Microelectromechanical actuators including sinuous beam structures
First Claim
1. A microelectromechanical actuator, comprising:
- a substrate; and
a beam having respective first and second ends attached to the substrate and a body disposed between the first and second ends having a sinuous shape, the body including a portion operative to engage a object of actuation and apply a force thereto in a direction perpendicular to the beam responsive to at least one of a compressive force and a tensile force on the beam.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In embodiments of the present invention, a microelectromechanical actuator includes a beam having respective first and second ends attached to a substrate and a body disposed between the first and second ends having a sinuous shape. The body includes a portion operative to engage a object of actuation and apply a force thereto in a direction perpendicular to the beam responsive to at least one of a compressive force and a tensile force on the beam. The sinuous shape may be sinusoidal, e.g., a shape approximating a single period of a cosine curve or a single period of a sine curve. The beam may be thermally actuated or driven by another actuator. In other embodiments, a rotary actuator includes first and second beams, a respective one of which has first and second ends attached to a substrate and a body disposed between the first and second ends. Each body includes first and second oppositely inflected portions. The bodies of the first and second beams intersect one another at points at which the first and second oppositely inflected portions of the first and second bodies meet. The bodies of the first and second beams are operative to engage the object of actuation and rotate the object of actuation around the point of intersection responsive to at least one of compressive force and tensile force on the first and second beams. Related methods are also described.
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Citations
58 Claims
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1. A microelectromechanical actuator, comprising:
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a substrate; and
a beam having respective first and second ends attached to the substrate and a body disposed between the first and second ends having a sinuous shape, the body including a portion operative to engage a object of actuation and apply a force thereto in a direction perpendicular to the beam responsive to at least one of a compressive force and a tensile force on the beam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A microelectromechanical actuator, comprising:
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a substrate; and
a beam having respective first and second ends attached to the substrate and a body disposed between the first and second ends, the body including a portion operative to engage a object of actuation and apply a force thereto in a direction perpendicular to the beam responsive to at least one of a compressive force and a tensile force on the beam, the beam configured such that the body assumes a sinuous shape if freed from the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A microelectromechanical rotary actuator, comprising:
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a substrate; and
a beam having first and second ends attached to the substrate and a body disposed between the first and second ends, the body including first and second oppositely inflected portions meeting at a point between the first and second ends, the body operative to engage an object of actuation and rotate the object of actuation around the point at which the oppositely inflected portions meet responsive to at least one of a compressive force and a tensile force on the beam. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A microelectromechanical rotary actuator, comprising:
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a substrate; and
a beam having first and second ends attached to the substrate and a body disposed between the first and second ends, the body having a shape corresponding to a period of a sine curve, the body operative to engage an object of actuation and rotate the object of actuation responsive to at least one of a compressive force and a tensile force on the beam. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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36. A microstructure, comprising:
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a substrate;
a sacrificial layer on the substrate;
a beam having respective first and second ends attached to the substrate and a sinusoidal body disposed between the first and second ends and on the sacrificial layer. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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39. A microstructure, comprising:
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a substrate;
a sacrificial layer on the substrate; and
a beam having respective first and second ends attached to the substrate and a body disposed between the first and second ends and disposed on the sacrificial layer, the body having a shape approximating a bending mode shape. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A method of fabricating a microstructure, the method comprising:
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forming a sacrificial layer on a substrate;
forming a beam having respective first and second ends attached to the substrate and a sinusoidal body disposed between the first and second ends and on the sacrificial layer;
removing at least a portion of the sacrificial layer to release the sinusoidal body. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47)
forming a layer on the sacrificial layer; and
patterning the layer to form the beam.
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48. A method of fabricating a microstructure, the method comprising:
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forming a sacrificial layer on a substrate;
forming a beam having respective first and second ends attached to the substrate and a body disposed between the first and second ends and disposed on the sacrificial layer, the body having a shape approximating a bending mode shape. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
forming a layer on the sacrificial layer; and
patterning the layer to form the beam.
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54. A method of rotating an object of actuation, the method comprising:
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engaging the object of actuation with a beam having first and second ends attached to a substrate and a body disposed between the first and second ends, the body including first and second oppositely inflected portions meeting at a point between the first and second ends; and
applying one of a compressive force or a tensile force to the beam to rotate the object of actuation around the point at which the oppositely inflected portions meet. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58)
wherein the step of engaging comprises the step of engaging the object of actuation with first and second beams, a respective one of which has first and second ends attached to the substrate and a body disposed between the first and second ends, each body including first and second oppositely inflected portions meeting at a point between the first and second ends, wherein the bodies of the first and second beams intersect one another at the points at which the first and second oppositely inflected portions of the first and second bodies meet; and
wherein said step of applying comprises the step of applying respective compressive or tensile forces to the first and second beams to rotate the object of actuation around the point at which the first and second bodies intersect.
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Specification