Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device including a superlattice

• US 7,586,165 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atomera Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mears Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Blanchard, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Thinh T
• Application Number:
  US11/421,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20060226502A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 257/415, 257/416, 257/420, 257/9, 257/15, 257/18, 257/28, 257/E33.01, 257/E33.009, 257/E33.035, 257/E29.072, 257/E29.073, 257/E29.074, 257/E29.077, 257/E27.006, 257/E29.298
• US Class Current: 257/415
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/0118 Cantilevers
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/0019 Flexible or deformable structures not provided for in groups B81C1/00142 - B81C1/00182
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/019 Bonding or gluing multiple substrate layers

Abstract

A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device may include a substrate and at least one movable member supported by the substrate. The at least one movable member may include a superlattice including a plurality of stacked groups of layers with each group of layers of the superlattice comprising a plurality of stacked base semiconductor monolayers defining a base semiconductor portion, and at least one non-semiconductor monolayer constrained within a crystal lattice of adjacent base semiconductor portions.

Claims

1. A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device comprising:

a substrate; and

at least one movable member supported by said substrate and comprising a piezoelectric superlattice including a plurality of stacked groups of layers with each group of layers of said piezoelectric superlattice comprising a plurality of stacked base semiconductor monolayers defining a base semiconductor portion and at least one non-semiconductor monolayer constrained within a crystal lattice of adjacent base semiconductor portions.

2. The MEMS device of claim 1 further comprising a driver carried by said substrate for driving said at least one movable member.

3. The MEMS device of claim 1 further comprising a first electrically conductive contact carried by said at least one movable member, and a second electrically conductive contact carried by said substrate and aligned with said first electrically conductive contact.

4. The MEMS device of claim 1 further comprising a first radio frequency (RF) signal line connected to said first electrically conductive contact, and a second RF signal line connected to said second electrically conductive contact.

5. The MEMS device of claim 1 further comprising a pair of bias voltage contacts for applying a bias voltage to said superlattice for moving said at least one movable member.

6. The MEMS device of claim 1 wherein portions of said piezoelectric superlattice are spaced apart from said substrate.

7. The MEMS device of claim 1 further comprising a dielectric anchor carried by said substrate, and wherein said at least one movable member is supported by said dielectric anchor.

8. The MEMS device of claim 1 wherein said base semiconductor comprises silicon.

9. The MEMS device of claim 1 wherein said at least one non-semiconductor monolayer comprises oxygen.

10. The MEMS device of claim 1 wherein said at least one non-semiconductor monolayer comprises a non-semiconductor selected from the group consisting essentially of oxygen, nitrogen, fluorine, and carbon-oxygen.

11. The MEMS device of claim 1 wherein said at least one non-semiconductor monolayer is a single monolayer thick.

12. The MEMS device of claim 1 wherein all of said base semiconductor portions are a same number of monolayers thick.

13. The MEMS device of claim 1 wherein at least some of said base semiconductor portions are a different number of monolayers thick.

14. The MEMS device of claim 1 wherein opposing base semiconductor portions in adjacent groups of layers of said at least one piezoelectric superlattice are chemically bound together.