Micro-electromechanical device

• US 6,127,765 A
• Filed: 02/24/1999
• Issued: 10/03/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Institute of Technology (National University Corporation Tokyo Institute of Technology)
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Institute of Technology (National University Corporation Tokyo Institute of Technology)
• Inventors: Fushinobu, Kazuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dougherty, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US09/256,984
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 310/306, 216/52, 438/52
• US Class Current: 310/306
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00968 Methods for breaking the stiction bond
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 1/006 of the gap-closing type H02N1/004 takes precedence

Abstract

A micro-electromechanical device, such as a micro-sensor or micromachine, includes a movable part in the form of a cantilever or diaphragm, which is formed on a substrate. In order to recover stiction in which the movable part is fixedly adhered to the substrate, a heating element is provided on a surface of the substrate which is opposed to the movable part. The heating element can be operated upon occurrence of stiction, so as to generate heat and thereby separate the movable part from the substrate and assure a proper operation of the device. The device can be produced at a relatively low cost, and achieves a stiction recovery with a high reliability, even when the device is enclosed in a package.

Claims

1. A micro-electromechanical device comprising:

a substrate having a first surface;

a functional element comprised of a movable part which is formed on said first surface of the substrate, said movable part having a second surface which is opposed to said first surface of the substrate; and

a stiction recovery means in the form of a heating element provided on one of said first and second surfaces, said heating element being operable to heat surface regions of said substrate and said movable part, which have been subjected to a stiction, so as to separate the movable part from the substrate.

2. A micro-electromechanical device according to claim 1, wherein said stiction recovery means is provided on said second surface of the movable part.

3. A micro-electromechanical device according to claim 1, wherein said movable part comprises a cantilever.

4. A micro-electromechanical device according to claim 1, wherein said movable part comprises a diaphragm.

5. A method for producing a micro-electromechanical device, comprising the steps of:

preparing a substrate;

forming a heating element on a surface of the substrate, said heating element being adapted to achieve a stiction recovery of a functional element of the device in the form of a movable part;

forming electrodes for supplying electric current to the heating element, on the surface of the substrate;

forming a sacrificial layer on the surface of the substrate;

forming on the sacrificial layer a structure corresponding to the movable part; and

subsequently removing the sacrificial layer from the surface of the substrate so as to form the movable part as being connected to the substrate.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said movable part is in the form of a cantilever.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein said movable part is in the form of a diaphragm.

8. In a micro-electromechanical device comprising a substrate, a functional element in the form of a movable part on the substrate, and a stiction recovery means in the form of a heating element which is arranged for one of opposite surfaces of the substrate and the movable part,

a method for recovering stiction of the functional part which has been fixedly adhered to the substrate, said method comprising the step of operating the heating element and thereby heat surface regions of the substrate and the movable part, which has been subjected to stiction, for a duration of approximately 25 nanoseconds.