COUNTER-BALANCED MEMS MIRROR WITH HIDDEN HINGE
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A micro-electro-mechanical (MEMs) device comprising:
- a substrate with first and second supports extending upwardly therefrom;
a tilting element pivotable about a first axis;
first hinges, defining the first axis, extending from opposite sides of the tilting element connected to the first and second supports;
a first ground electrode connected to the tilting element;
a pedestal extending upwardly from the tilting element;
a reflective body mounted on the pedestal;
a counter mass extending downwardly from the tilting element to counter balance the weight of the reflective body about the first axis; and
a first hot electrode mounted on the substrate for attracting the first ground electrode, thereby rotating the tilting element and the reflective body about the first axis.
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Abstract
A multi-layer hidden hinge and actuator design for high fill factor biaxial MEMS mirror array for wavelength selective switches (WSS) based on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) process with wafer bonding and coarsely aligned orthogonal vertical comb and/or parallel plate actuator. The present invention relates to a micro-mirror in a MEMS linear piano micro-mirror array comprising a micro-mirror layer, a hinge layer and an electrode/substrate layer. The structure is formed by fabricating the layers separately in SOI structure and then bonding them together.
25 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A micro-electro-mechanical (MEMs) device comprising:
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a substrate with first and second supports extending upwardly therefrom; a tilting element pivotable about a first axis; first hinges, defining the first axis, extending from opposite sides of the tilting element connected to the first and second supports; a first ground electrode connected to the tilting element; a pedestal extending upwardly from the tilting element; a reflective body mounted on the pedestal; a counter mass extending downwardly from the tilting element to counter balance the weight of the reflective body about the first axis; and a first hot electrode mounted on the substrate for attracting the first ground electrode, thereby rotating the tilting element and the reflective body about the first axis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of manufacturing a MEMs device comprising:
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a) forming a substrate (207) with a first hot electrode thereon and mounting posts extending therefrom; b) forming a ground electrode layer (203) on a first handle wafer (253) including; a first ground electrode; and a counter mass; c) forming a reflective body section (204) including a pedestal and a reflective body on a second handle wafer (251); d) forming a hinge layer (202) on a third handle wafer (254) first hinges, defining the first axis extending laterally from opposite sides of the tilting element; e) mounting the hinge layer (202) on the ground electrode layer (203); f) removing the third handle wafer (254); g) etching the hinge layer (202) to form a tilting element pivotable about a first axis; and
first hinges, defining the first axis extending laterally from opposite sides of the tilting element;h) mounting the pedestal of the reflective body section (204) onto the tilting element of the hinge layer (202); i) removing the first wafer handle (253) from the ground electrode layer (203); j) mounting the ground electrode layer (203) to the mounting posts suspending the first ground electrode above the first hot electrode; and g) removing the second handle wafer (251) of the reflective body section (204). - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) device comprising:
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a substrate with first and second supports extending upwardly therefrom; a tilting element pivotable about a first axis above the substrate in a first layer having a first thickness; first hinges, defining the first axis, extending from opposite sides of the tilting element in the first layer connected to the first and second supports; a rolling element, in the first layer surrounding the tilting element and receiving the ends of the first hinges, pivotable about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis; second hinges, in the first layer defining the second axis, extending from the rolling element, the outer ends of which are fixed to one of the first and second supports; a pedestal extending upwardly from the tilting element; a reflective body mounted on the pedestal; a first ground electrode in a second layer connected to an underside of the tilting element; a first hot electrode mounted on the substrate for attracting the first ground electrode, thereby rotating the tilting element and the reflective body about the first axis; a second ground electrode in the second layer connected to an underside of the rolling element; and a second hot electrode mounted on the substrate, for attracting the first ground electrode, thereby rotating the rolling element, the tilting element and the reflective body about the second axis; wherein the first and second ground electrodes in the second layer counter balance the weight of the reflective body about the first axis.
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Specification