Method for registering a deposited material with channel plate channels, and switch produced using same

• US 20040140187A1
• Filed: 01/22/2003
• Published: 07/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Wong, Marvin Glenn, Carson, Paul Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 6,809,277 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 200/182
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/018 Switches not provided for in B81B2201/014 - B81B2201/016
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00611 Processes for the planarisation of structures planarising depositions C23C, H01L
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/0121 involving addition of material followed by removal of parts of said material, i.e. subtractive planarization
• 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 2029/008 using micromechanics, e.g. micromechanical liquid contact switches or [LIMMS]

Abstract

A method for depositing material on a channel plate such that the material is registered to one or more channels formed in the channel plate includes filling at least one of the channels with a resist that is not wetted by the material; depositing the material on at least a region of the channel plate that includes at least part of the resist; and then removing the resist. The method may be used, in one embodiment, to apply an adhesive or gasket material that is used in assembling a switch.

Claims

1. A switch, produced by:

a) forming at least one channel in a channel plate;

b) filling at least one of the channels with a resist that is not wetted by a material that is to be deposited on the channel plate;

c) depositing the material on at least a region of the channel plate that at least abuts a portion of the resist;

d) removing the resist; and

e) aligning the at least one channel formed in the channel plate with at least one feature on a substrate, and sealing, by means of the deposited material, at least a switching fluid between the channel plate and the substrate.

2. The switch of claim 1, further comprising, curing the deposited material prior to removing the resist.

3. The switch of claim 1, wherein the deposited material is an adhesive.

4. The switch of claim 1, wherein the deposited material is a gasket material.

5. The switch of claim 1, wherein the material is deposited by means of spin coating.

6. The switch of claim 1, wherein the material is deposited by means of spray coating.

7. The switch of claim 1, wherein:

a) a first channel formed in the channel plate is a channel for holding the switching fluid; and

b) the channel for holding the switching fluid is filled with the resist.

8. The switch of claim 7, wherein:

a) a second channel formed in the channel plate is an actuating fluid channel;

b) the actuating fluid channel is filled with the resist; and

c) the method further comprises sealing an actuating fluid between the channel plate and the substrate.

9. The switch of claim 1, wherein:

a) the at least one channel formed in the channel plate comprises a channel for holding the switching fluid, a pair of channels for holding an actuating fluid, and a pair of channels connecting corresponding ones of the channels holding the actuating fluid to the channel holding the switching fluid; and

b) all of the channels are filled with the resist.

10. A method for depositing material on a channel plate such that the material is registered to one or more channels formed in the channel plate, comprising:

a) filling at least one of the channels with a resist that is not wetted by the material;

b) depositing the material on at least a region of the channel plate that at least abuts a portion of the resist; and

c) removing the resist.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the material is an adhesive.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising, curing the adhesive prior to removing the resist.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the adhesive is Cytop.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the material is applied by means of spin coating.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the material is applied by means of spray coating.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the resist is removed by means of etching.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the resist is removed by means of developing.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising, after filling the at least one channel with the resist, abrading the channel plate to better define transitions between the resist and edges of channels that are filled with the resist.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said abrading is accomplished by means of chemical mechanical planarization.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said abrading is accomplished by means of polishing.

21. The method of claim 10, further comprising, after filling the at least one channel with the resist, flattening a surface of the channel plate bearing resist-filled channels.