Systems, methods and devices relating to actuatably moveable machines

• US 7,566,582 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2005
• Issued: 07/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Incorporated
• Inventors: Langseth, Jason E., Tapalian, H. Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Thao X
• Assistant Examiner(s): Novacek; Christy L
• Application Number:
  US11/258,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20070090483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• Field of Search: 438/50, 438/53, 257/415
• US Class Current: 438/53
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/0127 Diaphragms, i.e. structures separating two media that can control the passage from one medium to another; Membranes, i.e. diaphragms with filtering function
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0021 Transducers for transforming electrical into mechanical energy or vice versa dynamo-electric machines H02K99/00; electrostatic machines H02N1/00; piezoelectric devices H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/001 based on interference in an adjustable optical cavity interference filters G02B5/28; devices or arrangements using multiple reflections in spectrometry or monochromators G01J3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/06 for controlling the phase of light G02B26/08 takes precedence , measuring optical phase difference G01J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12007 forming wavelength selective elements, e.g. multiplexer, demultiplexer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/13 Integrated optical circuits characterised by the manufacturing method

Abstract

Systems, methods and devices relating to actuatably movable machines and with methods of using and manufacturing the same.

Claims

1. A method of forming at least one actuatably movable machine, the method comprising,

providing a substrate,

providing a first conductive layer disposed on the substrate,

providing an organic thin film layer disposed on the first conductive layer,

providing a second conductive layer disposed on the organic thin film layer, and

flowing current through the organic thin film layer to create at least one enclosed chamber in the organic thin film layer to form at least one actuatably movable machine, the at least one enclosed chamber being bounded along a first section of a periphery directly by an actuatable region of the first conductor and along a second section of the periphery by the organic thin film layer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one actuatably movable machine is a plurality of actuatably movable machines, each having an enclosed chamber bounded along a respective first section of a periphery directly by a respective actuatable region of the first conductor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one actuatably movable machine includes a plurality of actuatably movable machines, and performing the heating includes exposing a bottom side of the substrate to a plurality of laser light spots at locations aligned with respective locations at which each of the plurality of actuatably movable machines are to be formed on the second conductor.

4. A method of forming at least one actuatably movable machine, the method comprising,

providing a substrate,

providing a first conductive layer disposed on the substrate,

providing an organic thin film layer disposed on the first conductive layer,

providing a second conductive layer disposed on the organic thin film layer, and

heating the organic thin film layer to create at least one enclosed chamber in the organic thin film layer to form at least one actuatably movable machine, the at least one enclosed chamber being bounded along a first section of a periphery directly by an actuatable region of the first conductor and along a second section of the periphery by the organic thin film layer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one actuatably movable machine is a plurality of actuatably movable machines, each having an enclosed chamber bounded along a respective first section of a periphery directly by a respective actuatable region of the first conductor.

6. The method of claim 4 comprising, performing the heating by placing the substrate, the first conductive layer disposed on the substrate, the organic thin film layer disposed on the first conductive layer, and the second conductive layer disposed on the organic thin film layer into an environment having a temperature of at least about 50°

C.

7. The method of claim 6 comprising,

providing an electrical insulator between the organic thin film and the first conductor, and

placing the electrical insulator into the environment with the substrate, first conductive layer, organic thin film and second conductive layer.

8. The method of claim 4 comprising, performing the heating by exposing a bottom side of the substrate to at least one laser light spot at a location aligned with a location on the second conductor at which the at least one actuatably movable machine is to be formed.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the spot has a diameter of between about 1 micrometers and about 500 micrometers.

10. A method of forming at least one actuatably movable machine, the method comprising,

providing a substrate,

providing a first conductive layer disposed on the substrate,

providing an organic thin film layer disposed on the first conductive layer,

providing a second conductive layer disposed on the organic thin film layer, and

applying a focused laser to the organic thin film layer through the substrate and the first conductive layer to create at least one enclosed chamber in the organic thin film layer to form at least one actuatably movable machine, the at least one enclosed chamber being bounded along a first section of a periphery directly by an actuatable region of the first conductor and along a second section of the periphery by the organic thin film layer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the focused laser is a pulsed laser.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the focused laser is focused to a spot and the spot has a diameter about equal to a diameter of the enclosed chamber.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the spot has a diameter of between about 1 micrometer and about 500 micrometers.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one enclosed chamber includes a plurality of enclosed chambers, the at least one actuatably movable machine includes a plurality of actuatably movable machines, and the method comprises applying a plurality of focused laser spots to the organic thin film layer through the substrate and the first conductive layer to create the plurality of enclosed chambers, each of the plurality of actuatably movable machines including at least one of the enclosed chambers.