Movable microstructure with contactless stops

• US 6,909,530 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Issued: 06/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Altera Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: PTS Corporation
• Inventors: Muller, Lilac
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, James
• Application Number:
  US10/871,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20040240021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 368 Days
• Field of Search: 359/198, 359/199, 359/290, 359/291, 359/293, 359/297, 359/298, 359/871, 359/872, 359/892, 359/896, 359/900, 359/227, 359/230, 310/309
• US Class Current: 359/198.1
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/042 Micromirrors, not used as optical switches
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0016 Arrangements for avoiding sticking of the flexible or moving parts not provided for in groups B81B3/0005 - B81B3/0013
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 359/90 Methods
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 359/904 Micromirror

Abstract

A movable microstructure is provided that mitigates stiction. A substrate is provided on which a structural linkage is connected to support a structural film. A hold electrode is connected with the substrate at a position laterally beyond an orthogonal projection of the structural film on the substrate. It is configured to hold the structural film electrostatically in a tilted position with respect to the substrate upon application of a potential difference between the structural film and the hold electrode. Because of its positioning with respect to the structural film, it is ensured that the structural film is not in contact with the substrate when the structural film is being held by the hold electrode.

Claims

1. A microstructure comprising:

a substrate;

a structural linkage connected with the substrate and supporting a structural film; and

a first hold electrode connected with the substrate at a position laterally beyond an orthogonal projection of the structural film on the substrate and configured to hold the structural film electrostatically in a first tilted position with respect to the substrate upon application of a potential difference between the structural film and the first hold electrode.

2. The microstructure recited in claim 1 further comprising a first snap-in electrode connected with the substrate at a position laterally within the orthogonal projection of the structural film on the substrate and configured to tilt an end of the structural film in a direction towards the first snap-in electrode upon application of a potential difference between the structural film and the first snap-in electrode.

3. The microstructure recited in claim 2 wherein the first snap-in electrode comprises a polysilicon layer.

4. The microstructure recited in claim 3 wherein the first hold electrode comprises a polysilicon bilayer.

5. The microstructure recited in claim 1 wherein the first hold electrode comprises a comb structure having a plurality of teeth, the first hold electrode being configured such that the first tilted position is defined by an angle with respect to the substrate that depends on the potential difference between the structural film and the first hold electrode.

6. The microstructure recited in claim 5 wherein the angle of the first tilted position deviates increasingly from horizontal with an increase in the potential difference between the structural film and the first electrode.

7. The microstructure recited in claim 1 further comprising a second hold electrode connected with the substrate at a position laterally beyond an orthogonal projection of the structural film and the substrate and on an opposite side of the structural linkage from the first hold electrode, wherein the second hold electrode is configured to hold the structural film electrostatically in a second tilted position with respect to the substrate upon application of a potential difference between the structural film and the second hold electrode.

8. The microstructure recited in claim 7 further comprising first and second snap-in electrodes connected with the substrate at positions laterally within the orthogonal projection of the structural film on the substrate and on opposite sides of the structural linkage, each of the first and second snap-in electrodes being configured to tilt an end of the structural film in a direction towards that snap-in electrode upon application of a potential difference between the structural film and that snap-in electrode.

9. The microstructure recited in claim 8 wherein the first and second snap-in electrodes comprise a polysilicon layer.

10. The microstructure recited in claim 9 wherein the first and second hold electrodes comprise a polysilicon bilayer.

11. The microstructure recited in claim 7,

wherein the first hold electrode comprises a first comb structure having a plurality of teeth, the first hold electrode being configured such that the first tilted position is defined by a first angle with respect to the substrate that depends on the potential difference between the structural film and the first electrode;

and

wherein the second hold electrode comprises a second comb structure having a plurality of teeth, the second hold electrode being configured such that the second tilted position is defined by a second angle with respect to the substrate that depends on the potential difference between the structural film and the second electrode.

12. The microstructure recited in claim 11,

wherein the first angle deviates increasingly from horizontal with an increase in the potential difference between the structural film and the first electrode;

and

wherein the second angle deviates increasingly from horizontal with an increase in the potential difference between the structural film and the second electrode.

13. A method for fabricating a microstructure, the method comprising:

forming a first hold electrode on a substrate;

forming a structural linkage on the substrate; and

forming a structural film on the structural linkage;

wherein the first hold electrode is at a position laterally beyond an orthogonal projection of the structural film on the substrate and configured to hold the structural film electrostatically in a first tilted position with respect to the substrate upon application of a potential difference between the structural film and the first hold electrode.

14. The method recited in claim 13 further comprising forming a first snap-in electrode on the substrate at a position laterally within the orthogonal projection of the structural film and the substrate and configured to tilt an end of the structural film in a direction towards the first snap-in electrode upon application of a potential difference between the structural film and the first snap-in electrode.

15. The method recited in claim 13 wherein forming a first hold electrode comprises forming a comb structure having a plurality of teeth, wherein the first hold electrode is configured such that the first tilted position is defined by an angle with respect to the substrate that depends on the potential difference between the structural film and the first hold electrode.

16. The method recited in claim 13 further comprising forming a second hold electrode on the substrate at a position laterally beyond an orthogonal projection of the structural film on the substrate and on an opposite side of the structural linkage from the first hold electrode, wherein the second hold electrode is configured to hold the structural film electrostatically in a second tilted position with respect to the substrate upon application of a potential difference between the structural film and the second hold electrode.

17. The method recited in claim 16 further comprising forming first and second snap-in electrodes on the substrate at positions laterally within the orthogonal projection of the structural film on the substrate and on opposite sides of the structural linkage, each of the first and second snap-in electrodes being configured to tilt an end of the structural film in a direction towards that snap-in electrode upon application of a potential difference between the structural film and that snap-in electrode.

18. The method recited in claim 16 wherein,

forming a first hold electrode comprises forming a first comb structure having a plurality of teeth, wherein the first hold electrode is configured such that the first tilted position is defined by an angle with respect to the substrate that depends on the potential difference between the structural film and the first hold electrode;

and

forming a second hold electrode comprises forming a second comb structure having a plurality of teeth, wherein the second hold electrode is configured such that the second tilted position is defined by an angle with respect to the substrate that depends on the potential difference between the structural film and the second hold electrode.

19. A method for operating a microstructure having a structural film formed above a substrate, the method comprising:

tilting a first end of the structural film towards a substrate by applying a first electrostatic force; and

thereafter, holding the structural film in a first tilted position with respect to the substrate with a second electrostatic force originating from a point laterally beyond an orthogonal projection of the structural film on the substrate.

20. The method recited in claim 19 further comprising:

releasing the structural film from the first tilted position;

thereafter, tilting a second end of the structural film towards the substrate by applying a third electrostatic force; and

thereafter, holding the structural film in a second tilted position with respect to the substrate with a fourth electrostatic force originating from a point laterally beyond the orthogonal projection of the structural film on the substrate.

21. The method recited in claim 20 further comprising:

selecting the first tilted position from a plurality of possible first tilted positions by establishing a potential difference between the structural film and a first electrode used to establish the second electrostatic force; and

selecting the second tilted position from a plurality of possible second tilted positions by establishing a potential difference between the structural film and a second electrode used to establish the fourth electrostatic force.

22. The method recited in claim 19 further comprising selecting the first tilted position from a plurality of possible first tilted positions by establishing a potential difference between the structural film and a first electrode used to establish the second electrostatic force.

23. A microstructure comprising:

support means;

tiltable structural means connected with the support means; and

first electrostatic-field-generation means for providing an electrostatic field to hold the tiltable structural means in a tilted position with respect to the support means, wherein the first electrostatic-field-generation means is connected with the support means at a position laterally beyond an orthogonal projection of the tiltable structural means on the support means.

24. The microstructure recited in claim 23 further comprising second electrostatic-force-generation means for tilting the tiltable structural means, wherein the second electrostatic-field-generation means is connected with the support means at a position laterally within the orthogonal projection of the tiltable structural means on the support means.

25. The microstructure recited in claim 23 wherein the first electrostatic-force-generation means is configured for providing a plurality of electrostatic fields to hold the tiltable structural means in a respective plurality of tilted positions depending on a state of the first electrostatic-force-generation means.

26. The microstructure recited in claim 23 wherein the tiltable structural means comprises torsion-beam means.

27. The microstructure recited in claim 23 wherein the tiltable structural means comprises cantilever means.