Conductive equipotential landing pads formed on the underside of a MEMS device
US6528887B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 1, 2001 |
| Grant date | Mar 4, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 1, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B26/0841
- WIPO fieldMicro-structural and nano-technology
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A MEMS device with a flap having one or more conductive landing areas electrically isolated from the flap and electrically coupled to a landing surface to reduce stiction. The device may be formed from a device layer of a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate with conductive landing pads fabricated by forming one or more vias through the device layer, an underlying sacrificial layer etched to form one or more depressions at locations corresponding the vias and filled with a conductive landing pad material to form a structure having one or more electrically isolated landing pad areas on an underside of the device layer. A method for operating a MEMs device in an equipotential stiction reduction mode is also provided.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.