Structure for electrically connecting microelectromechanical devices, in particular microactuators for hard disk drivers

• US 6,587,312 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2001
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SRL (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Murari, Bruno, Vigna, Benedetto, Sassolini, Simone
• Primary Examiner(s): Heinz, A. J.
• Application Number:
  US09/792,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20010040772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: 360/294, 360/294.6, 360/234.6, 360/264.4, 360/264.5, 369/44.16, 369/44.18, 369/44.32, 310/309, 310/40.MM
• US Class Current: 360/294.3
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 1/008 Laterally driven motors, e.g. of the comb-drive type

Abstract

An electrical connection structure having connection elements which electrically connect a movable part to a fixed part of a microelectromechanical device, for example a microactuator. The movable part and fixed part are separated by trenches and are mechanically connected by spring elements, which determine, together with the connection elements, the torsional rigidity of the microelectromechanical device. Each connection element is formed by multiple sub-arms connected in parallel and having a common movable anchorage region anchored to the movable part, and a common fixed anchorage region anchored to the fixed part, whereby the mechanical resistance of the connection elements is negligible. The sub-arms have a width equal to a sub-multiple of the width necessary in case of a single connection element for the latter to have a preset electrical resistance, which is determined in the design. In particular, the width of the sub-arms is at least equal to the width of the single connection element divided by the number of sub-arms.

Claims

1. A microelectromechanical device comprising:

a movable part and a fixed part separated by trenches and mechanically connected by spring elements; and

an electrical connection structure including a connection element extending between said movable part and said fixed part, said connection element formed of electrically conductive material and including a plurality of sub-arms connected in parallel and having a common movable anchorage region anchored to said movable part and a common fixed anchorage region anchored to said fixed part.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said sub-arms are floating above one of the trenches.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said common movable and fixed anchorage regions are respectively connected to opposite ends of said sub-arms.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said electrical connection structure includes a plurality of connection elements, extending between said movable and fixed parts, each connection element comprising a plurality of sub-arms.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein said electrical connection structure includes a single connection region connected to said plurality of connection elements.

6. The device according to claim 4, wherein said electrical connection structure includes a plurality of connection regions, each connection region being connected to a respective connection element.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the microelectromechanical device is of a rotary type.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the microelectromechanical device is of a linear type.

9. A hard disk driver comprising:

a suspension;

a microactuator fixed to said suspension, said microactuator comprising;

a movable part and a fixed part being separated from each other by trenches and being mechanically connected to each other by spring elements, and

an electrical connection structure including a connection element extending between said movable part and said fixed part and being formed of electrically conductive material, said connection element being formed with plural sub-arms connected in parallel and having a common movable anchorage region anchored to said movable part and a common fixed anchorage region anchored to said fixed part; and

a read/write head connected to said microactuator.

10. The hard disk driver according to claim 9, wherein said electrical connection structure further comprises a plurality of connection elements extending between said movable part and said fixed part.

11. The hard disk driver according to claim 10, further comprising a plurality of said movable anchorage regions anchored to said movable part and a plurality of said common fixed anchorage regions anchored to said fixed part;

and

wherein each said connection element is connected to a respective one of said movable anchorage regions and to a respective one of said fixed anchorage regions.

12. A microelectromechanical electrical interconnection structure comprising:

a stator formed in a substrate;

a rotor formed in said substrate and spaced apart from said stator;

a plurality of suspension elements movably suspending said rotor relative to said stator;

an electrical connection structure extending between and electrically coupling said rotor and said stator, said electrical connection structure including a connection arm having a plurality of electrically conductive sub-arms formed in parallel between a common movable anchorage point of said rotor and a stationary anchorage point of said stator and having a rectangular cross-section that minimizes structural resistance to relative planar motion between said rotor and said stator.

13. The structure according to claim 12, wherein said electrical connection structure further comprises a plurality of said connection arms, each said connection arm having a plurality of electrically conductive sub-arms formed in parallel between a respective common movable anchorage point of said rotor and a respective stationary anchorage point on said stator and each having a cross-section that minimizes structural resistance to relative planar motion between said rotor and said stator.

14. The structure according to claim 13, wherein said cross-section of said electrically conductive sub-arms further comprises a rectangular cross-section.

15. The structure according to claim 14, wherein said rectangular cross-section further comprises a rectangular cross-section having a thickness dimension measured perpendicular to a plane of motion between said rotor and said stator that is greater than a width dimension of said rectangular cross-section measured parallel to said plane.

16. The structure according to claim 15, wherein said width dimension is a function of the number of said plurality of sub-arms.

17. The structure according to claim 13, wherein:

each of said rotor and said stator further comprises a substantially planar structure formed in said substrate; and

one of said rotor and said stator is formed surrounding an other of said rotor and said stator in said substrate.

18. The structure according to claim 17, wherein said rotor and said stator are formed for relative rotational planar motion.

19. The structure according to claim 17, wherein said rotor and said stator are formed for relative transverse planar motion.