Granted Patent B2

US 12,404,166 · App. 17/955,562 · Granted Sep 2, 2025

Inventors: Jemm Yue Liang (Sunnyvale, CA); Chiung C. Lo (San Jose, CA); Martin George Lim (Hillsborough, CA); Wen-Chien Chen (New Taipei, TW); Michael David Housholder (San Jose, CA); David Hong (Los Altos, CA)

Assignee: xMEMS Labs, Inc.

B81B3/0021B81B3/0051B81B3/0072H04R31/00B81B2201/0257B81B2203/0127B81B2203/0163B81B2207/03

Abstract

Claims (26)

1. A manufacturing method for a device, comprising:

providing a wafer, wherein the wafer comprises a first layer and a second layer;

forming and patterning an actuating material formed on a first side of the wafer;

patterning the first layer of the wafer, so as to form a trench line; and

removing a first part of the second layer of the wafer,

wherein a second part of the second layer forms at least one anchor structure, the patterned first layer forms a film structure anchored by the at least one anchor structure, and the film structure comprises a membrane,

wherein a slit is formed within and penetrates through the membrane because of the trench line,

wherein the film structure is configured to be actuated to form a vent temporarily, and the vent is formed because of the slit,

wherein the device is disposed within a wearable sound device or to be disposed within the wearable sound device, and the film structure partitions a space into a first volume to be connected to an ear canal of a wearable sound device user and a second volume to be connected to an ambient of the wearable sound device,

wherein the ear canal and the ambient are to be connected via the vent temporarily opened,

wherein the slit divides the membrane into a first membrane portion and a second membrane portion, the first membrane portion is actuated to have a first displacement, and the second membrane portion is actuated to have a second displacement, and

wherein over a segment of the slit, a difference between the first displacement of the first membrane portion and the second displacement of the second membrane portion is larger than a thickness of the membrane, and the vent is formed over the segment of the slit.

2. The manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein an insulating layer is formed between the first layer and the second layer within the wafer, and the manufacturing method further comprises

removing a part of the insulating layer, such that the slit penetrates through the film structure.

3. The manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein the first layer is directly formed on the second layer.

4. The manufacturing method of claim 3 , wherein the first layer comprises an insulation layer.

5. The manufacturing method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming and patterning a first conductive layer between the actuating material and the first layer of the wafer,

wherein the patterned first conductive layer functions as a first electrode for an actuator.

6. The manufacturing method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming and patterning a second conductive layer on the actuating material,

wherein the patterned second conductive layer functions as a second electrode for an actuator.

7. The manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein a net air movement produced due to forming the vent is substantially zero.

8. The manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein the device is disposed within a packaging housing comprising a first substrate to form a package structure, and the device is disposed on the first substrate.

9. The manufacturing method of claim 8 , wherein the packaging housing further comprises at least one wall and a second substrate, the second substrate is opposite to the first substrate, and at least one wall is between the first substrate and the second substrate.

10. The manufacturing method of claim 8 , wherein another device is disposed within the packaging housing, the packaging housing comprises a second substrate opposite to the first substrate, and the another device is disposed on the second substrate.

Continuity (7)

References Cited (104)