Magnetic nano-resonator

• US 8,310,320 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2009
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation), Edison Welding Institute Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Inventors: Duraffourg, Laurent, Andreucci, Philippe, Bilhaut, Lise, Viala, Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): Summons, Barbara
• Application Number:
  US12/412,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20090289747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 333/186, 333/200, 333/19.22, 333/219.2, 977/724, 977/732, 977/733, 977/932, 977/953
• US Class Current: 333/186
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/0286 comprising microelectromechanical systems [MEMS] MEMS devices in general B81B
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 2009/02511 Vertical, i.e. perpendicular to the substrate plane
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 2009/02519 Torsional
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 3/0073 Integration with other electronic structures
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/02259 Driving or detection means
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/2447 Beam resonators H03H9/2468 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/2457 Clamped-free beam resonators
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/2463 Clamped-clamped beam resonators

Abstract

A nano-resonator device comprising at least one fixed element and at least one mobile element with respect to the fixed element, first electromagnetic means, integrated or fixed on the fixed element, and second electromagnetic means, integrated or fixed on the mobile element, to generate an oscillating movement of the mobile element.

Claims

1. Nano-resonator device comprising:

at least one fixed element and at least one mobile element with respect to the fixed element,

first electromagnetic means, integrated or fixed on or in the fixed element, and second electromagnetic means, integrated or fixed on or in the mobile element, to generate, in interaction with the first electromagnetic means, an oscillating movement of the mobile element,

at least one of the first or second electromagnetic means comprising plane shaped magnetic means, with magnetization in the plane thereof or perpendicular to the plane thereof,

wherein at least one of said first or second electromagnetic means comprises a stack of layers comprising an alternation of at least one magnetic layer (F) and at least one anti-ferromagnetic layer (AF).

2. Device according to claim 1:

the first electromagnetic means comprising at least one current conductor, and the second electromagnetic means comprising said plane shaped magnetic means to generate magnetization perpendicular to a direction of flow of the current in said conductor;

or the second electromagnetic means comprising at least one current conductor and the first electromagnetic means comprising said plane shaped magnetic means to generate magnetization perpendicular to a direction of flow of the current in said conductor.

3. Nano-resonator device according to claim 2, also comprising means for circulating an alternating current in the current conductor.

4. Nano-resonator device according to claim 3, the alternating current being at least one frequency equal to, or close to, a mechanical resonance frequency of the mobile part.

5. Nano-resonator device according to claim 2, said magnetic means comprising at least one plane shaped magnet, with magnetization in the plane thereof.

6. Nano-resonator device according to claim 2, the magnetic means comprising at least one plane shaped magnet, with magnetization perpendicular to the plane thereof.

7. Device according to claim 6, the perpendicular magnetization magnetic means comprising a plurality of CoPt layers.

8. Device according to claim 6, comprising means to reverse the magnetization of said perpendicular magnetization magnetic means.

9. Device according to claim 2, the current conductor being in the form of a rectilinear conductor, or in the form of a current loop.

10. Device according to claim 2, the mobile element comprising an axis (AA′

) of rotation, and a plane part, that can be rotated about said axis, the current conductor being integrated or fixed on the mobile element and being arranged on, or integrated in, an end portion of the axis (AA′

) of rotation, arranged between two magnets.

11. Device according to claim 1, the stack being limited by two external layers wherein each is an anti-ferromagnetic layer.

12. Device according to claim 1, at least one of said first or second electromagnetic means having reversible magnetization and being associated with magnetization reversal means.

13. Device according to claim 1, also comprising means for heating at least one layer of anti-ferromagnetic material (AF) above the blocking temperature of said layer.

14. Nano-resonator device according to claim 1:

the first electromagnetic means comprising first plane shaped magnetic means, with magnetization in the plane thereof, arranged on or in the fixed element;

the second electromagnetic means comprising second plane shaped magnetic means, with magnetization in the plane thereof, arranged on or in the mobile element,

at least one of the first and second magnetic means having reversible magnetization and also comprising means for reversing said magnetization.

15. Device according to claim 14, the stack being limited by two external layers wherein each is an anti-ferromagnetic layer.

16. Nano-resonator device according to claim 14, the means for reversing the magnetization comprising means for heating the layer of anti-ferromagnetic material above the blocking temperature of said layer.

17. Nano-resonator device according to claim 14, wherein motion of the mobile element is in substantially the same plane in which the fixed element lies.

18. Device according to claim 1, the mobile element being in the form of a beam or plate, wherein one end at least is fixed with respect to the fixed element.

19. Device according to claim 1, the mobile element comprising an axis (AA′

) of rotation, and a plane part, that can be rotated about said axis.

20. Device according to claim 1, the distance between the mobile element and the fixed element being, when the fixed element is idle, less than 100 nm or 200 nm or 1 μ

m.

21. Nano-resonator device comprising:

at least one fixed element and at least one mobile element with respect to the fixed element,

first electromagnetic means, integrated or fixed on or in the fixed element, and second electromagnetic means, integrated or fixed on or in the mobile element, to generate, in interaction with the first electromagnetic means, an oscillating movement of the mobile element,

at least one of the first and second electromagnetic means comprising plane shaped magnetic means, with magnetization perpendicular to the plane thereof,

wherein the magnetic means comprises at least one plane shaped magnet, with magnetization perpendicular to the plane thereof, and means to reverse said magnetization.

22. Device according to claim 21, the perpendicular magnetization magnetic means comprising a plurality of CoPt layers.

23. Device according to claim 21, the mobile element being in the form of a beam or plate, wherein one end at least is fixed with respect to the fixed element.

24. Nano-resonator device according to claim 21, wherein at least one of said first or second electromagnetic means comprises a stack of layers.

25. Device according to claim 24, the stack of layers comprising an alternation of at least one magnetic layer (F) and at least one anti-ferromagnetic layer (AF).

26. Device according to claim 21:

the first electromagnetic means comprising at least one current conductor, and the second electromagnetic means comprising said plane shaped magnetic means to generate magnetization perpendicular to a direction of flow of the current in said conductor;

or the second electromagnetic means comprising at least one current conductor and the first electromagnetic means comprising said plane shaped magnetic means to generate magnetization perpendicular to a direction of flow of the current in said conductor.

27. Nano-resonator device according to claim 26, further comprising means for circulating an alternating current in the current conductor.

28. Nano-resonator device according to claim 27, the alternating current being at least one frequency equal to, or close to, a mechanical resonance frequency of the mobile part.

29. Device according to claim 26, the current conductor being in the form of a rectilinear conductor, or in the form of a current loop.

30. Nano-resonator device comprising:

at least one fixed element and at least one mobile element with respect to the fixed element,

first electromagnetic means, integrated or fixed on or in the fixed element, and second electromagnetic means, integrated or fixed on or in the mobile element, to generate, in interaction with the first electromagnetic means, an oscillating movement of the mobile element,

at least one of the first and second electromagnetic means comprising plane shaped magnetic means, with magnetization in the plane thereof or perpendicular to the plane thereof

wherein the first electromagnetic means comprises first plane shaped magnetic means, with magnetization in the plane thereof, arranged respectively on or in the fixed element;

the second electromagnetic means comprises second plane shaped magnetic means, with magnetization in the plane thereof, arranged respectively on or in the mobile element,

and wherein at least one of the first and second magnetic means has reversible magnetization and also comprises means for reversing said magnetization.

31. Device according to claim 30:

the first electromagnetic means comprising at least one current conductor, and the second electromagnetic means comprising said plane shaped magnetic means to generate magnetization perpendicular to a direction of flow of the current in said conductor;

or the second electromagnetic means comprising at least one current conductor and the first electromagnetic means comprising said plane shaped magnetic means to generate magnetization perpendicular to a direction of flow of the current in said conductor.

32. Device according to claim 31, the mobile element comprising an axis (AA′

) of rotation, and a plane part, that can be rotated about said axis, the current conductor being integrated or fixed on the mobile element and being arranged on, or integrated in, an end portion of the axis (AA′

) of rotation, arranged between two magnets.

33. Nano-resonator device according to claim 30, wherein at least one of said first or second electromagnetic means comprises a stack of layers.

34. Device according to claim 33, the stack of layers comprising an alternation of at least one magnetic layer (F) and at least one anti-ferromagnetic layer (AF).

35. Nano-resonator device according to claim 34, the means for reversing the magnetization comprising means for heating the layer of anti-ferromagnetic material above the blocking temperature of said layer.

36. Device according to claim 33, the stack being limited by two external layers wherein each is an anti-ferromagnetic layer.

37. Nano-resonator device according to claim 30, wherein motion of the mobile element is in substantially the same plane in which the fixed element lies.

38. Device according to claim 30, the mobile element being in the form of a beam or plate, wherein one end at least is fixed with respect to the fixed element.

39. Device according to claim 30, the mobile element comprising an axis (AA′

) of rotation, and a plane part, that can be rotated about said axis.

40. Device according to claim 30, the distance between the mobile element and the fixed element being, when the fixed element is idle, less than 100 nm or 200 nm or 1 μ

m.