Surface--micromachined rotatable member having a low-contact-area hub

Patent · 01 January 2002

OSTI ID:874505

Rodgers, M Steven ^[1]; Sniegowski, Jeffry J ^[2]

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1. Albuquerque, NM
2. Edgewood, NM

A surface-micromachined rotatable member formed on a substrate and a method for manufacturing thereof are disclosed. The surface-micromachined rotatable member, which can be a gear or a rotary stage, has a central hub, and an annulus connected to the central hub by an overarching bridge. The hub includes a stationary axle support attached to the substrate and surrounding an axle. The axle is retained within the axle support with an air-gap spacing therebetween of generally 0.3 .mu.m or less. The rotatable member can be formed by alternately depositing and patterning layers of a semiconductor (e.g. polysilicon or a silicon-germanium alloy) and a sacrificial material and then removing the sacrificial material, at least in part. The present invention has applications for forming micromechanical or microelectromechanical devices requiring lower actuation forces, and providing improved reliability.

• Research Organization: SANDIA CORP
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• Assignee: Sandia Corporation (Albuquerque, NM)
• Patent Number(s): US 6402969
• OSTI ID: 874505
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/216/74/438/
03
actuation
air-gap
alloy
alternately
annulus
applications
attached
axle
bridge
central
connected
depositing
devices
disclosed
forces
formed
forming
gear
hub
improved
layers
low-contact-area
manufacturing
material
method
microelectromechanical
micromechanical
mum
overarching
patterning
polysilicon
providing
reliability
removing
requiring
retained
rotary
rotatable
sacrificial
semiconductor
silicon-germanium
spacing
stage
stationary
substrate
support
surface--micromachined
surface-micromachined
surrounding
therebetween