Texas Instruments Corporation

Southern Methodist University

Ivan Kmecko

John Charles Ehmke

Adam Joseph Fruehling

William Craig McDonald

Lance W Barron

Bradley Morgan Haskett

Steven Edward Smith

Jwei Wien Liu

Edward Carl Fisher

John Patrick O'Connor

Frank Odell Armstrong

Arun Gupta

Mark Myron Miller

Divyanshu Agrawal

Daniel C Estabrook

Arthur Monroe Turner

Radovan Kovacevic

Jeffrey E Faris

Michael E Valant

Zoran Jandric

Jeffrey E Farris

In described examples, a first metal layer is configured along a periphery of a cavity to be formed between a first substrate and a second substrate. A second metal layer is adjacent the first metal layer. The second metal layer includes a cantilever. The cantilever is configured to deform by bonding the first substrate to the second substrate. The deformed cantilevered is configured to impede contaminants against contacting an element within the cavity.

Vertical shear weld wafer bonding

In described examples, a first metal layer is arranged along a periphery of a cavity to be formed between a first substrate and a second substrate. A second metal layer is arranged adjacent to the first metal layer, where the second metal layer includes a cantilever. The cantilever is arranged to deform in response to forces applied from a contacting structure of the second substrate during bonding of the first substrate to the second substrate. The deformed cantilevered is arranged to impede contaminants against contacting an element within the cavity.

Hermetic vertical shear weld wafer bonding

A MEMs actuator device and method of forming includes arrays of actuator elements. Each actuator element has a moveable top plate and a bottom plate. The top plate includes a central membrane member and a cantilever spring for movement of the central membrane member. The bottom plate consists of two RF signal lines extending under the central membrane member. A MEMs electrostatic actuator device includes a CMOS wafer, a MEMs wafer, and a ball bond assembly. Interconnections are made from a ball bond to an associated through-silicon-via (TSV) that extends through the MEMS wafer. A RF signal path includes a ball bond electrically connected through a TSV and to a horizontal feed bar and from the first horizontal feed bar vertically into each column of the array. A metal bond ring extends between the CMOS wafer and the MEMS wafer. An RF grounding loop is completed from a ground shield overlying the array to the metal bond ring, a TSV and to a ball bond.

MEMS electrostatic actuator device for RF varactor applications

The disclosed embodiments combine an electrothermal actuator system with an electrostatic attraction system, in order to orient bistable micromirrors in digital micromirror devices (DMDs). The micromirror, pivotally supported, can switch between two orientations. While typical DMD systems use electrostatic electrodes to orient the micromirror, stiction forces can restrict micromirror motion, affecting optical performance. The disclosed embodiments use an electrothermal actuation system to mechanically assist the electrodes, overcoming stiction without the need for a high-voltage reset pulse.

Micromirror system with electrothermal actuator mechanism

An improved window frame and window piece for a micromirror assembly is disclosed herein. The window frame includes a stress-relieving contour positioned in the middle of the frame that can absorb the mechanical stresses applied to the window frame from the ceramic base and from the window piece. The window frame may be comprised of a single piece of sheet metal that has been stamped to include a stress-relieving contour. The stress-relieving contour may be comprised of a variety of shapes, including a 'U' shape, an inverted 'U' shape, a curved step shape, or other combinations thereof.

Stress relieved flat frame for DMD window

According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for controlling operational weld parameters of a welding-based deposition process includes generating a solid model representing a three-dimensional part on a computer, electronically slicing the solid model into a plurality of electronic two-dimensional layers, identifying a path of material deposition based on the electronic two-dimensional layers, the path comprising a plurality of deposition points, and determining a geometrical factor for each deposition point. The geometrical factor is defined by a ratio of an actual volume of material around each deposition point to a theoretical volume of material around each deposition point. The method further includes automatically adjusting, during material deposition for a respective deposition point, one or more parameters of the welding-based deposition process based on the geometrical factor for the respective deposition point.

System and method for controlling welding parameters in welding-based deposition processes

Stress relieved frame

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Plano, TX, United States of America

Ivan Kmecko