NEMS comprising AlSi alloy based transducer

• US 9,016,125 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2010
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation), California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology, Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique et AUX Energies Alternatives
• Inventors: Andreucci, Philippe, Duraffourg, Laurent, Marcoux, Carine, Brianceau, Pierre, Hentz, Sebastien, Minoret, Stephane, Myers, Edward, Roukes, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAPMAN JR, JOHN E
• Application Number:
  US13/384,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20120272742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,750 Days
• Field of Search: 735/142.9, 735/143.3, 735/79, 738/625.9
• US Class Current: 73/514.29
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/0118 Cantilevers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/058 Rotation out of a plane parallel to the substrate
• 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: G01N 2291/014 Resonance or resonant frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0427 Flexural waves, plate waves, e.g. Lamb waves, tuning fork, cantilever
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/022 Fluid sensors based on microsensors, e.g. quartz crystal-microbalance [QCM], surface acoustic wave [SAW] devices, tuning forks, cantilevers, flexural plate wave [FPW] devices microdevices per se B81B
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/097 by vibratory elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/123 by piezo-resistive elements, e.g. semiconductor strain gauges

Abstract

A nano electro-mechanical system (NEMS) formed on a substrate is provided including at least one fixed part associated with the substrate and at least one movable part in relation to the substrate, the system including a transduction component configured to excite the movable part to confer on it a movement and/or to detect a movement of the movable part, the transduction component including at least one electrically conductive material. The electrically conductive material is made of an AlSi alloy based deposition, the deposition being supported at least in part by the movable part of the system.

Claims

1. A nano electro-mechanical system (NEMS), comprising:

a fixed part associated with a substrate;

a moveable part, moveable in relation to the substrate; and

a transduction component comprising an electrically conductive material, which comprises an AlSi alloy based deposition,

wherein the transduction component is configured to excite the movable part to move the moveable part, to detect a movement of the movable part, or both, and

wherein the AlSi alloy based deposition is supported at least in part by the movable part and forms two overlapping current loops, one configured to excite the movable part and the other configured to detect movement of the movable part.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the AlSi alloy based deposition is AlSi or AlCuSi.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the transduction component further comprises, under the electrically conductive material, an additional layer, and the additional layer is capable of structuring the electrically conductive material, amplifying the movement of the moveable part, forming a barrier to diffusion of the conductive material, or a combination thereof.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the movable part comprises a clamped-free beam or a clamped-clamped beam.

5. The system of claim 1,

wherein the substrate comprises a support,

an electrically insulating layer covers the support,

a superficial silicon layer covers the electrically insulating layer,

the superficial silicon layer comprises the fixed part and the movable part, and

the movable part of the superficial silicon layer covering the electrically insulating layer is moveable because of a hollowing out in the electrically insulating layer.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a test mass,

wherein on end of the movable part is attached to the substrate and another end of the moveable part is attached to the test mass, and

the transduction component is capable of detecting a movement of the moveable part.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a test mass,

a resonator connecting the test mass to the substrate,

wherein one end of the movable part is attached to the substrate and another end of the movable part is attached to the resonator, and

the transduction component is capable of detecting an acceleration.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the AlSi alloy based deposition has a thickness between 10 and 100 nm.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the AlSi alloy based deposition has a thickness between 40 and 80 nm.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a deposition of an electrografted functionalization layer, in addition to the AlSi alloy based deposition.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the fixed part, the movable part, and the transduction component constitute a mass sensor, a gas sensor, a biochemical sensor, a force sensor, an inertial sensor, or a pressure sensor, or a combination thereof.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein, in an AlSi alloy of the AlSi alloy based deposition, a silicon content of the AlSi alloy is from 0.5% to 4% in weight.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein, the silicon content of the AlSi alloy is 1% by weight.