SILANE MODIFIED FLUID FOR MEMS STICTION REDUCTION
This disclosure provides devices and methods of reducing stiction during a fluid-filling process. A device can include two substrates with movable MEMS components on at least one of the substrates. The device can include a fluid between the two substrates and surrounding or at least partially surrounding the movable MEMS components, where the fluid can serve as a lubricant for the movable MEMS components. The fluid can be a liquid solution doped with a surface energy modifier, where the surface energy modifier includes a nonpolar functional group R. In some implementations, the nonpolar functional group R can be selected from the group consisting of: alkyl, aryl and naphthenic.
1 . A device comprising:
a first substrate;
a second substrate opposite the first substrate;
a plurality of movable MEMS components over the second substrate;
a fluid between the first substrate and the second substrate and surrounding the movable MEMS components; and
a seal for bonding the first substrate and the second substrate and enclosing the fluid in the device, wherein the fluid includes a surface energy modifier, the surface energy modifier including a nonpolar functional group R.
2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the nonpolar functional group R is selected from the group consisting of: alkyl, aryl and naphthenic.
3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the surface energy modifier includes a silicon atom, the nonpolar functional group R and a hydrolysable group R′, wherein the hydrolysable group R′ is selected from the group consisting of: alkoxy, acyloxy, amine and chlorine.
4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the surface energy modifier is selected from the group consisting of: phenylethyltrimethoxysilane (PETMS), octyltrimethoxysilane (OTMS), phenyltrimethoxysilane (PTS), dodecyltrimethoxysilane (DDTMS), dodecyltriethoxysilane (DDTES), phenethylalcohol (PEA), octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS), trichlorocyclohexylsilane and diisopropyldimethylaminooctylsilane.
5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the surface energy modifier is between about 0.5 volume percent and about 5.0 volume percent of the fluid.
6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first substrate includes an aperture plate and the second substrate includes a MEMS substrate, an inner surface of the MEMS substrate having a higher surface energy than an inner surface of the aperture plate.
7 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the surface energy modifier is capable of reducing the surface energy of the MEMS substrate.
8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein a surface of the movable MEMS components includes at least one of a silicon, a nitride, an oxide and a metal.
9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the fluid includes an organic solvent.
10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the surface energy modifier is dissolved in the organic solvent.
11 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the surface energy modifier forms an interfacial layer between the organic solvent and a surface of the movable MEMS components, the interfacial layer capable of reducing friction between the organic solvent and the surface of the movable MEMS components.
12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the interfacial layer includes polar silanols facing the surface of the movable MEMS components and nonpolar functional group R facing the organic solvent.
13 . The device of claim 1 , wherein each of the movable MEMS components includes a shutter in a shutter-based MEMS light modulator.
14 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a display;
a processor capable of communicating with the display, the processor being capable of processing image data; and
a memory device capable of communicating with the processor.
15 . The device of claim 14 , further comprising:
a driver circuit capable of sending at least one signal to the display; and
a controller capable of sending at least a portion of the image data to the driver circuit.
16 . The device of claim 14 , further comprising:
an image source module capable of sending the image data to the processor, wherein the image source module includes at least one of a receiver, transceiver and transmitter.
17 . The device of claim 14 , further comprising:
an input device capable of receiving input data and communicating the input data to the processor.
18 . A device comprising:
a first substrate;
a second substrate opposite the first substrate;
a plurality of movable MEMS components over the second substrate, wherein a surface energy of a surface of the movable MEMS components is greater than a surface energy of the first substrate;
a fluid between the first substrate and the second substrate and surrounding the movable MEMS components, wherein the fluid includes:
a solvent; and
means for modifying a surface energy of the surface of the movable MEMS components, the surface energy modifying means including a nonpolar functional group R; and
a seal for bonding the first substrate and the second substrate and enclosing the fluid in the device.
19 . The device of claim 18 , wherein the nonpolar functional group R is selected from the group consisting of: alkyl, aryl and naphthenic.
20 . The device of claim 18 , wherein the surface energy modifying means includes a silicon atom, the nonpolar functional group R and a hydrolysable group R′, wherein the hydrolysable group R′ is selected from the group consisting of: alkoxy, acyloxy, amine and chlorine.
21 . The device of claim 18 , wherein the surface energy modifying means is selected from the group consisting of: phenylethyltrimethoxysilane (PETMS), octyltrimethoxysilane (OTMS), pehnyltrimethoxysilane (PTS), dodecyltrimethoxysilane (DDTMS), dodecyltriethoxysilane (DDTES), phenethylalcohol (PEA), octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS), trichlorocyclohexylsilane and diisopropyldimethylaminooctylsilane.
22 . The device of claim 18 , wherein the surface energy modifying means is between about 0.5 volume percent and about 5.0 volume percent of the fluid.
23 . A method of manufacturing a device, comprising:
providing a first substrate;
providing a second substrate, the second substrate being opposite the first substrate;
forming a plurality of movable MEMS components over the second substrate;
bonding the first substrate to the second substrate; and
filling the device with a fluid between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the fluid surrounds the movable MEMS components and includes a surface energy modifier, the surface energy modifier including a nonpolar functional group R.
24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the nonpolar functional group R is selected from the group consisting of: alkyl, aryl, and naphthenic.
25 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the surface energy modifier is between about 0.5 volume percent and about 5.0 volume percent of the fluid.
26 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the surface energy modifier in the fluid prevents stiction between the movable MEMS components and the first substrate or the second substrate during filling.
27 . The method of claim 23 , further comprising:
annealing the device to a temperature greater than about 100° C.