Optical scanner and method of fabricating the same

• US 20030039089A1
• Filed: 08/23/2002
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jin-ho, Ko, Young-chul
• Granted Patent: US 7,180,647 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/283.1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means

Abstract

An optical scanner and a fabricating method thereof are provided. The optical scanner includes a base substrate, a frame, a H-shaped stage, supporters, and a stage driving structure. An interconnection layer having a predetermined pattern is formed on the base substrate. The frame has a rectangular frame shape which is formed on the base substrate. The H-shaped stage has a central area that performs a seesaw motion in the frame with respect to a uniaxial central axis and is positioned on the uniaxial central axis, and four extended areas that extend from two sides of the central area through which the uniaxial central axis passes, parallel the uniaxial central axis. The supporters have support beams that are positioned on the uniaxial central axis and connected to the frame and torsion bars that extend from the support beams and are connected to the central area of the stage. The stage driving structure has moving comb electrodes and fixed comb electrodes beneath the stage and on the base substrate facing the stage, respectively. A plurality of comb electrodes can be formed on the extended areas. Thus, a driving force can greatly be increased, which results in obtaining a similar driving speed using a considerably low voltage. Also, the weight of the stage should greatly be reduced for high-speed driving. For this, the stage is diced into a plurality of stages. Further, to increase the driving force, a plurality of comb electrodes are additionally formed on right and left sides of the stage.

Claims

1. An optical scanner comprising:

a base substrate on which an interconnection layer having a predetermined pattern is formed;

a frame having a rectangular frame shape which is formed on the base substrate;

a H-shaped stage which has a central area that performs a seesaw motion in the frame with respect to a uniaxial central axis and is positioned on the uniaxial central axis, and four extended areas that extend from two sides of the central area through which the uniaxial central axis passes, parallel the uniaxial central axis;

supporters which have support beams that are positioned on the uniaxial central axis and connected to the frame and torsion bars that extend from the support beams and are connected to the central area of the stage; and

a stage driving structure which has moving comb electrodes and fixed comb electrodes beneath the stage and on the base substrate facing the stage, respectively.

2. The optical scanner of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises a second partial frame on the base substrate, a first partial frame on the second partial frame, a bonding layer between the first and second partial frames, and the supporters are combined with the first frame and the stage to form a single body.

3. The optical scanner of claim 1, wherein the moving comb electrodes beneath the extended areas of the stage are interdigitated with the fixed comb electrodes on the base substrate, and the extended areas have comb frameworks to support the moving comb electrodes.

4. The optical scanner of claim 2, wherein the moving comb electrodes beneath the extended areas of the stage are interdigitated with the fixed comb electrodes on the base substrate, and the extended areas have comb frameworks to support the moving comb electrodes.

5. The optical scanner of claim 1, wherein the fixed comb electrodes that are opposite to the moving comb electrodes beneath the stage comprise first fixed comb electrodes and second fixed comb electrodes which are electrically insulated from each other.

6. The optical scanner of claim 2, wherein the fixed comb electrodes that are opposite to the moving comb electrodes beneath the stage comprise first fixed comb electrodes and second fixed comb electrodes which are electrically insulated from each other.

7. The optical scanner of claim 3, wherein the fixed comb electrodes that are opposite to the moving comb electrodes beneath the stage comprise first fixed comb electrodes and second fixed comb electrodes which are electrically insulated from each other.

8. The optical scanner of claim 4, wherein the fixed comb electrodes that are opposite to the moving comb electrodes beneath the stage comprise first fixed comb electrodes and second fixed comb electrodes which are electrically insulated from each other.

9. An optical scanner comprising:

a base substrate on which an interconnection layer having a predetermined pattern is formed;

a rectangular frame which is formed on the base substrate;

a plurality of stages which are arrayed in the frame;

supporters which suspend the stages from the frame; and

a stage driving structure which has moving comb electrodes and fixed comb electrodes which are formed beneath the stage and on the base substrate opposite to the stage, respectively,

wherein each of the stages has a H shape and includes a central area that is positioned on a central axis and four extended areas that extend from two sides of the central area through which the central axis passes, parallel to the central axis, and each of the supporters has support beams that are connected to the frame and torsion bars that extends from the support beams and are connected to the central area of the stage.

10. The optical scanner of claim 9, wherein the frame comprises a second partial frame on the base substrate, a first partial frame on the second partial frame, and a bonding layer between the first and second partial frames, and the supporters are combined with the first partial frame and the stage to form a single body.

11. The optical scanner of claim 9, wherein the moving comb electrodes on the extended areas of the stage are interdigitated with the fixed comb electrodes on the base substrate, and the extended areas have comb frameworks to support the moving comb electrodes.

12. The optical scanner of claim 10, wherein the moving comb electrodes on the extended areas of the stage are interdigitated with the fixed comb electrodes on the base substrate, and the extended areas have comb frameworks to support the moving comb electrodes.

13. The optical scanner of claim 9, wherein the fixed comb electrodes that are opposite to the moving comb electrodes beneath the stage comprise first fixed comb electrodes and second fixed comb electrodes which are electrically insulated from each other.

14. The optical scanner of claim 10, wherein the fixed comb electrodes that are opposite to the moving comb electrodes beneath the stage comprise first fixed comb electrodes and second fixed comb electrodes which are electrically insulated from each other.

15. The optical scanner of claim 11, wherein the fixed comb electrodes that are opposite to the moving comb electrodes beneath the stage comprise first fixed comb electrodes and second fixed comb electrodes which are electrically insulated from each other.

16. A method of fabricating an optical scanner comprising:

forming an upper structure which has a rectangular first partial frame, a central area supported by supporters having support beams that are positioned inside separated areas in the first partial frame and extend from the first frame and torsion bars that extend from the support beams, and directly connected to the torsion bars, and a H-shaped stage that extends from the central area, parallel to the torsion bars;

forming a lower structure which has a second partial frame opposite to the first partial frame and a substrate that supports the second partial frame and is spaced apart from the stage; and

bonding the first partial frame to the second partial frame by eutectic bonding to combine the upper and lower structures into one structure.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a bonding layer for the eutectic bonding is formed on one of the first and second partial frames in one of steps of forming the upper and lower structures.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein vertical moving comb electrodes are formed beneath the stage in the step of forming the upper structure.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein fixed comb electrode that are opposite to the moving comb electrodes beneath the stage are formed on the substrate in the step of forming the lower structure.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of forming the upper structure comprises:

forming a hole larger than the stage in a first substrate;

etching portions corresponding to the separated areas to predetermined width and depth on a second substrate;

anodic-bonding the first and second substrates;

polishing the second substrate to a predetermined thickness;

forming an upper metal layer on a portion corresponding to the first partial frame beneath the second substrate; and

etching a lower surface of the second substrate to a predetermined pattern to perforate the portions corresponding to the separated areas and forming the moving comb electrodes having a predetermined height beneath the stage.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of forming the lower structure comprises:

forming an interconnection layer having a predetermined pattern on a third substrate which supports the lower structure;

forming lower separated areas having predetermined width and depth between the second partial frame and the fixed comb electrodes beneath the fourth substrate;

anodic-bonding the third and fourth substrates;

etching a portion corresponding to the second partial frame to a predetermined depth on the fourth substrate;

forming a lower metal layer in the etched portion of the fourth substrate;

forming a mask layer which covers a portion corresponding to the second partial frame and the fixed comb electrodes and exposes separated areas between the second partial frame and the fixed comb electrode; and

etching a portion that is not covered with the mask layer to a predetermined depth to perforate the lower separated areas and forming fixed comb electrodes having a predetermined height inside the lower separated areas.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of forming the upper metal layer comprises:

forming a metal seed layer beneath the first partial frame; and

coating the metal seed layer with a eutectic bonding layer.