Micromirror

[0002] The invention relates to a micromirror, a micro-oscillating mirror in particular, according to the definition of the species of the main claim.

[0003] A micromirror and, in particular, a micro-oscillating mirror which is equipped with an electrostatic drive, has already been described in German Patent Application 198 57 946.2. A largely cantilevered mirror surface having two or possibly four spring connectors or torsion beams arranged opposite each other in pairs is linked to a surrounding support body.

[0004] In addition, a micromirror having a magnetic drive is already known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,748,172. A largely cantilevered membrane is also linked to a surrounding support body by two opposite torsion beams, printed conductors being located on the bottom of the mirror surface in the form of conductor loops or windings, through which an electric current may be routed so that when an external magnetic field is applied, a torque is exerted on the mirror surface.

[0005] The object of the present invention was to develop a novel mirror design with an increased mechanical load capacity, which, in particular, is also suitable for a magnetic drive. The increased mechanical load capacity is to be attained by designing the torsion beams or spring connectors linking the mirror surface to the support body to be stronger and more resistant to torsions and shocks.

[0006] In contrast to the related art, the micromirror according to the present invention has the advantage of a higher mechanical load capacity and higher fracture stability while at the same time relatively low electrical voltages are required to displace the mirror surface from the rest position or to excite it to torsional oscillation.

[0007] In addition, the design of the torsion beams according to the present invention advantageously results in higher motive forces overall being required to displace the mirror surface than in known micromirrors, which results in the cited increased stability.

[0008] Finally, the fact that, according to the present invention, the mirror surface is linked to the support body by at least two torsion beams arranged at least approximately parallel to each other with comparable bending strength results in reduced torsional stiffness compared to a single torsion beam which occupies the total width of the parallel torsion beams and the intermediate space between them. Consequently, a larger angle of displacement of the mirror surface is possible with an increased stability of the overall mirror design at the same time.

[0009] Advantageous refinements of the invention result from the measures cited in the dependent claims.

[0010] It is thus advantageous in particular if each of two opposite sides of the mirror surface is linked to the support body by two torsion beams spaced parallel to each other. In this manner, a printed conductor may be applied to the surface of each torsion beam, which may occupy the entire surface of the torsion beam so that the width of the torsion beam is optimally utilized with simultaneous insulation of the printed conductors from each other. It is, in particular, advantageously possible to route particularly high electric currents of, for example 10, mA to 1 A across the printed conductors located on the surface of the torsion beams.

[0011] In addition, the printed conductors routed on the surface of the torsion beams may now be made as wide as possible since the problem of electrically insulating them from each other is eliminated.

[0012] Overall, the widened printed conductors and the optimum utilization of the surface of the torsion beams thus result in a higher current carrying capacity, which results in higher magnetic forces or torques in the case of a magnetic drive. Therefore, the design of the micromirror according to the present invention now makes it possible to choose a more robust design of the torsion beams due to the greater forces that may be generated.

[0013] The total width of the two torsion beams spaced parallel to each other together with the width of the intermediate space between them is now greater than the width of a corresponding single torsion beam known from the related art.

[0014] In addition, the torsion stiffness of the spring design of the present invention is advantageously less than the torsion stiffness of a single torsion beam which occupies the total width of the two parallel torsion beams and the associated intermediate space.

[0015] Moreover, the spring design presented may also be advantageously transferred to micromirrors having two torsion axes perpendicular to each other.

[0016] It is further advantageous that the printed conductors on the surface of the torsion beams, the contact surfaces located on the support body in some areas and the printed conductors routed on the surface of the mirror surfaces may be produced in a simple manner by surface metallization methods which are known per se.

[0017] Moreover, the micromirror according to the present invention may be equipped with either an electrostatic or a magnetic drive.

[0018] Finally, providing the actual mirror surface with two loops attached symmetrically in the external area resulting in a distinct increase of the magnetic flux, enclosed by the printed conductors routed on the surface of the mirror surface, in an external magnetic field has the advantage that these loops can be used simultaneously as a stop for the mirror surface and consequently the mirror surface and also the torsion beams, in particular, are protected against shocks and overloads of short duration. For this purpose, in the event of excessively high torsion of the mirror surface, it is advantageously provided that the loops strike the upper or lower side of the housing or the support body and thus prevent the torsion beams from breaking.

[0019] These additional loops on the mirror surface are advantageous in particular if the micromirror according to the present invention is to be statically displaced and an air gap is provided to attain as little air cushioning as possible between the mirror surface and the surrounding support body.

[0020] In summary, the micromirror of the present invention has the advantage of high motive forces with simultaneous low driving voltages, resulting in an improved stability of the micromirror and an increased yield in manufacturing at the same time since the microstructures produced are more robust as a whole. In addition, the micromirror according to the present invention can be produced using manufacturing methods known per se so that no new procedure steps and manufacturing technologies are required in production.

[0021] The present invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the drawing and in the following description.

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of a micromirror having an electrostatic drive; FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment having a magnetic drive and FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of a micromirror with a magnetic drive.

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a micromirror 5 which is designed in the form of a micro-oscillating mirror.

[0024] In detail, micromirror 5 described has been formed from a support body 11, 12 of, for example, silicon, in a manner known per se, a mirror surface 10 being provided in the form of a rectangle with dimensions of typically 100 μmm×100 μm to 400 μm×400 μm, two opposite sides of the mirror surface being provided with torsion bars 13, 13′ spaced parallel to each other. Torsion bars 13, 13′, which act as spring connectors, link mirror surface 10 with support body 11, 12 surrounding the mirror surface, for example, laterally and in the lower area so that mirror surface 10 is largely cantilevered. For this purpose, support body 11, 12 is, for example, a silicon wafer.

[0025] Moreover, torsion beams 13, 13′ have a length of 10 μm to 100 μm, a height of 2 μm to 10 μm, and a width of 5 μm to 15 μm. In addition, they are arranged parallel to each other at a spacing of 2 μm to 5 μm so that there is an intermediate space between torsion beams 13, 13′ corresponding to the spacing.

[0026] In order to implement an electrostatic drive, an electrode surface is located under mirror surface 10, an electrode 18 being applied to some areas of the electrode surface in a manner known per se. In addition, at least in some areas, the bottom of the mirror surface in particular is provided with a metallization, which is connected to an external voltage supply via printed conductors routed across torsion beams 13, 13′.

[0027] In this manner, it is possible to exert an electrostatic force between mirror surface 10 and electrode 18 by applying an electrical voltage to electrode 18 or to mirror surface 10 so that mirror surface 10 is displaced about a torsional axis 17 which lies parallel to the axis defined by torsion beams 13, 13′.

[0028] Additional explanations concerning the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, in particular further details concerning the production of micromirror 5, concerning the electrical control and the terminal contacting may be omitted since the person skilled in the art is aware of such details.

[0029] FIG. 2 shows an alternative embodiment of the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, a magnetic drive now being used instead of an electrostatic drive. For that purpose, printed conductors 15, 15′ are provided on at least one side of mirror surface 10, the printed conductors being expediently routed at the outer edge of the mirror surface so that they enclose as large an area on mirror surface 10 as possible. Printed conductors 15, 15′ are, for example, produced in a manner known per se by the application of surface metallizations of gold, for example, in some areas. So that printed conductors 15, 15′ in FIG. 2 are able to carry as great an electric current as possible, it is further expedient to design printed conductors 15, 15′ to be as thick and broad as possible.

[0030] Starting from mirror surface 10, printed conductors 15, 15′ are routed across assigned torsion beams 13 and 13′, respectively, to electrical contact surfaces 14, 14′, which are applied, for example, on support body 11, 12 in a manner known per se. Printed conductors 15, 15′ occupy the total surface of respective torsion bar 13, 13′ assigned to them.

[0031] The electrical separation of the two conductors 15, 15′ is ensured by the intermediate space between torsion beams 13, 13′.

[0032] The thickness of printed conductors 15, 15′ preferably amounts to 100 nm to 2 μm; however, it may also reach 10 μm. Their width is expediently between 5 μm and 50 μm. Moreover, printed conductors 15, 15′ are preferably made of gold.

[0033] In addition, the symbol H entered in FIG. 2 indicates that micromirror 5 according to FIG. 2 is located in an external magnetic field.

[0034] When micromirror 5 is operated by applying an external electrical voltage of, for example, 10 V to 30 V to two adjacent contact surfaces 14, 14′ and by closing the electric circuit with the aid of the two remaining, opposite contact surfaces 14, 14′, an electrical current I of, for example, 10 mA to 500 mA flows across printed conductors 15, 15′ so that the explained arrangement of printed conductors 15, 15′ forms a closed conductor loop, which encloses a surface A defined by the dimension of mirror surface 10.

[0035] Accordingly, applied electrical current I and external magnetic field H exert a torque T on mirror surface 10 where: $\overrightarrow{T}=\overrightarrow{I}·\overrightarrow{A}\times \overrightarrow{B}\mathrm{and}\overrightarrow{B}={\mu }_0{\mu }_r\overrightarrow{H}$

[0036] This torque T, which is in proportion to applied electrical current I, the strength of external magnetic field B or H and surface A enclosed by the conductor loop, thus brings about a twisting, i.e. torsion, of mirror surface 10 about torsional axis 17. A suitable, for example, periodic variation of applied electrical current I and/or of external magnetic field H thus makes it possible also to excite a torsional oscillation of mirror surface 10 in a simple manner.

[0037] However, the explained exemplary embodiment is obviously also suitable for a static displacement of mirror surface 10.

[0038] On the whole, in order to attain as strong a force as possible or as great a torque as possible on mirror surface 10 in the explained example, it is expedient to route printed conductors 15, 15′ on at least one side of the surface of mirror surface 10 in such a way that printed conductors 15, 15′ enclose as great a magnetic flux as possible in external magnetic field H.

[0039] In continuation of FIG. 2, FIG. 3 illustrates an additional exemplary embodiment of the invention which only differs from FIG. 2 in that mirror surface 10 has lateral loops 16, 16′ which are correspondingly suitably formed from support body 11, 12. These loops 16, 16′ are preferably arranged symmetrically and are primarily used to ′ increase torque T or the enclosed magnetic flux by enlarging the surface enclosed by printed conductors 15, 15′.

[0040] Loops 16, 16′ according to FIG. 3 have, for example, a total length of 500 μm to 1 mm and a total width of 100 μm to 500 μm. Their thickness corresponds to the thickness of mirror surface 10. In addition, loops 16, 16′ are formed similar to torsion beams 13, 13′, i.e., they have the shape of narrow connectors which enclose a space, the assigned printed conductor 15 or 15′ respectively being routed on the surface of the connectors and this surface preferably being completely covered.

[0041] Because mirror surface 10 in FIG. 3 is provided with loops 16, 16′, the conductor loop, which is produced when the electric circuit is closed, encloses a larger surface as a whole so that a significantly increased torque T can be produced with the same current I and the same magnetic field H.

[0042] Moreover, the externally applied magnetic field has a strength of preferably 1 mTelsa to 1000 mTesla and is generated, for example, by a permanent magnet or an electromagnet situated in the vicinity of mirror surface 10.