Electrical routing

• US 8,922,870 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DigitalOptics Corporation MEMS (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: DigitalOptics Corporation MEMS (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Jain, Ankur, Gutierrez, Roman C.
• Primary Examiner(s): PINKNEY, DAWAYNE
• Application Number:
  US14/042,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20140036342A1
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 359290-292, 359/245, 359260-261, 359262-263, 359/298, 359301-303, 359317-318, 359/223, 359/224, 359/225, 359/295, 359/198
• US Class Current: 359/290
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/033 Trenches
• 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: B81C 1/00095 Interconnects
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00523 Etching material
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00571 Avoid or control under-cutting
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2205/0061 using piezoelectric actuators
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 3/10 Power-operated focusing

Abstract

An electronic device may have a MEMS device formed of a first conductive material. A trench may be formed in the MEMS device. A layer of non-conductive material may be formed in the trench. A second conductive material may be formed upon the non-conductive material.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a MEMS device formed of a first conductive material;

a first trench formed in the MEMS device;

a second trench formed in the MEMS device;

a layer of non-conductive material formed in the first trench and the second trench;

a second conductive material formed directly upon the non-conductive material, wherein the second conductive material is formed in the first trench and the second trench; and

wherein the second conductive material in the first trench is electrically isolated from the second conductive material in the second trench by the non-conductive material.

2. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the second conductive material is electrically isolated from the first conductive material, and wherein the second conductive material defines first and second electrically conductive conduits that are configured to be at different electrical potentials with respect to one another and with respect to the first conductive material.

3. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first conductive material and the second conductive material comprise different materials.

4. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the first conductive material comprises single crystalline silicon;

the second conductive material comprises polysilicon; and

the non-conductive material comprises an oxide.

5. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the second trench extends completely through the first conductive material and separates the first conductive material into two separate portions.

6. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the MEMS device comprises an actuator device.

7. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first conductive material and the second conductive material are electrically accessible from both sides of the device.

8. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first conductive material and the second conductive material are configured to provide electrical contact to a moving portion of the device and to a non-moving portion of the device.

9. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first trench has a substantially uniform thickness along a substantial portion thereof, and the second trench has a substantially uniform thickness along a substantial portion thereof.

10. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the first trench and the second trench each have a substantially uniform thickness with respect to each other.

11. An electronic device comprising the device of claim 1.

12. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the device comprises a system, and the MEMS device is an actuator device.

13. A method comprising:

forming a first trench in a MEMS device formed of a first conductive material;

forming a second trench in the MEMS device;

forming a layer of non-conductive material in the first trench and the second trench; and

forming a second conductive material ever directly on the non-conductive material wherein the forming of the second conductive material comprises forming the second conductive material in the first trench and the second trench,

wherein the second conductive material in the first trench is electrically isolated from the second conductive material in the second trench by the non-conductive material.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the second conductive material defines first and second electrically conductive conduits that are configured to be at different electrical potentials with respect to one another and with respect to the first conductive material, and wherein the second conductive material in the first trench is electrically isolated from the second conductive material in the second trench and from the first conductive material.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the MEMS device is an actuator device.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the second conductive material facilitates communication of a voltage to an actuator of the actuator device, and wherein the first trench and the second trench each have a substantially uniform thickness along a substantial portion thereof.

17. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the first conductive material and the second conductive material are electrically accessible from both sides of the device.

18. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the first conductive material and the second conductive material are configured to provide electrical contact to a moving portion of the device and to a non-moving portion of the device.

19. A method comprising:

communicating a plurality of different voltages to an actuator of an actuator device formed of a first conductive material and a second conductive material, wherein the communicating of the plurality of different voltages is via the second conductive material formed in a plurality of trenches of the actuator device;

moving a platform via the actuator in response to the communicated voltages;

wherein the plurality of trenches comprise;

a first trench formed in the actuator device;

a second trench formed in the actuator device;

a layer of non-conductive material formed in the first trench and the second trench;

wherein the second conductive material is formed directly upon the non-conductive material, wherein the second conductive material is formed in the first trench and the second trench; and

wherein the second conductive material in the first trench is electrically isolated from the second conductive material in the second trench and from the first conductive material by the non-conductive material.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the moving the platform comprises moving an optical element via the platform, and wherein the first conductive material and the second conductive material are configured to provide electrical contact to a moving portion of the actuator device and to a non-moving portion of the actuator device.