VIBRATION ELEMENTS

• US 20090225384A1
• Filed: 03/10/2009
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Sato, Yukito, Saitoh, Tetsurou, Eiji, Mochizuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,199,389 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/199.100
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/047 Optical MEMS not provided for in B81B2201/042 - B81B2201/045
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00682 Treatments for improving mechanical properties, not provided for in B81C1/00658 - B81C1/0065
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means

Abstract

A vibration unit including a frame, a vibration element including a substrate configured to vibrate, and a beam configured to connect the vibration element to the frame. The vibration unit is produced by applying an etching process to at least two surfaces of a substrate. A meeting position of the two surfaces of the substrate located where a first etching process, which takes place on a first surface of the substrate and a second etching process, which takes place on a second surface of the substrate meet, and is located at a position other than a center position in a width direction of the beam.

Claims

1. A vibration unit, comprising:

a frame;

a vibration element, including a substrate, configured to vibrate and having at least two etched surfaces;

a beam configured to connect the vibration element to the frame; and

a meeting position of the at least two etched surfaces is located where a first etching process, which takes place on a first surface of the substrate and a second etching process, which takes place on a second surface of the substrate meet, and the meeting position is located at a position other than a center position in a width direction of the beam.

2. The vibration unit according to claim 1,

wherein the meeting position is located at a position which is more than d/4 apart from the center position of the beam, wherein d is the width of the beam.

3. The vibration unit according to claim 1,

wherein a width of the beam from the second surface to the meeting point is larger than a width of the beam from the first surface to the meeting point.

10. The vibration unit according to claim 1,

wherein the vibration element has a reflective coating including a titanium layer, a platinum layer, and a gold layer.

11. The vibration unit according to claim 10,

wherein the platinum layer has a thickness of 0.05 μ

m.

12. The vibration unit according to claim 10,

wherein the gold layer has a thickness of 0.05 μ

m.

4. A vibration unit, comprising:

a frame;

a vibration element, including a substrate, configured to vibrate and having at least two etched surfaces;

a beam configured to connect the vibration element to the frame,

wherein the vibration element includes a meeting position of the at least two etched surfaces located where an etching process to the at least two surfaces of the substrate meet; and

a width of the beam at a first surface is larger than a width of the beam at a second surface.

5. The vibration unit according to claim 4,

wherein the beam has a first height from the second surface to a meeting point larger than a second height from the first surface to the meeting point, wherein the meeting position is located where a first etching process, which takes place on the first surface of the substrate, and a second etching process, which takes place on the second surface of the substrate, meet.

6. The vibration unit according to claim 5,

wherein the meeting position is located at the end of the beam in a width direction of the beam.

7. The vibration unit according to claim 6,

wherein the vibration element is an optical unit that includes a reflection unit configured to reflect light.

8. A vibration unit, comprising:

a frame;

a vibration element configured to vibrate; and

a beam configured to connect the vibration element and to the frame,

wherein an end of the beam is thickest in a thickness distribution.

9. The vibration unit according to claim 8,

wherein the thickness of the beam has a curved distribution in thickness from the end of the beam to a center of the beam.