Electrode design and positioning for controlled movement of a moveable electrode and associated support structure
First Claim
1. A MicroElectroMechanicalSystem comprising:
- a substrate having a substrate surface in a lateral plane;
a moveable electrode, the moveable electrode moving in a trajectory in a motion plane, the motion plane oriented approximately perpendicular to the substrate surface;
at least one fixed electrode to control movement of the moveable electrode, at ninety percent of an electrode surface of said fixed electrode extending beyond a surface covered by said moving electrode when said moving electrode moves in the motion plane to maximize contact with the substrate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A MEMS system including a fixed electrode and a suspended moveable electrode that is controllable over a wide range of motion. In traditional systems where an fixed electrode is positioned under the moveable electrode, the range of motion is limited because the support structure supporting the moveable electrode becomes unstable when the moveable electrode moves too close to the fixed electrode. By repositioning the fixed electrode from being directly underneath the moving electrode, a much wider range of controllable motion is achievable. Wide ranges of controllable motion are particularly important in optical switching applications.
45 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A MicroElectroMechanicalSystem comprising:
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a substrate having a substrate surface in a lateral plane;
a moveable electrode, the moveable electrode moving in a trajectory in a motion plane, the motion plane oriented approximately perpendicular to the substrate surface;
at least one fixed electrode to control movement of the moveable electrode, at ninety percent of an electrode surface of said fixed electrode extending beyond a surface covered by said moving electrode when said moving electrode moves in the motion plane to maximize contact with the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A MicroElectroMechanicalSystem comprising:
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a substrate having a substrate surface in a lateral plane;
a moveable electrode, the moveable electrode moving in a trajectory in a motion plane; and
a fixed electrode to control movement of the moveable electrode, the fixed electrode positioned laterally adjacent to the moveable electrode. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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32. A MicroElectroMechanicalSystem comprising:
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a substrate having a substrate surface in a lateral plane;
a moveable electrode; and
a fixed electrode to control movement of the moveable electrode, at least half of an electrode surface of said fixed electrode extending beyond a surface covered by said moving electrode when said moveable electrode is translated to the substrate surface, said translation along a line perpendicular to the substrate surface. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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34. A method of moving a moving electrode using electrostatic forces comprising:
applying a voltage such that a voltage difference is formed between a suspended moving electrode and a fixed electrode positioned laterally adjacent to the moving electrode, the applied voltage causing the moving electrode to move toward a point on a substrate underneath the moving electrode, the point adjacent to said fixed electrode. - View Dependent Claims (35)
Specification