Power plants – Motor operated by expansion and/or contraction of a unit of... – Mass is a solid
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-28
2004-06-08
Nguyen, Hoang (Department: 3748)
Power plants
Motor operated by expansion and/or contraction of a unit of...
Mass is a solid
C060S528000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06745567
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention is generally related to providing controllable translation of microcomponents and, more particularly, to providing independent translation of microcomponents in a plurality of directions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There are many applications in which it may be desirable to provide controlled positioning of a microcomponent. For example, in optical technologies it may be desired to provide controlled movement of a lens with respect to a light source, such as a laser emitter, to produce desired light emission patterns. Similarly, it may be desired to provide controlled movement of an optical fiber end in order to properly interface with a light source.
Accordingly, various apparatuses, typically referred to as microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), have been developed to provide translation of a specimen in particular directions. For example, micro-translation systems have been developed in which a microcomponent stage, upon which a specimen may be placed or mounted, is operatively coupled to an actuator to provide controlled movement of the stage and, accordingly, translation of the specimen. Multiple actuators may be disposed in such a micro-translation system to provide a configuration in which motion in multiple directions may be provided, such as along both the X and Y axes.
One such micro-translation system utilizes a plurality of thermal actuators (also referred to as heatuators) for in-plane translation. Directing attention to
FIG. 1
, micro-translation system
100
is shown including thermal actuators
110
and
120
directly coupled to stage
130
by flexures. Thermal actuators
110
and
120
are oriented to provide translation of stage
130
, and components placed thereon, along both the X and Y axes. Specifically, thermal actuator
110
is coupled to stage
130
by connecting member
131
and provides translation of stage
130
substantially along the X axis when hot-arm
111
is expanded by Joule heating and anchor
114
, cold-arm
112
, flexure
113
, and anchor
115
cause transfer of torsional energy to connecting member (flexure)
131
. Similarly, thermal actuator
120
is coupled to stage
130
by connecting member
132
and provides translation of stage
130
substantially along the Y axis when hot-arm
121
is expanded by Joule heating and anchor
124
, cold-arm
122
, flexure
123
, and anchor
125
cause transfer of torsional energy to connecting member (flexure)
132
.
It should be appreciated, however, that micro-translation systems of the prior art utilizing thermal actuators in such a configuration suffer from several disadvantages. One such disadvantage is that the motion actively imparted is unidirectional. Moreover, attempts to provide bi-directional motion using such micro-translation systems generally require substantial post-processing manufacturing steps, such as to electronically isolate the thermal actuators associated with different directions of motion, thereby making such systems impossible to fully implement with monolithic production processes. Additionally, the range of motion associated with the use of thermal actuators is limited to approximately 5% of the overall length of the actuator. A further disadvantage is that translation provided by the micro-translation system along either axis is not independent of translation along the other axis. For example, translation of stage
130
provided by thermal actuator
120
along the Y axis will result in some translation of stage
130
along the X axis due to the torsional distortion of thermal actuator
120
. This movement along the unselected axis is further aggravated due to the connection of connecting member
131
and thermal actuator
110
thereto.
Other known micro-translation systems utilize indirect translation mechanisms. Directing attention to
FIG. 2
, unidirectional micro-translation system
200
is shown utilizing indirect drive means. In the system of
FIG. 2
, a translation mechanism is disposed on each side of, and in the same plane with, stage
230
to controllably engage stage
230
and provide translation in a predetermined direction. Specifically, translation mechanism
210
includes actuator banks
211
and
212
coupled to lateral translation gear
231
by connecting arms
214
and
215
, respectively. Similarly, translation mechanism
220
includes actuator banks
221
and
222
coupled to lateral translation gear
232
by connecting arms
224
and
225
, respectively. Actuator banks
211
,
212
,
221
, and
222
may be comprised of an array of thermal actuators, such as are shown in detail above in
FIG. 1
, and are oriented to provide translation of stage
230
, and components placed thereon, along the X axis by causing lateral translation gears
231
and
232
to engage corresponding racks
233
and
234
using Y axis movement associated with actuator banks
211
and
221
. Thereafter, movement along the X axis is provided by lateral movement of engaged translation gears
231
and
232
causing corresponding movement in racks
233
and
234
, and thus stage
230
, using X axis movement associated with actuator banks
212
and
222
. Lateral translation gears
231
and
232
may then be disengaged from corresponding racks
233
and
234
, again using Y axis movement associated with actuators
211
and
221
, and reengage with corresponding racks
233
and
234
at a different point, using X axis movement associated with actuators
212
and
222
, for further movement of stage
230
.
Micro-translation systems of the prior art utilizing the above described indirect thermal actuator drive mechanisms suffer from several disadvantages. For example, although the range of motion is appreciably improved over that of the direct thermal actuator drive mechanism of
FIG. 1
, the motion actively imparted remains unidirectional and, the only one direction of movement is provided. Moreover, attempts to provide bi-directional motion using such micro-translation systems generally require substantial post-processing manufacturing steps, such as to electronically isolate the actuator banks associated with different directions of motion, thereby making such systems impossible to fully implement with monolithic production processes. Additionally, prior art configurations of such micro-translation systems provide translation of a stage along a single axis and, therefore, no configuration has been proposed to provide movement along two axes which may be produced without substantial-post production manufacturing steps, i.e., no configuration is known in the prior art which may be produced using a monolithic manufacturing process.
Still other prior art micro-translation systems have implemented scratch drive actuators (SDAs) to provide translation of a stage. Directing attention to
FIG. 3
, one configuration of a SDA as is well known in the art is shown as SDA
310
. Specifically, SDA
310
comprises plate
311
, torsion mounts
312
, and bushing
313
. For operation, SDA
310
is disposed upon a substrate such that a conducting layer, such as conducting layer
322
, is in juxtaposition with plate
311
and an insulating layer, such as insulating layer
321
, is disposed therebetween.
Operation of SDA
310
is illustrated in
FIGS. 4A-4C
. Specifically,
FIG. 4A
shows voltage source
410
coupled to plate
311
and conducting layer
322
without any voltage applied thereto. However, as shown in
FIG. 4B
, a priming voltage may be provided by voltage source
410
and an electromagnetic field associated therewith causes deflection of plate
311
such that its distal end is drawn toward conducting layer
322
. As shown in
FIG. 4C
, the voltage provided by voltage source
410
may be increased to that of a stepping voltage such that plate
311
is more fully drawn toward conducting layer
322
causing bushing
313
to be displaced such that a distal end thereof steps forward distance “S”. Reducing the voltage provided by voltage source
410
to the priming voltage or below causes plate
311
to move forward distance “S” as bushing
313
is
Haynes and Boone LLP
Nguyen Hoang
Zyvex Corporation
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