MEMS ANCHORS
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A MEMS device comprising:
- a substrate having a primary, horizontal face, upon which the MEMS device is formed;
a beam suspended over the substrate by an anchor having a shell structure, the shell structure comprising;
a non-horizontal elevating portion coupled to the primary face of the substrate;
a substantially horizontal shelf portion elevated over the substrate by the non-horizontal elevating portion; and
a non-horizontal shell stiffening portion, from which the beam extends, extending from the shelf portion.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to an improved apparatus and method for the design and manufacture of MEMS anchoring structures for light modulators in order to address the stresses of beams mounted on them.
123 Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A MEMS device comprising:
-
a substrate having a primary, horizontal face, upon which the MEMS device is formed; a beam suspended over the substrate by an anchor having a shell structure, the shell structure comprising; a non-horizontal elevating portion coupled to the primary face of the substrate; a substantially horizontal shelf portion elevated over the substrate by the non-horizontal elevating portion; and a non-horizontal shell stiffening portion, from which the beam extends, extending from the shelf portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A method of manufacturing a MEMS device using a shell structure made by a sidewall process comprising the steps of:
-
forming a mold on a substrate, wherein the mold includes a lower horizontal surface, an upper horizontal surface and a wall; depositing a beam material on the lower horizontal surface and the wall of the mold; removing the beam material deposited on the lower horizontal surface of the mold while leaving the majority of the beam material deposited on the wall of the mold in place to form the compliant beam; forming the shutter coupled to the compliant beam; and removing the mold, thereby releasing the shutter and remaining beam material. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
Specification