Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device including a superlattice
View Patent ↗A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device may include a substrate and at least one movable member supported by the substrate. The at least one movable member may include a superlattice including a plurality of stacked groups of layers with each group of layers of the superlattice comprising a plurality of stacked base semiconductor monolayers defining a base semiconductor portion, and at least one non-semiconductor monolayer constrained within a crystal lattice of adjacent base semiconductor portions.
1. A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device comprising:
a substrate; and
at least one movable member supported by said substrate and comprising a piezoelectric superlattice including a plurality of stacked groups of layers with each group of layers of said piezoelectric superlattice comprising a plurality of stacked base semiconductor monolayers defining a base semiconductor portion and at least one non-semiconductor monolayer constrained within a crystal lattice of adjacent base semiconductor portions.
2. The MEMS device of claim 1 further comprising a driver carried by said substrate for driving said at least one movable member.
3. The MEMS device of claim 1 further comprising a first electrically conductive contact carried by said at least one movable member, and a second electrically conductive contact carried by said substrate and aligned with said first electrically conductive contact.
4. The MEMS device of claim 1 further comprising a first radio frequency (RF) signal line connected to said first electrically conductive contact, and a second RF signal line connected to said second electrically conductive contact.
5. The MEMS device of claim 1 further comprising a pair of bias voltage contacts for applying a bias voltage to said superlattice for moving said at least one movable member.
6. The MEMS device of claim 1 wherein portions of said piezoelectric superlattice are spaced apart from said substrate.
7. The MEMS device of claim 1 further comprising a dielectric anchor carried by said substrate, and wherein said at least one movable member is supported by said dielectric anchor.
8. The MEMS device of claim 1 wherein said base semiconductor comprises silicon.
9. The MEMS device of claim 1 wherein said at least one non-semiconductor monolayer comprises oxygen.
10. The MEMS device of claim 1 wherein said at least one non-semiconductor monolayer comprises a non-semiconductor selected from the group consisting essentially of oxygen, nitrogen, fluorine, and carbon-oxygen.
11. The MEMS device of claim 1 wherein said at least one non-semiconductor monolayer is a single monolayer thick.
12. The MEMS device of claim 1 wherein all of said base semiconductor portions are a same number of monolayers thick.
13. The MEMS device of claim 1 wherein at least some of said base semiconductor portions are a different number of monolayers thick.
14. The MEMS device of claim 1 wherein opposing base semiconductor portions in adjacent groups of layers of said at least one piezoelectric superlattice are chemically bound together.