Opto-electro-mechanical device or filter, process for making, and sensors made therefrom
First Claim
1. A resonant semiconductor microstructure, comprising:
- a semiconductor base having a cavity on one side;
a vibratory flexible member formed of a semiconductor material and having at least one portion connected to the semiconductor base proximate the cavity; and
forming an integrated optical interference structure in cooperation with at least one other fixed surface of the semiconductor base, so that an amount of incident light energy traverses the vibratory flexible member and is then reflected from the at least one other fixed surface of the semiconductor base thereby creating an optical interference pattern consistent with the vibration of the flexible member.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to microstructures fabricated from semiconductor material and having a flexible member which is excited into various modes of resonance and in which such resonance is read optically. By coupling the microstructure to a surface or material of interest, a drive means will excite the flexible member into a characteristic resonance which when read optically gives indication of certain physical phenomena influencing the surface or material of interest. The microstructures of the present invention may be configured to self-resonate, as a so-called active device, under certain conditions. Many different physical phenomena may be quantified using the device of the present invention.
506 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A resonant semiconductor microstructure, comprising:
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a semiconductor base having a cavity on one side; a vibratory flexible member formed of a semiconductor material and having at least one portion connected to the semiconductor base proximate the cavity; and
forming an integrated optical interference structure in cooperation with at least one other fixed surface of the semiconductor base, so that an amount of incident light energy traverses the vibratory flexible member and is then reflected from the at least one other fixed surface of the semiconductor base thereby creating an optical interference pattern consistent with the vibration of the flexible member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 44, 45, 46)
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- 30. The microstructure of 27 further comprising a light focusing means coupled to the optical fiber for concentrating the incident radiant energy on the flexible member.
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43. A strain sensor array of a plurality of resonant semiconductor microstructures, comprising:
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a semiconductor base having a plurality of cavities therein; a plurality of vibratory flexible members corresponding to the cavities, and formed integrally of a semiconductor material and having at least one portion connected to the semiconductor base proximate a cavity; and
forming an optical interference structure in cooperation with at least one other fixed surface of the semiconductor base, so that an amount of incident light energy traverses the vibratory flexible member and is then reflected from the at least one other fixed surface of the semiconductor base thereby creating an optical interference pattern consistent with the vibration of the flexible member; and
wherein at least two of the plurality of flexible members are oriented orthogonal from each other on the semiconductor base to optimize sensitivity to two-dimensional strain.
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47. A microstructure that vibrates in response to incident light directed at the microstructure, comprising:
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a semiconductor base having a cavity in one side; a first flexible beam member that transmits a majority of said incident light directed thereon and formed integrally of a semiconductor material and having a distal end connected to the semiconductor base proximate the cavity and a proximal end connected to the semiconductor base so that the flexible beam member spans the cavity; and
,a first photovoltaic drive structure disposed so that a portion lies within the cavity. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49)
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Specification