Apparatus having a layer of material configured as a reservoir having an interior capable of holding a liquid
View Patent ↗The present invention provides an apparatus. The apparatus, in one embodiment, includes an actuator located over a substrate, a movable feature located over and coupled to the actuator, and a layer of material located above the actuator and movable feature and not constituting part of a beam/spring associated with the movable feature, the layer of material configured as a reservoir having an interior capable of holding a liquid, the movable feature being exposed to the interior.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
an actuator located over a substrate;
a movable feature located over and coupled to the actuator;
a layer of material located above the actuator and movable feature and not constituting part of a beam/spring associated with the movable feature, the layer of material configured as a reservoir having an interior capable of holding a liquid, the movable feature being exposed to the interior.
2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the actuator and movable feature are a first actuator and first movable feature, and further including a plurality of other actuators and movable features located over the substrate and configured as an array of actuators and movable features.
3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein the array of movable features is exposed to the interior.
4. The apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein the reservoir is a single reservoir having a single interior configured to expose the plurality of movable features.
5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the layer of material has a thickness ranging from about 100 microns to about 750 microns.
6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the layer of material comprises silicon.
7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the movable feature is a movable reflective feature.
8. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the actuator, movable feature and layer of material form at least a portion of a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device.
9. The apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein the substrate includes drive circuitry.
10. The apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein a side of the micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device opposite the layer of material is flip-chip bonded to the substrate including the drive circuitry.
11. An apparatus, comprising:
an actuator located over a substrate;
a movable reflective feature located over and coupled to the actuator;
a layer of material located above the actuator and movable feature and not constituting part of a beam/spring associated with the movable feature, the layer of material configured as a reservoir having an interior capable of holding a liquid, the movable feature being exposed to the interior, wherein the actuator, movable reflective feature and the layer of material form at least a portion of a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device.