Microelectromechanical mirror and mirror array
First Claim
1. A method for manufacturing an electrostatically actuated plate, comprising:
- depositing a plurality of control electrodes on a reference layer substrate;
depositing a plurality of standoff posts on the reference layer substrate;
etching an actuation layer from an actuation layer substrate, the actuation layer comprising a freely movable plate flexibly suspended from a plurality of electrostatic actuators that are flexibly suspended from a support frame; and
bonding the reference layer substrate to the actuation layer substrate so that the actuation layer substrate is held above the reference layer substrate by the plurality of standoff posts.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method for manufacturing microelectromechanical mirror and mirror array. Control electrodes and addressing circuitry are etched from a metallic layer deposited onto a reference layer substrate. Standoff-posts are etched from a subsequently deposited polyimide layer. A freely movable plate flexibly suspended from a plurality of electrostatic actuators that are flexibly suspended from a support frame is etched from an actuation layer substrate using a high aspect ratio etch. A mirror support post and surface are etched from a mirror substrate using a high aspect ratio etch. The mirror and actuation layer substrates are fusion bonded together. The reference and actuation layer substrates are bonded together and held apart by the standoff posts. A reflective metallic layer is deposited onto the mirror surface and polished. The mirror is etched from the mirror surface to free the microelectromechanical mirror. Mirror arrays are made by performing the aforementioned steps using standard IC processing techniques.
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Citations
65 Claims
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1. A method for manufacturing an electrostatically actuated plate, comprising:
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depositing a plurality of control electrodes on a reference layer substrate;
depositing a plurality of standoff posts on the reference layer substrate;
etching an actuation layer from an actuation layer substrate, the actuation layer comprising a freely movable plate flexibly suspended from a plurality of electrostatic actuators that are flexibly suspended from a support frame; and
bonding the reference layer substrate to the actuation layer substrate so that the actuation layer substrate is held above the reference layer substrate by the plurality of standoff posts. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for manufacturing a microelectromechanical mirror, comprising:
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depositing a plurality of control electrodes on a reference layer substrate;
depositing a plurality of standoff posts on the reference layer substrate;
etching an actuation layer from an actuation layer substrate, the actuation layer comprising a freely movable plate flexibly suspended from a plurality of electrostatic actuators that are flexibly suspended from a support frame;
etching a mirror support post from a mirror layer substrate;
bonding the freely moveable plate in the actuation layer substrate to the mirror support post in the mirror layer substrate;
bonding the reference layer substrate to the actuation layer substrate so that the actuation layer substrate is held above the reference layer substrate by the plurality of standoff posts;
depositing a reflective layer on the surface of the mirror layer substrate; and
etching through the reflective layer and the mirror layer substrate to release the microelectromechanical mirror. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
etching a plurality of alignment marks in the actuation layer wafer;
etching a respective plurality of alignment bores in the mirror layer wafer; and
aligning the plurality of alignment marks in the actuation layer wafer with the respective plurality of alignment bores in the mirror layer wafer to bond the mirror support post in the mirror layer wafer with the freely movable plate in the actuation layer wafer.
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34. A method of manufacturing a freely movable plate, comprising:
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etching an actuation layer from an actuation layer substrate, the actuation layer comprising a freely movable plate flexibly suspended from a plurality of actuators that are flexibly suspended from a support structure;
forming a respective plurality of actuation means on a reference layer substrate to respectively actuate the plurality of actuators;
forming means for separating the actuation layer substrate from the reference layer substrate on one of the actuation layer substrate or the reference layer substrate; and
bonding the reference layer substrate to the actuation layer substrate so that the actuation layer substrate is separated from and held above the reference layer substrate by the separation means. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method for manufacturing a microelectromechanical mirror, comprising:
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etching an actuation layer from an actuation layer substrate, the actuation layer comprising a freely movable plate flexibly suspended from a plurality of actuators that are flexibly suspended from a support structure;
forming a respective plurality of actuation means on a reference layer substrate to respectively actuate the plurality of actuators;
etching a mirror support post from a mirror layer substrate;
bonding the freely movable plate in the actuation layer substrate to the mirror support post in the mirror layer substrate;
forming means for separating the actuation layer substrate from the reference layer substrate on one of the actuation layer substrate or the reference layer substrate;
bonding the reference layer substrate to the actuation layer substrate so that the actuation layer substrate is separated from and held above the reference layer substrate by the separation means;
depositing a reflective layer on the surface of the mirror layer substrate; and
etching through the reflective layer and the mirror layer substrate to release the microelectromechanical mirror. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
further comprising: etching a plurality of alignment marks in the actuation layer wafer;
etching a respective plurality of alignment bores in the mirror layer wafer; and
aligning the plurality of alignment marks in the actuation layer wafer with the respective plurality of alignment bores in the mirror layer wafer to bond the mirror support post in the mirror layer wafer with the freely movable plate in the actuation layer wafer.
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64. A method for manufacturing a microelectromechanical mirror array comprising a plurality of microelectromechanical mirrors, the method of manufacture comprising:
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depositing a metallic layer on a reference layer substrate and forming an arrayed pattern comprising a plurality of control electrodes on the metallic layer;
forming an arrayed pattern comprising a plurality of standoff posts on the reference layer substrate;
etching an arrayed pattern of actuation layers from an actuation layer substrate, each actuation layer in the arrayed pattern comprising a freely movable plate flexibly suspended from a plurality of electrostatic actuators that are flexibly suspended from a support frame;
etching an arrayed pattern of mirror support posts from a mirror layer substrate;
bonding the actuation layer substrate to the mirror layer substrate so that the freely movable plates in the arrayed pattern of actuation layers are bonded to respective ones of the mirror support posts in the arrayed pattern of mirror support posts;
bonding the reference layer substrate to the actuation layer substrate so that the arrayed pattern of actuation layers is held above the arrayed pattern of control electrodes by the arrayed plurality of standoff posts;
depositing a reflective layer on the surface of the mirror layer substrate; and
etching in an arrayed pattern through the reflective layer and the mirror layer substrate to release the arrayed pattern of microelectromechanical mirrors in the microelectromechanical mirror array.
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65. A method for manufacturing a microelectromechanical mirror array, comprising a plurality of microelectromechanical mirrors, the method comprising:
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etching an arrayed pattern of actuation layers from an actuation layer substrate, each actuation layer in the arrayed pattern comprising a freely movable plate flexibly suspended from a plurality of actuators that are flexibly suspended from a support structure;
etching an arrayed pattern of mirror support posts from a mirror layer substrate;
bonding the actuation layer substrate to the mirror layer substrate so that the freely movable plates in the arrayed pattern of actuation layers are bonded to respective ones of the mirror support posts in the arrayed pattern of mirror support posts;
forming an arrayed pattern comprising a plurality of actuation means on a reference layer substrate to respectively actuate the arrayed plurality of actuators;
forming an arrayed means for separating the actuation layer substrate from the reference layer substrate on one of the actuation layer substrate or the reference layer substrate;
bonding the reference layer substrate to the actuation layer substrate so that the arrayed pattern of actuation layers are held above the arrayed pattern of actuation means by the arrayed pattern of separation means;
depositing a reflective layer on the surface of the mirror layer substrate; and
etching in an arrayed pattern through the reflective layer and the mirror layer substrate to release the arrayed plurality of microelectromechanical mirrors in the microelectromechanical mirror array.
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Specification