Method of making a machine structures fabricated of mutiple microstructure layers
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for fabricating a machine comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a plurality of substrates;
(b) forming at least one opening in at least one substrate, said at least one opening defining structures in said at least one substrate;
(c) filling at least some of said at least one opening in said at least one substrate with a sacrificial material for temporarily securing together selected structures defined and separated by said at least one opening;
(d) stacking said plurality of substrates together in a selected arrangement to form a stack structure; and
(e) removing said sacrificial material from said at least one opening, such that said structures defined in said at least one substrate by said at least one opening form a movable member within said stack structure, thereby forming said machine.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Machine structures each comprising a stack of a plurality of micromachine layers laminated together are presented, along with fabrication methods therefore. Each machine structure includes a movable member(s) defined from microstructure of at least one layer of the plurality of micromachine layers comprising the stack. During fabrication, the micromachine layers are separately formed using VLSI techniques and then subsequently laminated together in a selected arrangement in the stack to define the machine structure.
41 Citations
11 Claims
-
1. A method for fabricating a machine comprising the steps of:
-
(a) providing a plurality of substrates; (b) forming at least one opening in at least one substrate, said at least one opening defining structures in said at least one substrate; (c) filling at least some of said at least one opening in said at least one substrate with a sacrificial material for temporarily securing together selected structures defined and separated by said at least one opening; (d) stacking said plurality of substrates together in a selected arrangement to form a stack structure; and (e) removing said sacrificial material from said at least one opening, such that said structures defined in said at least one substrate by said at least one opening form a movable member within said stack structure, thereby forming said machine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. A method for fabricating a machine comprising the steps of:
-
(a) forming at least one opening in each of at least two substrates, said at least one openings defining microstructures in said at least two substrates that create said machine when said at least two substrates are stacked in a selected arrangement; (b) filling at least some of said at least one openings in said at least two substrates with a sacrificial material for temporarily securing together selected microstructures separated by said openings; (c) stacking said at least two substrates together in said selected arrangement, thereby forming a stack; and (d) removing said sacrificial material from said at least one opening in each of said at least two substrates, wherein a moveable member is defined within said stack by stacked microstructures of said at least two substrates, thereby forming said machine. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
Specification