(110) Oriented silicon wafer latch accelerometer and process for forming the same
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a (110) silicon wafer with a thickness, comprising;
a frame;
a first cantilever beam, with a first end attached to the frame and a second end, which is a free end which is not attached to the frame, and with a length dimension from the first end to the second end, and a thickness, wherein the length and the thickness are substantially parallel to the (110) plane, and a width substantially perpendicular to the (110) plane and substantially equal to the thickness of the wafer;
a second cantilever beam, with a first end attached to the frame and a second end, which is a free end which is not attached to the frame, and with a length dimension from the first end to the second end, and a thickness, wherein the length and the thickness are substantially parallel to the (110) plane, and a width substantially perpendicular to the (110) plane and substantially equal to the thickness of the wafer, and where the length of the first cantilever forms an angle with the length of the second cantilever, where the value of the angle is substantially 70.5°
or 109.5°
.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for etching a (110) silicon wafer to produce latching cantilever beams, which bend parallel to the surface of the wafer. The resulting apparatus is also part of the invention.
46 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. An apparatus, comprising:
-
a (110) silicon wafer with a thickness, comprising; a frame; a first cantilever beam, with a first end attached to the frame and a second end, which is a free end which is not attached to the frame, and with a length dimension from the first end to the second end, and a thickness, wherein the length and the thickness are substantially parallel to the (110) plane, and a width substantially perpendicular to the (110) plane and substantially equal to the thickness of the wafer; a second cantilever beam, with a first end attached to the frame and a second end, which is a free end which is not attached to the frame, and with a length dimension from the first end to the second end, and a thickness, wherein the length and the thickness are substantially parallel to the (110) plane, and a width substantially perpendicular to the (110) plane and substantially equal to the thickness of the wafer, and where the length of the first cantilever forms an angle with the length of the second cantilever, where the value of the angle is substantially 70.5°
or 109.5°
. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A method for manufacturing a frame and first and second silicon cantilevers, wherein the cantilevers have a first end which is attached to the frame and a second end not attached to the frame and wherein each cantilever has a length from the first end of the cantilever to the second end of the cantilever and wherein the length of the first cantilever is not parallel to the length of the second cantilever, and wherein the first and second cantilevers bend in the plane of the frame, comprising:
-
making a silicon wafer, which has first and second surfaces on opposite sides, and wherein the two surfaces are parallel to the (110) plane, and wherein the silicon wafer is made of a plurality of silicon unit cells; masking the silicon wafer on the first surface so that there is a masked area, and an unmasked area of the silicon wafer and a border between the masked area and the unmasked area, wherein the masked area forms patterns for a frame and at least two cantilevers, wherein each border between the masked and the unmasked area is substantially along a plane that intersects only three corners of each unit cell through which the plane passes, and wherein each of the cantilever patterns each have a first end which is attached to the frame pattern and a second end, which is a free end which is not attached to the frame pattern and wherein each of the cantilever patterns has a length from the first end of the cantilever pattern to the second end of the cantilever pattern and wherein the length of the first cantilever pattern is not parallel to the length of the second cantilever pattern; and exposing the silicon wafer to an anisotropic etchant. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A (110) silicon wafer latching apparatus, comprising:
-
frame a first cantilever beam, with a first end attached to the frame and a second end, which is a free end which is not attached to the frame, and with a length dimension from the first end to the second end, and a thickness, wherein the length and the thickness are substantially parallel to the (110) plane, and a width substantially perpendicular to the (110) plane and substantially equal to the thickness of the wafer and which comprises at least one outer corner which has a corner compensated peak; a second cantilever beam, with a first end attached to the frame and a second end, which is a free end which is not attached to the frame, and with a length dimension from the first end to the second end, and a thickness, wherein the length and the thickness are substantially parallel to the (110) plane, and a width substantially perpendicular to the (110) plane and substantially equal to the thickness of the wafer, and where the length of the first cantilever forms an angle with the length of the second cantilever, where the value of the angle is substantially 70.5°
or 109.5° and
which comprises at least on outer corner which has a corner compensated peak to allow the first cantilever to be latched to the second cantilever. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification