Kevin Franklin Harsh
Engineers at 60 Ave, Arvada, CO

2002017, Nov 21, 2002

May 3, 2002

10/138763

Victor Bright - Boulder CO, US
Kevin Harsh - Arvada CO, US
Paul Kladitis - New Carlisle OH, US
Yc Lee - Boulder CO, US
Wenge Zhang - Louisville CO, US
Martin Dunn - Louisville CO, US
Yanhang Zhang - Boulder CO, US

F02G001/04, F01B029/10

060/527000, 060/528000

A multi-dimensional, micro-electromechanical assembly and the method of fabricating same. The invention enables an assembly of three-dimensional (3D) microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) using surface tension or shrinkage self assembly. That is, the invention provides a surface tension self assembly technique for rotating a MEMS element with a controlled amount of deformation to a selected angle out of the plane of a substrate. In accordance with the inventive method, multi-dimensional, micro-electromechanical assemblies are fabricated by providing a phase change material on at least one substantially planar structure mounted in a first orientation. A phase change is induced in the phase change material whereby the phase change material changes from a first state, in which the structure is disposed in the first orientation, to a second state, in which the structure is disposed in a second orientation. The MEMS elements may be fabricated using conventional surface micromachining techniques. In the illustrative embodiment, each MEMS element is attached to a substrate by at least one hinge which allows rotation of the MEMS element out of the plane of the substrate to a selected angle. To enable mass assembly of the MEMS elements, the MEMS elements are rotated to the selected angle using either surface tension forces of a liquid phase change material or shrinkage of a solid phase change material. In the illustrative embodiment, the phase change material is solder and the step of inducing a phase change in the phase change material includes the step up applying heat.