General Electric Company

Oliver Charles Boomhower

Christopher Fred Keimel

Glenn Scott Claydon

Marco Francesco Aimi

Kanakasabapathi Subramanian

Anping Zhang

David Cecil Hays

Peter Paul Gipp

Christopher James Kapusta

Jun Xie

Arun Virupaksha Gowda

Joseph Alfred Iannotti

Reed Roeder Corderman

Xuefeng Wang

Rui Chen

Wei-Cheng Tian

Erin Jean Finehout

Stacey Joy Kennerly

Kuna Venkat Satya Rama Kishore

Vicki Herzl Watkins

Li Zhu

Anthony John Murray

Parag Thakre

Azar Alizadeh

Joleyn Eileen Balch

Shashi Thutupalli

A device including a protecting material encapsulated metallic beam and a method of encapsulating the metallic beam using the protecting material layer are presented. The device includes a cantilever beam that includes at least about 90 Wt % of a metallic beam material, and 10 Wt % or less of a protecting material. The method of forming an encapsulated metallic beam includes the steps of depositing a first layer of protecting material over a substrate, depositing a second layer of protecting material over the first layer, depositing a metallic beam material over the second layer of protecting material, and encapsulating the beam material with a coating of the protecting material.

Encapsulated beam and method of forming

A method of making a membrane assembly is provided. The method comprises forming an inorganic membrane layer disposed on a substrate, and forming a plurality of macropores in the substrate at least in part using anodization. Further, a membrane assembly is provided. The membrane assembly comprises a filtering membrane that is coupled to an anodized substrate comprising a plurality of macropores.

Membrane assemblies and methods of making and using the same

An inorganic membrane device is provided. The device comprises a substrate having a network of pores, and a membrane layer at least partially coupled to the substrate and having a plurality of pores, wherein the pores have an aspect ratio in a range from about 1:2 to about 1:100.

Inorganic membrane devices and methods of making and using the same

A microfluidic device with a vertical injection aperture is provided. The microfluidic device comprises a separation channel, an injection aperture disposed adjacent to and in fluid communication with the separation channel. The microfluidic device further comprises a semi-permeable filter disposed adjacent to the injection aperture, wherein the filter is configured to preconcentrate a sample in the injection aperture to form a preconcentrated sample plug during an injection operation, and wherein the sample plug flows downwardly from the injection aperture to the separation channel during an electrophoresis operation.

Microfluidic device with vertical injection aperture

An electrical through-connection, or via, that passes through a substrate to a bus on a first surface of the substrate. The via may be configured with an interlock such that the electrically conductive core of the via is constrained to thermally expand towards the second surface, away from the bus, thus preventing damage to the bus. The interlock may be a local constriction or enlargement of the via near the first surface of the substrate. The via may be greater in length along the bus than a unit spacing of beams in a parallel microswitch array actuated in unison along the bus. The via may be narrower in width than in length, and may form a trapezoidal geometry that is larger at the second surface of the substrate than at the first surface.

Electrical connection through a substrate to a microelectromechanical device

A MEMS switch includes a substrate, a movable actuator coupled to the substrate, a substrate contact, a substrate electrode, and a conductive stopper electrically coupled to the movable actuator and structured to prevent the movable actuator from contacting the substrate electrode while allowing the movable actuator to make contact with the substrate contact.

MEMS microswitch having a conductive mechanical stop

Multiple microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) on a substrate are capped with a cover using a layer that may function as a bonding agent, separation layer, and hermetic seal. A substrate has a first side with multiple MEMS devices. A cover is formed with through-holes for vias, and with standoff posts for layer registration and separation. An adhesive sheet is patterned with cutouts for the MEMS devices, vias, and standoff posts. The adhesive sheet is tacked to the cover, then placed on the MEMS substrate and heated to bond the layers. The via holes may be metalized with leads for circuit board connection. The MEMS units may be diced from the substrate after sealing, thus protecting them from contaminants.

Sealed wafer packaging of microelectromechanical systems

Growing community of inventors

Waterford, NY, United States of America

Oliver Charles Boomhower