MEMS DEVICE WITH SLOPED SUPPORT
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Accused Products
Abstract
A microelectromechanical (MEMS) device has a movable member supported in elevated position spaced by a sloped support structure above a substrate. The movable member may be a polished metallic plate such as a mirror of a digital micromirror device (DMD) supported by a flexible hinge above an integrated circuit wafer die region. The plate may supported centrally at a raised juncture of two upwardly oppositely directed and symmetrically converging hinge legs for pivoting about a parallel axis. The plate may also be supported at a top end of a hinge leg in cantilever fashion, for pivoting about a perpendicular axis. Optional spring tips are provided for limiting movement and recovering energy. In a described fabrication method, hinge material is deposited over a sacrificial layer that has been directly or indirectly patterned using a grayscale photoresist exposure to define sloped surfaces which provide a template for configuring the hinge and optional other components.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1-3. -3. (canceled)
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5. (canceled)
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6. A microelectromechanical (MEMS) device, comprising:
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a substrate; a movable member; and a sloped support member supporting the movable member in elevated position, spaced by a gap above the substrate; wherein the substrate comprises a die region of a silicon wafer, on which are formed circuit components including electrodes and electrical contacts of an integrated circuit wherein the movable member comprises a metallic plate having a generally planar configuration; wherein the support member comprises a metallic flexible hinge; and wherein the hinge has an apex centrally positioned at a raised juncture of top ends of two upwardly oppositely directed and symmetrically converging legs whose bottom ends are connected to the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of fabricating a microelectromechanical (MEMS) device, the method comprising:
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forming a first sacrificial layer over a substrate; patterning the first sacrificial layer with a grayscale exposure pattern to configure the first sacrificial layer with sloped surfaces; forming a layer of hinge material conformally over the patterned first sacrificial layer; patterning the layer of hinge material to form a sloped hinge; forming a second sacrificial layer over the sloped hinge and over a remaining portion of the patterned first sacrificial layer, the second sacrificial layer being deposited to a level above the sloped hinge; planarizing the second sacrificial layer down to expose a top portion of the sloped hinge; forming a layer of member material over the planarized second sacrificial layer and exposed top portion of the sloped hinge; patterning the layer of member material to form a member; and removing remaining portions of the first and second sacrificial layer; whereby the member is supported by the sloped hinge in elevated position spaced for movement relative to the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A microelectromechanical (MEMS) device, comprising:
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a substrate; a movable member; and a sloped support member supporting the movable member in elevated position, spaced by a gap above the substrate; wherein the substrate comprises a die on which are formed circuit components of an integrated circuit; wherein the movable member comprises a plate having a generally planar configuration; wherein the support member comprises a flexible hinge; and wherein the hinge has an apex centrally positioned at a raised juncture of top ends of two upwardly oppositely directed converging legs whose bottom ends are supported on the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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Specification