Biaxial MEMS mirror with hidden hinge and staggered electrodes
First Claim
1. An array of micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) devices mounted on a substrate, each MEMS device comprising:
- a substrate including first and second supports extending therefrom;
a tilt ground electrode pivotable about a first axis;
first hinges, defining the first axis, extending from opposite sides of the tilt ground electrode;
a roll ground electrode structure, surrounding the tilt ground electrode and receiving the ends of the first hinges, and pivotable about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis;
second hinges, defining the second axis, extending from opposite ends of the roll ground electrode structure, the outer ends of which are fixed to the first and second supports;
a pedestal extending upwardly from the tilt ground electrode;
a reflective body mounted on the pedestal, spaced apart from the tilt ground electrode by the pedestal, and having opposite ends along the second axis and opposite sides along the first axis;
a first hot electrode mounted on the substrate along the second axis for rotating the tilt ground electrode and the reflective body about the first axis; and
a second hot electrode mounted on the substrate on one side of the second axis for rotating the roll ground electrode structure, the tilt ground electrode, and the reflective body about the second axis;
wherein the MEMS devices are aligned with the second axes parallel to each other with an air gap between each reflective body; and
wherein each of the roll ground electrode structures extends farther from the second axis towards an adjacent MEMS device than the reflective body to provide sufficient torque to roll the reflective body about the second axis.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-layer hidden hinge and actuator design for high fill factor biaxial MEMS mirror array for wavelength selective switches (WSS) including a coarsely aligned orthogonal vertical comb drive and/or parallel plate actuator. Each micro-mirror in the MEMS linear piano micro-mirror array comprises a reflective body/mirror layer, a ground/hinge layer and a hot electrode/substrate layer. To increase the amount of surface area available for the hot and ground electrodes, the dimensions of the ground/hinge layer are extended longitudinally or laterally across the air gap between reflective layers to beneath the adjacent reflective layer. Ideally, diffraction patterns are formed on the surface of the ground/hinge layer to prevent stray light from reflecting back into the system.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An array of micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) devices mounted on a substrate, each MEMS device comprising:
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a substrate including first and second supports extending therefrom; a tilt ground electrode pivotable about a first axis; first hinges, defining the first axis, extending from opposite sides of the tilt ground electrode; a roll ground electrode structure, surrounding the tilt ground electrode and receiving the ends of the first hinges, and pivotable about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis; second hinges, defining the second axis, extending from opposite ends of the roll ground electrode structure, the outer ends of which are fixed to the first and second supports; a pedestal extending upwardly from the tilt ground electrode; a reflective body mounted on the pedestal, spaced apart from the tilt ground electrode by the pedestal, and having opposite ends along the second axis and opposite sides along the first axis; a first hot electrode mounted on the substrate along the second axis for rotating the tilt ground electrode and the reflective body about the first axis; and a second hot electrode mounted on the substrate on one side of the second axis for rotating the roll ground electrode structure, the tilt ground electrode, and the reflective body about the second axis; wherein the MEMS devices are aligned with the second axes parallel to each other with an air gap between each reflective body; and wherein each of the roll ground electrode structures extends farther from the second axis towards an adjacent MEMS device than the reflective body to provide sufficient torque to roll the reflective body about the second axis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification