Micro-electromechanical actuators

• US 20030132822A1
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Lee, Myung Lae, Lee, Dae Sik, Kim, Yun Tae, Jun, Chi Hoon, Ko, Jong Soo
• Granted Patent: US 6,987,435 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 335/78
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/038 Microengines and actuators not provided for in B81B2201/031 - B81B2201/037
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/0109 Bridges
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/051 Translation according to an axis parallel to the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/056 Rotation in a plane parallel to the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/058 Rotation out of a plane parallel to the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0021 Transducers for transforming electrical into mechanical energy or vice versa dynamo-electric machines H02K99/00; electrostatic machines H02N1/00; piezoelectric devices H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/266 the optical element being an attenuator
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3546 NxM switch, i.e. a regular array of switches elements of matrix type constellation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3572 Magnetic force magnetic forces controlling reflecting elements in general G02B26/085; magneto-optic devices G02F1/09
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/0036 Switches making use of microelectromechanical systems [MEMS] for electromagnetic relays H01H50/005; for electrostatic relays H01H59/0009
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2001/0078 with parallel movement of the movable contact relative to the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 53/06 Magnetodynamic relays, i.e. relays in which the magnetic field is produced by a permanent magnet

Abstract

The present invention relates to a micro-electromechanical actuator. An electromagnetic-type micro-electromechanical actuator of the present invention has a conductive beam formed in a micro electronic substrate on an upper side of a magnetic substance, so that the conductive beam can be moved toward an in-plane mode in parallel to the micro electronic substrate depending on a direction that current flows. Therefore, the micro-electromechanical actuator can be applied to most of electromagnetic micro-electromechanical systems that require an in-plane mode.

Claims

1. A micro-electromechanical actuator, comprising:

a micro electronic substrate having a surface;

a magnetic substance formed at one side of said micro-electronic substrate; and

a plurality of conductive beams formed on both sides of said microelectronic substrate,

wherein said conductive beams are movable along a given path in parallel extended against an upper surface of said micro-electronic substrate by means of Lorentz force due to an electromagnetic force of said magnetic substance.

2. The micro-electromechanical actuator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said conductive beam has beams of a ‘

T’

shape or a ‘

S’

shape at its both ends or at its central portion.

3. The micro-electromechanical actuator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said conductive beam has a curved shape, a ‘

S’

shape, a ‘

V’

shape, a zigzag shape, a coupled shape of these shapes.

4. The micro-electromechanical actuator as claimed in claim 1, wherein both ends or a central portion of said conductive beam are/is connected to a plate made in a parallel direction to the conductive beam or a structure of a block shape made in a vertical direction to the conductive beam.

5. The micro-electromechanical actuator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said conductive beam is a multi-beam made of more than one beams the central portions of which are connected each other.

6. The micro-electromechanical actuator as claimed in claim 5, wherein the portion of said multi-beam to which the plurality of the beams are connected has a flat or block shape.

7. The micro-electromechanical actuator as claimed in claim 5, wherein said plurality of the beams are all conductors.

8. The micro-electromechanical actuator as claimed in claim 5, wherein said more than one of the plurality of beams are conductors and remaining of the beams are non-conductors.

9. The micro-electromechanical actuator as claimed in claim 1, wherein both ends or the central portion of said conductive beam are connected to a bar of a seesaw shape so that displacement can be expanded.

10. The micro-electromechanical actuator as claimed in claim 5, wherein said conductive beam is made of single conductive materials such as single metal, single crystal silicon or polycrystalline silicon, or a heterogeneous metal.

11. The micro-electromechanical actuator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said conductive beam is made of composite materials such as silicon and a metal, silicon oxide and a metal, silicon nitride and a metal, glass and a metal, or polymer and a metal.

12. The micro-electromechanical actuator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said conductive beam is formed by depositing a beam made of single crystal, polycrystalline, silicon oxide film, silicon nitride film, glass or polymer and then depositing a metal to surround the beam.

13. The micro-electromechanical actuator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said conductive beam is formed by firstly depositing a metal sacrificial layer using aluminum or chrome on said micro electronic substrate, patterning the photoresist film through photolithography process and then depositing metals such as copper or nickel using an electroplating method.

14. The micro-electromechanical as claimed in claim 1, wherein said surface of micro-electronic substrate further comprises a guide structure or a micro rack and pinion for transforming the horizontal movement of the conductive beam to the vertical movement is formed at one side of the micro electronic substrate.

15. The micro-electromechanical actuator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said micro electronic substrate is made of one of silicon, glass, PCB, acryl, polymer, metal and a magnetic substance.

16. The micro-electromechanical actuator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said magnetic substance is formed of a magnet such as a magnetic substance or formed by a micro electronic substrate wound on a coil.

17. The micro-electromechanical actuator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said magnetic substance is formed on an upper/under side or on a left/right side of said micro electronic substrate.

18. The micro-electromechanical actuator as claimed in claim 1, wherein both sides or the central portion of said conductive beam are or is connected to a distortion bar or a gear so that the horizontal movement of the conductive beam is changed to the vertical movement.