first wafer made of a first material; providing at least one second wafer made of at least one second material having Young's modulus variations with temperature that are of opposite sign as those of the first material; joining the first wafer to the at least one second wafer to form a substrate; etching a pattern through the substrate to form a composite compensating balance spring including a first thickness of the first material and at least a second thickness of the at least one second material; and releasing the composite compensating balance spring from the substrate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for manufacturing a composite compensating balance spring, comprising: providing a first wafer made of a first material; providing at least one second wafer made of at least one second material having Young's modulus variations with temperature that are of opposite sign as those of the first material; joining the first wafer to the at least one second wafer to form a substrate; etching a pattern through the substrate to form a composite compensating balance spring including a first thickness of the first material and at least a second thickness of the at least one second material; and releasing the composite compensating balance spring from the substrate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the first material and/or the at least one second material is silicon-based. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the first material and/or the at least one second material includes single crystal silicon, doped single crystal silicon, polycrystalline silicon, doped polycrystalline silicon, porous silicon, silicon oxide, quartz, silica, silicon nitride, or silicon carbide. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the first material and/or the at least one second material is ceramic-based. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method according to claim 4, wherein the first material and/or the at least one second material includes photostructurable glass, borosilicate, aluminosilicate, quartz glass, lithium aluminosilicate glass-ceramic, single crystal corundum, polycrystalline corundum, alumina, aluminium oxide, aluminium nitride, single crystal ruby, polycrystalline ruby, zirconium oxide, titanium oxide, titanium nitride, titanium carbide, tungsten nitride, tungsten carbide, boron nitride, or boron carbide. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the first material and/or the at least one second material is metal-based. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, wherein the first material and/or the at least one second material includes an iron alloy, a copper alloy, nickel or an alloy thereof, titanium or an alloy thereof, gold or an alloy thereof, silver or an alloy thereof, platinum or an alloy thereof, ruthenium or an alloy thereof, rhodium or an alloy thereof, or palladium or an alloy thereof. ### Claim 8 A method for manufacturing a composite compensating balance spring, comprising: providing a first wafer made of a first material; providing at least one second wafer made of at least one second material having Young's modulus variations with temperature that are of opposite sign as those of the first material; etching identical patterns through each of the first wafer and the at least one second wafer; joining the first wafer to the at least one second wafer to form a substrate and, by superposition of the etched identical patterns, forming a composite compensating balance spring including a first thickness of the first material and at least a second thickness of the at least one second material; and releasing the composite compensating balance spring from the substrate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the first material and/or the at least one second material is silicon-based. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein the first material and/or the at least one second material includes single crystal silicon, doped single crystal silicon, polycrystalline silicon, doped polycrystalline silicon, porous silicon, silicon oxide, quartz, silica, silicon nitride, or silicon carbide. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the first material and/or the at least one second material is ceramic-based. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein the first material and/or the at least one second material includes photostructurable glass, borosilicate, aluminosilicate, quartz glass, lithium aluminosilicate glass-ceramic, single crystal corundum, polycrystalline corundum, alumina, aluminium oxide, aluminium nitride, single crystal ruby, polycrystalline ruby, zirconium oxide, titanium oxide, titanium nitride, titanium carbide, tungsten nitride, tungsten carbide, boron nitride, or boron carbide. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the first material and/or the at least one second material is metal-based. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the first material and/or the at least one second material includes an iron alloy, a copper alloy, nickel or an alloy thereof, titanium or an alloy thereof, gold or an alloy thereof, silver or an alloy thereof, platinum or an alloy thereof, ruthenium or an alloy thereof, rhodium or an alloy thereof, or palladium or an alloy thereof. ### Claim 15 A method for manufacturing a composite compensating balance spring, comprising: providing a first wafer made of a first material; providing at least one second wafer made of at least one second material having Young's modulus variations with temperature that are of opposite sign as those of the first material; etching identical patterns in each of the first wafer and the at least one second wafer, and in only one part of the respective thicknesses thereof; joining the first wafer to the at least one second wafer to form a substrate by superposition of the etched identical patterns; etching additional identical patterns, identical to the etched identical patterns, in the rest of the substrate to form a composite compensating balance spring including a first thickness of the first material and at least a second thickness of the at least one second material; and releasing the composite compensating balance spring from the substrate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein the first material and/or the at least one second material is silicon-based. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein the first material and/or the at least one second material includes single crystal silicon, doped single crystal silicon, polycrystalline silicon, doped polycrystalline silicon, porous silicon, silicon oxide, quartz, silica, silicon nitride, or silicon carbide. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein the first material and/or the at least one second material is ceramic-based. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein the first material and/or the at least one second material includes photostructurable glass, borosilicate, aluminosilicate, quartz glass, lithium aluminosilicate glass-ceramic, single crystal corundum, polycrystalline corundum, alumina, aluminium oxide, aluminium nitride, single crystal ruby, polycrystalline ruby, zirconium oxide, titanium oxide, titanium nitride, titanium carbide, tungsten nitride, tungsten carbide, boron nitride, or boron carbide. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein the first material and/or the at least one second material is metal-based. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method according to claim 20, wherein the first material and/or the at least one second material includes an iron alloy, a copper alloy, nickel or an alloy thereof, titanium or an alloy thereof, gold or an alloy thereof, silver or an alloy thereof, platinum or an alloy thereof; ruthenium or an alloy thereof, rhodium or an alloy thereof, or palladium or an alloy thereof.