Laminate-based apparatus and method of fabrication

• US 6,410,360 B1
• Filed: 01/26/1999
• Issued: 06/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Teledyne Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Teledyne Industries Incorporated (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Steenberge, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, John J.
• Application Number:
  US09/237,365
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 156/345, 156/153, 156/250, 156/292, 156/263, 438/52, 298/30, 296/22, 298/25, 298/74
• US Class Current: 438/52
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/0036 Switches making use of microelectromechanical systems [MEMS] for electromagnetic relays H01H50/005; for electrostatic relays H01H59/0009
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2001/0073 Solutions for avoiding the use of expensive silicon technologies in micromechanical switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 49/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of relays or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 50/005 using micromechanics
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49105 Switch making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 Contact or terminal manufacturing

Abstract

The present invention discloses a laminate-based electromechanical device and a method of fabricating laminate-based electromechanical devices. The device includes two or more layers of laminate bonded together to form a unitary laminate structure. The layers of laminate include a layer of organic dielectric material that may have at least a portion of one layer of electrically conductive material adherent thereto. The layers of organic dielectric material are bonded to form a unitary laminate structure through a process of lamination. The structures that make up the electromechanical device may be formed either before or after bonding. In particular, the various electromechanical structures that make up the electromechanical device are formed from the layers of organic dielectric material and the layers of electrically conductive material adherent thereto using a predetermined sequence of additive and subtractive fabrication techniques.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a laminate-based electromechanical relay device, comprising:

providing at least one first layer of laminate having at least one layer of electrically conductive material adherent thereto;

forming at least one stationary contact from the at least one layer of electrically conductive material;

providing at least one intermediate layer of laminate adjacent to the first layer of laminate;

providing at least one second layer of laminate atop the at least one intermediate layer, the at least one second layer having at least one layer of electrically conductive material adherent thereto;

removing a portion of the at least one intermediate layer adjacent to the at least one stationary contact to form an air gap between said at least one first layer and at least one second layer;

forming at least one moving contact from the at least one second layer and the at least one layer of electrically conductive material adherent thereto, the at least one moving contact adjacent to the air gap, such that the at least one second layer and the at least one layer of electrically conductive material adherent thereto are deflectable such that the at least one moving contact is capable of contacting the stationary contact;

stacking the at least one first, intermediate, and second layers in an order to provide a stack; and

bonding the stack to form a unitary laminate body.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said forming the at least one stationary contact further comprises fabricating at least one moving contact from the at least one layer of electrically conductive material and the at least one first layer using a sequence of at least one additive fabrication step and at least one subtractive fabrication step.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the electrically conductive material is selected from the group consisting of copper, silver, nickel, gold, and alloys thereof, and the at least one first layer further comprises an organic dielectric laminate selected from the group consisting of epoxy, polyimide, epoxy-glass laminate, polytetrafluoroethylene, cyanate ester, and liquid crystal polymer.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said at least one additive fabrication step is selected from the group consisting of deposition, plating, screen printing, photo definition, photo imaging, and photo resistance.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said at least one subtractive fabrication step is selected from the group consisting of etching, ablation and drilling.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said forming at least one moving contact further comprises fabricating at least one moving contact from the at least one layer of electrically conductive material and the at least one second layer using a sequence of additive and subtractive fabrication techniques.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the electrically conductive material is selected from the group consisting of copper, silver, nickel, gold, and alloys thereof, and the at least one second layer further comprises an organic dielectric laminate selected from the group consisting of epoxy, polyimide, epoxy-glass laminate, polytetrafluoroethylene, cyanate ester, and liquid crystal polymer.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising plating the at least one stationary contact with an electrically conductive material selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, ruthenium, rhodium, and alloys thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising plating the at least one moving contact with an electrically conductive material selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, ruthenium, rhodium, and alloys thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an actuator that selectively urges at least one moving contact into contact with at least one stationary contact.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said providing an actuator comprises:

providing at least one third laminate layer of adjacent to the at least one second layer;

forming an electrically conductive coil within the at least one third laminate layer; and

providing at least one magnetic material on the at least one moving contact.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing a ground plane adjacent to at least one third layer.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said providing at least one second layer further comprises providing at least one fourth and fifth layer of organic dielectric laminate.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said providing the at least one fourth layer further comprises providing at least one permanent magnet in the fourth layer adjacent to the at least one magnetic material.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one fifth layer is provided adjacent to the at least one fourth layer.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing at least one first electrical connector in electrical connection with at least one layer of electrically conductive material adherent to at least one first layer; and

providing at least one second electrical connector in electrical connection with at least one layer of electrically conductive material adherent to at least one second layer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said providing at least one first electrical connector further comprises adapting at least one layer of electrically conductive material adherent to the first layer to extend beyond a periphery of the unitary laminate body, and wherein said providing at least one second electrical connector further comprises adapting at least one layer of electrically conductive material adherent to the second layer to extend beyond the periphery of the unitary laminate body.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said providing at least one first electrical connector and said providing at least one second electrical connector further comprise electrically connecting at least one of the at least one layer of electrically conductive material adherent to the first layer and at least one layer of electrically conductive material adherent to the second layer to at least one lead wire.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said providing at least one first electrical connector and said providing at least one second electrical connector further comprise electrically connecting at least one layer of electrically conductive material adherent to the first layer and at least one layer of electrically conductive material adherent to the second layer to at least one lead frame.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein said providing at least one first electrical connector and said providing at least one second connector further comprises electrically connecting at least one layer of electrically conductive material adherent to the first layer and connecting at least one layer of electrically conductive material adherent to the second layer to a ball grid array.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said bonding further comprises applying an amount of heat and pressure to the stack.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein said stacking the layers further comprises inserting adhesive between the layers comprising the stack and said bonding comprises applying an amount of heat and pressure to the stack until the layers of the stack.

23. A method of fabricating an electromechanical relay device, the method comprising:

providing at least one first layer of laminate having at least one first layer of electrically conductive material adherent thereto;

providing at least one intermediate layer of laminate;

providing at least one second layer of laminate having at least one second layer of electrically conductive material adherent thereto;

orienting the first, intermediate, and second layers in an order to provide a stack;

bonding the stack to form a unitary laminate body;

forming at least one stationary contact in the unitary laminate body;

forming at least one air gap in the unitary laminate body; and

forming at least one moving contact in the unitary laminate body, such that a portion of the unitary laminate body is deflectable such that the at least one moving contact is capable of contacting the stationary contact.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein:

the at least one stationary contact is formed from the at least one layer of electrically conductive material;

the at least one air gap is formed by removing a portion of the intermediate layer that lies adjacent to the at least one stationary contact; and

the at least one moving contact is formed from the at least one second layer of electrically conductive material.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said forming at least one moving contact further comprises fabricating at least one moving contact from the at least one second layer of electrically conductive material.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein said forming the at least one moving contact further comprises fabricating at least one selectively moveable contact from the at least one second layer of electrically conductive material.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising providing an actuator adapted to urge the moving contact into contact with the stationary contact.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said providing an actuator further comprises:

providing at least one third layer of laminate below the at least one second layer of organic dielectric laminate;

forming an electrically conductive coil within at least one third layer of laminate;

providing at least one magnetic material on the at least one moving contact; and

selectively energizing said electrically conductive coil to cause at least one moving contact to contact at least one stationary contact.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising providing a ground plane below the at least one third layer of dielectric laminate.

30. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

providing at least one first electrical connector in electrical connection with the at least one first layer of electrically conductive material; and

providing at least one second electrical connector in electrical connection with the at least one second layer of electrically conductive material.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said providing at least one first electrical connector and said providing at least one second electrical connector further comprise extending at least one of the at least one first layer of electrically conductive material and extending at least one of the at least one second layer of electrically conductive material beyond a periphery of the unitary laminate body.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein said providing at least one first electrical connector and said providing at least one second connector further comprise electrically connecting at least one of the at least one first layer of electrically conductive material and connecting at least one of the at least one, second layer of electrically conductive material to a,ball grid array.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein said bonding comprises applying an amount of heat and pressure to the stack until the layers of the stack bond to form the integral laminate body.