公开(公告)号：US06333583B1

公开(公告)日：2001-12-25

申请号：US09537588

申请日：2000-03-28

申请人： Ramaswamy Mahadevan ,  Edward A. Hill ,  Robert L. Wood ,  Allen Cowen

发明人： Ramaswamy Mahadevan ,  Edward A. Hill ,  Robert L. Wood ,  Allen Cowen

IPC分类号： H01N1000

CPC分类号： B81B3/0024 ,  B81B2201/031 ,  B81B2203/0109 ,  B81B2203/051 ,  F03G7/06 ,  H01H1/0036 ,  H01H61/02 ,  H01H2001/0068 ,  H01H2061/006

摘要： Improved microelectromechanical structures include spaced-apart supports on a microelectronic substrate and a beam that extends between the spaced-apart supports and that expands upon application of heat thereto to thereby cause displacement of the beam between the spaced-apart supports. A heater, located on the beam, applies heat to the beam and displaces with the beam as the beam displaces. Therefore, heat can be directly applied to the arched beam, thereby reducing thermal loss between the heater and the arched beam. Furthermore, an air gap between the heater and arched beam may not need to be heated, thereby allowing improved transient thermal response. Moreover, displacing the heater as the arched beam displaces may further reduce thermal loss and transient thermal response by reducing the separation between the heater and the arched beam as the arched beam displaces.

摘要翻译： 改进的微机电结构包括微电子衬底上的间隔开的支撑件和在间隔开的支撑件之间延伸的梁，并且在施加热量时膨胀，从而导致梁在间隔开的支撑件之间的位移。 位于梁上的加热器对梁施加热量，并随着梁的移位而与梁一起移位。 因此，可以将热量直接施加到拱形梁上，从而减少加热器与拱形梁之间的热损失。 此外，加热器和拱形梁之间的空气间隙可能不需要被加热，从而允许改善的瞬态热响应。 此外，当拱形梁移位时移动加热器可以通过当拱形梁移位时减小加热器和拱形梁之间的间隔来进一步减少热损失和瞬态热响应。

公开(公告)号：US06211598B1

公开(公告)日：2001-04-03

申请号：US09395068

申请日：1999-09-13

申请人： Vijayakumar R. Dhuler ,  Edward Hill ,  Allen Cowen

发明人： Vijayakumar R. Dhuler ,  Edward Hill ,  Allen Cowen

IPC分类号： H02N1000

CPC分类号： F16K99/0001 ,  B81B3/0024 ,  B81B2201/031 ,  F03G7/06 ,  F15C5/00 ,  F16K99/0007 ,  F16K99/0036 ,  F16K99/0042 ,  F16K2099/0074 ,  F16K2099/008 ,  H01H1/0036 ,  H01H37/32 ,  H01H2037/008 ,  Y10S310/06

摘要： A MEMS thermal actuator device is provided that is capable of providing linear displacement in a plane generally parallel to the surface of a substrate. Additionally, the MEMS thermal actuator may provide for a self-contained heating mechanism that allows for the thermal actuator to be actuated using lower power consumption and lower operating temperatures. The MEMS thermal actuator includes a microelectronic substrate having a first surface and at least one anchor structure affixed to the first surface. A composite beam extends from the anchor(s) and overlies the first surface of the substrate. The composite beam is adapted for thermal actuation, such that it will controllably deflect along a predetermined path that extends substantially parallel to the first surface of the microelectronic substrate.

摘要翻译： 提供了一种MEMS热致动器装置，其能够在大致平行于衬底的表面的平面中提供线性位移。 此外，MEMS热致动器可以提供独立的加热机构，其允许使用较低的功率消耗和较低的工作温度来致动热致动器。 MEMS热致动器包括具有固定到第一表面的第一表面和至少一个锚定结构的微电子衬底。 复合梁从锚固体延伸并且覆盖在基底的第一表面上。 组合梁适于热致动，使得其可沿着基本上平行于微电子衬底的第一表面延伸的预定路径可控地偏转。

公开(公告)号：US06367252B1

公开(公告)日：2002-04-09

申请号：US09610047

申请日：2000-07-05

申请人： Edward A. Hill ,  Vijayakumar Rudrappa Dhuler ,  Allen Cowen ,  Ramaswamy Mahadevan ,  Robert L. Wood

发明人： Edward A. Hill ,  Vijayakumar Rudrappa Dhuler ,  Allen Cowen ,  Ramaswamy Mahadevan ,  Robert L. Wood

IPC分类号： F01B2910

CPC分类号： B81B3/0051 ,  B81B2201/038 ,  B81B2203/0109 ,  B81B2203/056 ,  H01H1/0036 ,  H01H61/00 ,  H01H2061/006

摘要： In embodiments of the present invention, a microelectromechanical actuator includes a beam having respective first and second ends attached to a substrate and a body disposed between the first and second ends having a sinuous shape. The body includes a portion operative to engage a object of actuation and apply a force thereto in a direction perpendicular to the beam responsive to at least one of a compressive force and a tensile force on the beam. The sinuous shape may be sinusoidal, e.g., a shape approximating a single period of a cosine curve or a single period of a sine curve. The beam may be thermally actuated or driven by another actuator. In other embodiments, a rotary actuator includes first and second beams, a respective one of which has first and second ends attached to a substrate and a body disposed between the first and second ends. Each body includes first and second oppositely inflected portions. The bodies of the first and second beams intersect one another at points at which the first and second oppositely inflected portions of the first and second bodies meet. The bodies of the first and second beams are operative to engage the object of actuation and rotate the object of actuation around the point of intersection responsive to at least one of compressive force and tensile force on the first and second beams. Related methods are also described.

摘要翻译： 在本发明的实施例中，微机电致动器包括具有附接到基板的相应的第一端和第二端的梁，以及设置在具有弯曲形状的第一端和第二端之间的主体。 主体包括可操作地接合致动对象的部分，该部分响应于梁上的压缩力和拉力中的至少一个，沿垂直于梁的方向施加力。 弯曲形状可以是正弦的，例如，近似于余弦曲线的单个周期或正弦曲线的单个周期的形状。 梁可以由另一致动器热致动或驱动。 在其他实施例中，旋转致动器包括第一和第二梁，其中相应的一个具有附接到基板的第一和第二端以及设置在第一和第二端之间的主体。 每个主体包括第一和第二相对弯曲的部分。 第一和第二梁的主体在第一和第二主体的第一和第二相对弯曲部分相交的点处彼此相交。 第一和第二梁的主体可操作以接合致动对象，并且响应于第一和第二梁上的压缩力和拉力中的至少一个而使作动点周围的相对点旋转。 还描述了相关方法。

公开(公告)号：US06410361B2

公开(公告)日：2002-06-25

申请号：US09777749

申请日：2001-02-06

申请人： Vijayakumar R. Dhuler ,  Edward Hill ,  Allen Cowen

发明人： Vijayakumar R. Dhuler ,  Edward Hill ,  Allen Cowen

IPC分类号： H01L2100

CPC分类号： F16K99/0001 ,  B81B3/0024 ,  B81B2201/031 ,  F03G7/06 ,  F15C5/00 ,  F16K99/0007 ,  F16K99/0036 ,  F16K99/0042 ,  F16K2099/0074 ,  F16K2099/008 ,  H01H1/0036 ,  H01H37/32 ,  H01H2037/008 ,  Y10S310/06

摘要： A MEMS thermal actuator device is provided that is capable of providing linear displacement in a plane generally parallel to the surface of a substrate. Additionally, the MEMS thermal actuator of the present invention may provide for a self-contained heating mechanism that allows for the thermal actuator to be actuated using lower power consumption and lower operating temperatures. The MEMS thermal actuator includes a microelectronic substrate having a first surface and at least one anchor structure affixed to the first surface. A composite beam extends from the anchor(s) and overlies the first surface of the substrate. The composite beam is adapted for thermal actuation, such that it will controllably deflect along a predetermined path that extends substantially parallel to the first surface of the microelectronic substrate. In one embodiment the composite beam comprises two or layers having materials that have correspondingly different thermal coefficients of expansion. As such, the layers will respond differently when thermal energy is supplied to the composite. An electrically conductive path may extend throughout the composite beam to effectuate thermal actuation. In one embodiment of the invention a two layer composite beam comprises a first layer of a semiconductor material and a second layer of a metallic material. The semiconductor material may be selectively doped during fabrication so as to create a self-contained heating mechanism within the composite beam. The invention also comprises a MEMS thermal actuator that includes two or more composite beams. The two or more composite beams may be disposed in an array or a ganged fashion, such that the multiple composite beams benefit from overall force multiplication and are therefore capable of greater and more linear displacement distances. The invention is also embodied in a method for fabricating the MEMS thermal actuators of the present invention.

摘要翻译： 提供了一种MEMS热致动器装置，其能够在大致平行于衬底的表面的平面中提供线性位移。 此外，本发明的MEMS热致动器可以提供一种独立的加热机构，其允许使用较低的功率消耗和较低的工作温度来致动热致动器。 MEMS热致动器包括具有固定到第一表面的第一表面和至少一个锚定结构的微电子衬底。 复合梁从锚固体延伸并且覆盖在基底的第一表面上。 组合梁适于热致动，使得其可沿着基本上平行于微电子衬底的第一表面延伸的预定路径可控地偏转。 在一个实施例中，复合梁包括具有相应不同热膨胀系数的材料的两层或多层。 因此，当将热能提供给复合材料时，这些层将响应不同。 导电路径可延伸穿过复合梁，以实现热致动。 在本发明的一个实施例中，双层复合梁包括第一层半导体材料和第二层金属材料。 可以在制造期间选择性地掺杂半导体材料，以便在复合束内产生独立的加热机构。 本发明还包括包括两个或更多个复合梁的MEMS热致动器。 两个或多个复合梁可以以阵列或组合的方式设置，使得多个复合梁受益于总的力倍增，因此能够具有更大和更大的线性位移距离。 本发明还体现在本发明的MEMS热致动器的制造方法中。