Low-voltage electromechanical device including a tiltable microplatform, method of tilting same, array of such devices and method of setting dimple-to-substrate spacing
First Claim
1. A low-voltage electromechanical device comprising:
- a substrate having an aperture;
a microplatform;
a pivotable support structure having a torsional stiffness and coupled to the microplatform to suspend the microplatform over the aperture and to tilt the microplatform; and
a microactuator anchored on the substrate to pivot the support structure in response to a low-voltage electrical signal to thereby tilt the microplatform over the aperture wherein the support structure is not directly anchored to the substrate and wherein the device further comprises at least one pivot around which the support structure pivots to affect tilting of the microplatform in response to the low-voltage electrical signal while eliminating the need to overcome the torsional stiffness of the support structure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A low-voltage electromechanical device including a tiltable microplatform, method of tilting same and array of such devices are provided. The tiltable or steerable microplatform utilizes a bent-beam actuator to achieve large tilting angles with low actuation voltages. Thin beams of the actuator are bent in such a way as to cause the microplatform to pivot around a dimple support that generates a torsional force leading to angular motion in suspension beams attached perpendicular to the thin beams and, in turn, leading to angular or tilting motion in the suspended microplatform. Some of the key features include (1) the low-voltage bent-beam actuator; (2) a dimple-supported microplatform with a hole underneath in the substrate to allow light to pass through and to allow unhindered tilting of the microplatform; and (3) a method for constructing a microprism on the tiltable transparent microplatform for color dispersion purposes in an adaptive vision system.
19 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A low-voltage electromechanical device comprising:
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a substrate having an aperture;
a microplatform;
a pivotable support structure having a torsional stiffness and coupled to the microplatform to suspend the microplatform over the aperture and to tilt the microplatform; and
a microactuator anchored on the substrate to pivot the support structure in response to a low-voltage electrical signal to thereby tilt the microplatform over the aperture wherein the support structure is not directly anchored to the substrate and wherein the device further comprises at least one pivot around which the support structure pivots to affect tilting of the microplatform in response to the low-voltage electrical signal while eliminating the need to overcome the torsional stiffness of the support structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for tilting a microplatform suspended over an aperture in a substrate by a pivotable support structure having a torsional stiffness and coupled to the microplatform but not directly anchored to the substrate, the method comprising:
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providing at least one pivot;
providing a pair of bendable actuation beams on the substrate; and
forcing the actuation beams to bend so that the actuation beams pivot the support structure around the at least one pivot to thereby tilt the microplatform over the aperture wherein the at least one pivot permits pivoting movement of the support structure relative to the substrate while eliminating the need to overcome the torsional stiffness of the support structure. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. An array of low-voltage electromechanical devices, the array comprising:
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a substrate having a plurality of apertures;
a plurality of microplatforms;
a pivotable support structure having a torsional stiffness and coupled to each of the microplatforms to suspend the microplatforms over their respective apertures and to tilt the microplatforms; and
a plurality of microactuators anchored to the substrate to pivot the support structures in response to at least one low-voltage electrical signal to thereby tilt the microplatforms over their respective apertures wherein each of the support structures is not directly anchored to the substrate and wherein the array further comprises a plurality of pivots around which the support structures pivot to affect tilting of the microplatforms in response to the at least one low-voltage electrical signal while eliminating the need to overcome the torsional stiffness of the support structures. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification