University of California

California Institute of Technology

Raanan Miller

Yu-Chong Tai

Chih-Ming Ho

Amish Desai

Denny K Miu

Chang Liu

Tom Tsao

Jeremy Tzong-Shyng Leu

A surface micromachined micromagnetic actuator is provided with a flap capable of achieving large deflections above 100 microns using magnetic force as the actuating force. The flap is coupled by one or more beams to a substrate and is cantilevered over the substrate. A Permalloy layer or a magnetic coil is disposed on the flap such that when the flap is placed in a magnetic field, it can be caused to selectively interact and rotate out of the plane of the magnetic actuator. The cantilevered flap is released from the underlying substrate by etching out an underlying sacrificial layer disposed between the flap and the substrate. The etched out and now cantilevered flap is magnetically actuated to maintain it out of contact with the substrate while the just etched device is dried in order to obtain high release yields.

Electromagnetically actuated micromachined flap

Growing community of inventors

Pasadena, CA, United States of America

Raanan Miller