Actuator having vertical comb electrode structure

• US 20060284514A1
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Cho, Jin-woo, Ko, Young-chul
• Application Number:
  US11/341,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20060284514A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/309
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 1/008 Laterally driven motors, e.g. of the comb-drive type

Abstract

An actuator having a vertical comb electrode structure is provided. The actuator includes: a stage seesawing in a first direction; a support unit supporting the seesawing motion of the stage; and a stage driving unit including vertical driving comb electrodes extending outward from opposite sides of the stage in the first direction, and vertical fixed comb electrodes disposed on a substrate to alternate with the driving comb electrodes, wherein the fixed comb electrodes include first fixed comb electrodes lower than the driving comb electrodes, insulation layers formed on the first fixed comb electrodes, and second fixed comb electrodes formed on the insulation layers to be higher than bottom surfaces of the driving comb electrodes.

Claims

1. An actuator having a vertical comb electrode structure, the actuator comprising:

a stage seesawing in a first direction;

a support unit supporting the seesawing motion of the stage; and

a stage driving unit including vertical driving comb electrodes extending outward from opposite sides of the stage in the first direction, and vertical fixed comb electrodes disposed on a substrate to alternate with the driving comb electrodes,

wherein the fixed comb electrodes include first fixed comb electrodes lower than the driving comb electrodes, insulation layers formed on the first fixed comb electrodes, and second fixed comb electrodes formed on the insulation layers to be higher than bottom surfaces of the driving comb electrodes.

2. The actuator of claim 1, wherein top surfaces of the fixed comb electrodes are lower than top surfaces of the driving comb electrodes.

3. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the support unit comprises:

a pair of torsion springs extending from opposite sides of the stage in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and

a fixed frame fixing one end of each of the torsion springs to suspend the torsion springs above the substrate.

4. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the same voltage is applied to the first fixed comb electrodes and the second fixed comb electrodes.

5. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the driving comb electrodes and the second fixed comb electrodes are manufactured as a first conductive layer of a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, the first fixed comb electrodes are manufactured as a second conductive layer of the SOI substrate, and the SOI substrate further comprises an insulation layer interposed between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

6. An actuator having a vertical comb electrode structure, the actuator comprising:

a stage suspended above a substrate and seesawing in a first direction;

a support unit supporting the seesawing motion of the stage; and

a stage driving unit including vertical driving comb electrodes extending outward from opposite sides of the stage in the first direction, and vertical fixed comb electrodes formed on the substrate to alternate with the driving comb electrodes,

wherein the driving comb electrodes include first driving comb electrodes higher than the fixed comb electrodes, insulation layers formed on bottom surfaces of the first driving comb electrodes, and second driving comb electrodes formed on the insulation layers to be lower than top surfaces of the fixed comb electrodes.

7. The actuator of claim 6, wherein bottom surfaces of the second driving comb electrodes are higher than bottom surfaces of the fixed comb electrodes.

8. The actuator of claim 6, wherein the support unit comprises:

a pair of torsion springs extending from opposite sides of the stage in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and

a fixed frame fixing one end of each of the torsion springs to suspend the torsion springs above the substrate.

9. The actuator of claim 6, wherein the same voltage is applied to the first driving comb electrodes and the second driving comb electrodes.

10. The actuator of claim 6, wherein the second driving comb electrodes and the fixed comb electrodes are manufactured as a first conductive layer of a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, the first driving comb electrodes are manufactured as a second conductive layer of the SOI substrate, and the SOI substrate further comprise an insulation layer interposed between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

11. An actuator having a vertical comb electrode structure, the actuator comprising:

a stage seesawing in a first direction;

a first support unit supporting the stage;

a stage driving unit including first driving comb electrodes extending outward from opposite sides of the stage in the first direction, and first fixed comb electrodes formed on the first support unit facing the first driving comb electrodes to alternate with the first driving comb electrodes;

a second support unit supporting the first support unit so that the first support unit can seesaw in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and

a first support unit driving unit including second driving comb electrodes formed at the first support unit, and second fixed comb electrodes corresponding to the second driving comb electrodes,

wherein the second fixed comb electrodes include third fixed comb electrodes lower than the second driving comb electrodes, insulation layers formed on the third fixed comb electrodes, and fourth fixed comb electrodes formed on the insulation layers to be higher than bottom surfaces of the second driving comb electrodes.

12. The actuator of claim 11, wherein the first support unit comprises:

a pair of torsion springs extending from opposite sides of the stage in the second direction; and

a rectangular movable frame including a pair of first portions that are parallel to each other and are respectively connected to the first torsion springs, and a pair of second portions parallel to each other and extending in the second direction.

13. The actuator of claim 12, wherein the second support unit comprises:

a pair of second torsion springs extending from the second portions of the first support unit in the first direction; and

a rectangular fixed frame having a pair of second portions that are parallel to each other and are respectively connected to the second torsion springs, and a pair of first portions parallel to each other and extending in the first direction.

14. The actuator of claim 13, wherein the first support unit driving unit comprises:

first extending members that extend from the movable frame and are parallel to the second torsion springs; and

the second driving comb electrodes extending from the first extending members toward the first portions of the second support unit, and

the second fixed comb electrodes extend from second extending members which extend from the second support unit to correspond to the first extending members.

15. The actuator of claim 11, wherein top surfaces of the fourth fixed comb electrodes are lower than top surfaces of the second driving comb electrodes.

16. The actuator of claim 11, wherein the same voltage is applied to the third fixed comb electrodes and the fourth fixed comb electrodes.

17. The actuator of claim 11, wherein the first fixed comb electrodes include fifth fixed comb electrodes lower than the first driving comb electrodes, insulation layers formed on the fifth fixed comb electrodes, and sixth fixed comb electrodes formed on the insulation layers to be higher than bottom surfaces of the first driving comb electrodes.

18. The actuator of claim 17, wherein the first and second driving comb electrodes and the fourth and sixth fixed comb electrodes are manufactured as a first conductive layer of a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, the third and fifth fixed comb electrodes are manufactured as a second conductive layer of the SOI substrate, and the SOI substrate further comprises an insulation layer interposed between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

19. An actuator having a vertical comb electrode structure, the actuator comprising:

a stage seesawing in a first direction;

a first support unit supporting the stage;

a stage driving unit including first driving comb electrodes extending outward extending from opposite sides of the stage in the first direction, and first fixed comb electrodes formed on the first support unit facing the first driving comb electrodes to alternate with the first driving comb electrodes;

a second support unit supporting the first support unit so that the first support unit can seesaw in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and

a first support unit driving unit including second driving comb electrodes formed at the first support unit, and second fixed comb electrodes corresponding to the second driving comb electrodes,

wherein the second driving comb electrodes include third driving comb electrodes higher than the second fixed comb electrodes, insulation layers formed on bottom surfaces of the third driving comb electrodes, and fourth driving comb electrodes formed on the insulation layers to be lower than top surfaces of the second fixed comb electrodes.

20. The actuator of claim 19, wherein the first support unit comprises:

a pair of torsion springs extending from opposite sides of the stage in the second direction; and

a rectangular movable frame including a pair of first portions that are parallel to each other and are respectively connected to the first torsion springs, and a pair of second portions parallel to each other and extending in the second direction.

21. The actuator of claim 20, wherein the second support unit comprises:

a pair of second torsion springs extending from the second portions of the first support unit in the first direction; and

a rectangular fixed frame including a pair of second portions that are parallel to each other and are respectively connected to the second torsion springs, and a pair of first portions parallel to each other and extending in the first direction.

22. The actuator of claim 21, wherein the first support unit driving unit comprises:

first extending members that extend from the movable frame and are parallel to the second torsion springs; and

the second driving comb electrodes extending from the first extending members toward the first portions of the second support unit, and

the second fixed comb electrodes extend from second extending members which extend from the second support unit to correspond to the first extending members.

23. The actuator of claim 19, wherein bottom surfaces of the fourth driving comb electrodes are higher than top surfaces of the second fixed comb electrodes.

24. The actuator of claim 19, wherein the same voltage is applied to the third driving comb electrodes and the fourth driving comb electrodes.

25. The actuator of claim 19, wherein the first driving comb electrodes include fifth driving comb electrodes higher than the first fixed comb electrodes, insulation layers formed on bottom surfaces of the fifth driving comb electrodes, and sixth driving comb electrodes formed on the insulation layers to be lower than top surfaces of the first fixed comb electrodes.

26. The actuator of claim 25, wherein the first and second driving comb electrodes and the fourth and sixth fixed comb electrodes are manufactured as a first conductive layer of a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, the third and fifth fixed comb electrodes are manufactured as a second conductive layer of the SOI substrate, and the SOI substrate further comprises an insulation layer interposed between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.