Integrated movable micromechanical structures for sensors andactuators
Fan, L.-S.; Tai, Y.-C.; Muller, R.S.
Electron Devices, IEEE Transactions on
Volume 35, Issue 6, Jun 1988 Page(s):724 - 730
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/16.2523
Summary:Movable pin-joints, gears, springs, cranks, and slider structures
with dimensions measured in micrometers have been fabricated using
silicon microfabrication technology. These micromechanical structures,
which have important transducer applications, are batch-fabricated with
an IC-compatible process. The movable mechanical elements are built on
layers that are later removed so that they are freed for translation and
rotation. An undercut-and-refill technique, which makes use of the high
surface mobility of silicon atoms undergoing chemical vapor deposition,
is used to refill undercut regions in order to form restraining flanges.
Typical element sizes and masses are measured in micrometers and
nanograms. The process provides the tiny structures in an assembled form
avoiding the nearly impossible challenge of handling such small elements
individually
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