Electromagnetically actuated micromachined flap
First Claim
1. A microelectromechanical magnetic actuator comprising:
- a substrate having a surface;
a micromachined flap defined from said surface of said substrate and separated therefrom;
at least one micromachined cantilevered beam defined from said surface of substrate coupling said flap to said substrate;
a magnetic layer disposed on said flap; and
a selectively actuatable magnetic field source disposed proximate to said actuator to create a magnetic field in the vicinity of said flap to bend said flap on said cantilevered beam in a predetermined direction to the plane of said surface of said substrate,whereby a magnetically actuated flap is provided which is selectively disposable out of said surface of said substrate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A surface micromachined micromagnetic actuator is provided with a flap capable of achieving large deflections above 100 microns using magnetic force as the actuating force. The flap is coupled by one or more beams to a substrate and is cantilevered over the substrate. A Permalloy layer or a magnetic coil is disposed on the flap such that when the flap is placed in a magnetic field, it can be caused to selectively interact and rotate out of the plane of the magnetic actuator. The cantilevered flap is released from the underlying substrate by etching out an underlying sacrificial layer disposed between the flap and the substrate. The etched out and now cantilevered flap is magnetically actuated to maintain it out of contact with the substrate while the just etched device is dried in order to obtain high release yields.
199 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A microelectromechanical magnetic actuator comprising:
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a substrate having a surface; a micromachined flap defined from said surface of said substrate and separated therefrom; at least one micromachined cantilevered beam defined from said surface of substrate coupling said flap to said substrate; a magnetic layer disposed on said flap; and a selectively actuatable magnetic field source disposed proximate to said actuator to create a magnetic field in the vicinity of said flap to bend said flap on said cantilevered beam in a predetermined direction to the plane of said surface of said substrate, whereby a magnetically actuated flap is provided which is selectively disposable out of said surface of said substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An improvement in a method of fabricating a microelectromagnetic magnetic actuator, said improvement comprising:
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providing a substantially completed microelectromechanical magnetic actuator on a sacrificial layer disposed on an underlying substrate; removing said sacrificial layer upon which said microelectromechanical magnetic actuator has been fabricated by etching away said sacrificial layer through at least one opening defined through said microelectromechanical magnetic actuator to expose said underlying sacrificial layer; and drying said microelectromechanical magnetic actuator while simultaneously actuating said microelectromechanical magnetic actuator to maintain the released portions of said actuator out of contact with said underlying substrate until said drying is complete. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. In a method of fabricating a surface micromachine cantilevered layer disposed over an underlying substrate, an improvement comprising:
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providing said cantilevered layer on a sacrificial layer which in turn is disposed upon said substrate; disposing a magnetic layer on said cantilevered layer; removing said sacrificial layer beneath at least part of said cantilevered layer to release said cantilevered layer from said substrate; and simultaneously maintaining said cantilevered layer apart from said substrate layer by exposing said magnetic layer to a magnetic field which tends to lift said cantilevered layer away from said substrate, said cantilevered being maintained separate from said substrate until removal of said sacrificial layer is completed and possibility of adhesion of said cantilevered layer to said substrate substantially extinguished. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. In a method of controlling flow of a fluid across a surface of an object an improvement comprising:
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disposing a plurality of microelectromechanical actuators on said surface, each having a selectively operable flap extendable in a direction out of said surface into a boundary layer above said surface over which said flow is established; and selectively actuating at least some of said plurality of microelectromechanical actuators to dispose their corresponding flaps into said boundary layer to thereby affect said flow of said fluid. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification