Articulated MEMS electrostatic rotary actuator
First Claim
1. A micro-electro-mechanical device comprising:
- a substrate;
a mirror supported above the substrate, the mirror including a first plate having a reflective coating deposited thereon and configured to tilt about a first rotation axis; and
an actuator for controlling a tilt of the first plate, the actuator including a second other plate supported above the substrate, the second plate configured to tilt about a second other rotation axis, the first and second plates being mechanically coupled via a torsional coupling hinge.
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Abstract
A micro-electro-mechanical device designed such that the actuating means are only mechanically coupled to the optical components. The device includes a substrate, a mirror supported above the substrate, and a rotatory actuator also supported above the substrate. The mirror and actuator are mechanically coupled via a torsional coupling hinge such that the mirror can be angled and/or tilted by electrostatically driving the rotatory actuator. Advantageously, the micro-mirrors and actuator are fabricated from the same layer during the micro-machining fabrication process. In one embodiment, the mirror is rotatable about a fixed rotation axis. In another embodiment, the mirror is freely rotatable.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A micro-electro-mechanical device comprising:
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a substrate;
a mirror supported above the substrate, the mirror including a first plate having a reflective coating deposited thereon and configured to tilt about a first rotation axis; and
an actuator for controlling a tilt of the first plate, the actuator including a second other plate supported above the substrate, the second plate configured to tilt about a second other rotation axis, the first and second plates being mechanically coupled via a torsional coupling hinge. - 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, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A micro-electro-mechanical device comprising:
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a substrate;
a linear array of mirrors suspended above the substrate, each mirror including a mirror plate with a reflective surface deposited thereon, each mirror plate movable about a fixed rotation axis; and
an actuator for controlling the movement of each mirror, each actuator including a actuator plate suspended above the substrate, the actuator plate configured to move about another fixed rotation axis, wherein each mirror plate is mechanically coupled to an actuator plate via a torsional spring. - View Dependent Claims (36)
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37. A micro-electro-mechanical device fabricated from a micro-machining process, the device comprising:
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a micro-electronic substrate;
a mirror including a first plate having a reflective surface deposited thereon flexibly suspended over the micro-electronic substrate; and
an actuator including a second plate flexibly suspended over the micro-electronic substrate and coupled to the first plate via a flexible joint, wherein the first plate, the flexible joint, and the second plate are fabricated from a same layer during the micro-machining process.
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Specification