Isolated tungsten microelectromechanical structures

• US 5,399,415 A
• Filed: 06/04/1993
• Issued: 03/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cornell Research Foundation Incorporated (Cornell University)
• Original Assignee: Cornell Research Foundation Incorporated (Cornell University)
• Inventors: Chen, Liang-Yu, MacDonald, Noel C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jewik, Patrick
• Application Number:
  US08/071,260
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 428/209, 428/210, 428/704, 310/309, 310/310 MM, 310/62, 310/112, 310/306, 257/721, 336/200, 156/630
• US Class Current: 428/209
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/13 Mechanical connectors, i.e. not functioning as an electrical connector
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/0118 Cantilevers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/0315 Cavities
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0086 Electrical characteristics, e.g. reducing driving voltage, improving resistance to peak voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00214 Processes for the simultaneaous manufacturing of a network or an array of similar microstructural devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0814 for translational movement of the mass, e.g. shuttle type
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 1/006 of the gap-closing type H02N1/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 1/008 Laterally driven motors, e.g. of the comb-drive type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24917 including metal layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24926 including ceramic, glass, porcelain or quartz layer

Abstract

A process for fabricating mechanically interconnected, released, electrically isolated metal microstructures, and circuit components and actuators produced by the process. A dielectric stack on a substrate is patterned and etched to produce trenches in which a metal such as tungsten is deposited. The dielectric is removed from selected regions of the metal to expose metal beams, and to form mechanically interconnecting, electrically insulating hinges supporting the beams. The beams and hinges are then released for relative motion. Electrical potentials may be established between adjacent beams to produce controlled motion.

Claims

1. A microstructure having electrically isolated, mechanically interconnected movable beams, comprising:

a support including a cavity;

at least first and second released metal beams in said cavity and mounted to said support; and

dielectric isolator means mechanically joining and electrically insulating selected portions of said metal beams.

2. The microstructure of claim 1, wherein said metal beams are tungsten.

3. The microstructure of claim 2, wherein said dielectric isolator means is nitride.

4. The microstructure of claim 2, wherein said dielectric isolator means is silicon dioxide.

5. The microstructure of claim 1, further including metal support and bias arms extending from said metal beams to said support for mechanically securing said metal beams and for supplying electrical potential to selected metal beams.

6. The microstructure of claim 5, wherein said support includes an integrated circuit wafer having contact means for connection to said metal bias arms.

7. The microstructure of claim 5 wherein said support includes a dielectric stack.

8. The microstructure of claim 7 wherein said support further includes a substrate supporting said dielectric stack.

9. The microstructure of claim 5, wherein said microstructure includes multiple released metal beams in said cavity.

10. The microstructure of claim 5, wherein said metal beams are fabricated on plural levels within said cavity.

11. The microstructure of claim 9 wherein said microstructure includes multiple sets of coextensive parallel metal beams and electrically insulating hinge means mechanically interconnecting metal beams in said sets, said metal bias arms supplying electrical potentials across beams in each said set.

12. The microstructure of claim 11, wherein said sets of metal beams are mounted in series in a metal, released, axial, main beam, said sets dividing said metal main beam into axial segments extending between adjacent sets, said released metal beams in said sets being relatively movable whereby electrical potentials supplied to said sets of metal beams produce axial motion of said main beam.

13. The microstructure of claim 12, further including metal driver arms connected to said main beam to produce a micromechanical gripper.

14. The microstructure of claim 9, wherein said metal beams comprise a first inductor fabricated on a first level within said cavity, and a second inductor fabricated on a second level within said cavity.

15. The microstructure of claim 14 wherein said first and second inductors are electrically connected to form a transformer.

16. The microstructure of claim 9, wherein said multiple beams are in axial, end-to-end spaced alignment and are joined end to end by said hinges.

17. The microstructure of claim 16, wherein at least one of said beams is a reflective panel.

18. The microstructure of claim 17, further including means for rotating said panel about an axis defined by said end-to-end beams.

19. A microstructure having electrically isolated, mechanically interconnected movable metal beams, comprising:

a support layer;

a cavity formed in said layer, said layer forming walls surrounding said cavity;

first and second metal beams located in said cavity, said beams being released from and thereby mechanically spaced from and movable with respect to said layer;

a dielectric isolator hinge mechanically joining said first and second beams but electrically insulating said beams from each other; and

beam support means connected between one of said first and second beams and said layer for mounting said first and second beams in said cavity.

20. The microstructure of claim 19, further including a second dielectric isolator in said beam support means to electrically isolate said first and second beams from said layer.

21. The microstructure of claim 19, wherein said first and second beams are parallel to each other, said beams each having first and second ends respectively interconnected by first and second dielectric isolator hinges.

22. The microstructure of claim 21, wherein said beam support means comprises an axial beam having first and second aligned segments connected to said first and second beams, respectively, said axial beam being generally perpendicular to first and second beams.

23. The microstructure of claim 22, wherein said beam support means further includes support arms extending from said axial beam to said layer.

24. The microstructure of claim 23, wherein said axial beam includes at least one free end for supporting an element to be mechanically moved by relative motion of said first and second beams.

25. A microstructure having electrically isolated, mechanically interconnected movable metal beams, comprising:

a support layer;

a cavity in said layer;

a first metal beam located in a first plane within said cavity;

a second metal beam located in a second plane within said cavity and spaced below and in vertical alignment with said first beam, said first and second beams being curved to form parallel induction coils, said first and second beams being released for mechanical and electrical isolation from said layer; and

support means mounting said beams in said cavity.

26. A microstructure having an electrically isolated, mechanically interconnected movable metal beam, comprising:

a support layer;

a cavity formed in said layer, said layer forming walls surrounding said cavity;

first, second, and third axially aligned metal beam segments, said first and second beam segments being mounted to said layer;

first and second dielectric hinges mechanically interposed between said first and third and between said second and third beam segments, respectively, to electrically isolate said third segment from said first and second segments and from said layer; and

means on said layer adjacent said third segment for producing torsional motion in said third segment with respect to said first and second segments.