Photo-sensitive MEMS structure
View Patent ↗A heat-sensitive apparatus includes a substrate with a top surface, one or more bars being rotatably joined to the surface and having bimorph portions, and a plate rotatably joined to the surface and substantially rigidly joined to the one or more bars. Each bimorph portion bends in response to being heated. The one or more bars and the plate are configured to cause the plate to move farther away from the top surface in response to the one or more bimorph portions being heated.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a substrate with a surface;
an array of light absorbers spread along the surface of the substrate, each absorber comprising:
one or more of bimorph first bars, each bimorph first bar being rotatably joined to the substrate by an associated first hinge and being configured to bend in response to being heated;
a first capacitor plate substantially rigidly fixed to one of the one or more bimorph first bars; and
a second capacitor plate facing the first capacitor plate and being rigidly fixed to the surface; and
wherein application of heat to one of the absorbers causes the first plate of the one of the absorbers to move farther from the second plate of the one of the absorbers.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more second bars, each second bar being rotatably joined to the surface by an associated second hinge and having a portion substantially rigidly fixed to an associated one of the one or more bimorph first bars.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the one or more first hinges are configured to rotate about a different axis than the one or more second hinges.