Method of manufacturing micro-electromechanical device having motion-transmitting structure

• US 7,337,532 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2004
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Memjet Technology Ltd. (Memjet Limited)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, THIEM D
• Application Number:
  US11/008,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20050142675A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 296/11, 296/22, 298/25, 298/74, 298/901, 310/307, 333/101, 333/262, 335/78, 347/20, 347/54, 347/68, 438/21
• US Class Current: 29/611
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/14427 Structure of ink jet print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1601 Production of bubble jet print heads B41J2/1606, B41J2/162 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1623 bonding and adhesion
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1626 etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1628 dry etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1629 wet etching
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1631 photolithography
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1632 machining
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1635 dividing the wafer into individual chips
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1637 molding
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1639 sacrificial molding
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1642 thin film formation by CVD [chemical vapor deposition]
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1643 thin film formation by plating
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1645 thin film formation by spincoating
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1646 thin film formation by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/1648 Production of print heads with thermal bend detached actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16585 for paper-width or non-reciprocating print heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17503 Ink cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17596 Ink pumps, ink valves
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/041 : Electromagnetic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14435 : Moving nozzle made of thermal bend detached actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14475 : characterised by nozzle shapes or number of orifices per chamber
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/21 : Line printing
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 : Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 : with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/79 : in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 : Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 : Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/121 : by printing code marks applying code marks to labels B65C9/46; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 : multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/073 : Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 : using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 : 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/56 : using storage elements with more than two stable states represented by steps, e.g. of voltage, current, phase, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2154 : the still video camera incorporating a hardcopy reproducing device, e.g. a printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 : Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 : Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 : Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49083 : Heater type
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49401 : Fluid pattern dispersing device making, e.g., ink jet

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a micro-electromechanical device is provided. The method comprises providing a substrate incorporating drive circuitry, and forming a drive member, a motion-transmitting member and a working member on the substrate as discrete components. The drive member is formed to have an electrical circuit in electrical contact with the drive circuitry for receiving an electrical signal therefrom, a fixed end fast with the substrate and a free end arranged to be displaced relative to the substrate on receipt of the electrical signal by the electrical circuit. The motion-transmitting member is formed to be fast with the free end of the drive member so that the motion-transmitting member is displaced together with the free end. The working member is formed to be fast with the motion-transmitting member so that the working member is displaced with the motion-transmitting member to perform work.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a micro-electromechanical device, comprising the steps of:

providing a substrate incorporating drive circuitry;

forming an elongate drive member on the substrate having an electrical circuit in electrical contact with the drive circuitry for receiving an electrical signal therefrom, so that the drive member has a fixed end fast with the substrate and a free end arranged to be displaced relative to the substrate on receipt of the electrical signal by the electrical circuit;

forming a motion-transmitting member fast with the free end of the drive member so as to be displaceable with the free end of the drive member when the electrical signal is received; and

forming a working member fast with the motion-transmitting member so that the motion-transmitting member interposes the separately formed drive member and working member, the working member being displaceable with the motion-transmitting member so as to perform work.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the motion-transmitting member is formed to define a first class lever and so as to have an effort formation fast with the free end of the drive member, a load formation fast with the working member and a fulcrum formation fast with the substrate, the effort and load formations being pivotal with respect to the fulcrum formation.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the drive member is formed as a thermal bend actuator of the type that uses differential thermal expansion to achieve displacement.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, in which the thermal bend actuator is formed of a conductive material that is capable of thermal expansion and so as to have an active portion and a passive portion, the active portion defining the electrical circuit, in the form of a heating circuit, so that the active portion is heated and expands relative to the passive portion on receipt of the electrical signal to generate displacement of the actuator in one direction and termination of the signal results in contraction of the active portion to generate displacement of the actuator in an opposite direction.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, in which the conductive material of the actuator is resiliently flexible to facilitate said displacement of the actuator in the opposite direction.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, in which the drive member and the working member are formed of the same material, while the motion-transmitting member is formed of a different material to that of the drive member and the working member.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, in which the drive member and the working member are both formed of titanium nitride.