The Aerospace Corporation

Ruby E Robertson

Allyson D Yarbrough

Robert C Cole

Samuel S Osofsky

A wet and vapor acid etching method releases a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) structure from a substrate by dissolving a sacrificial layer disposed between the MEMS and the substrate. The sacrificial layer may be a silicon dioxide (SiO,) layer having a field portion over which the MEMS does not extend and a support portion over which the MEMS does extend. The field portion of the SiO,layer is quickly removed using conventional wet hydrofluoric (HF) etching followed by rinsing and drying and then the support portion is removed using conventional vapor HF etching from a solution greater than 45% by weight percent. The wet HF chemical etch quickly removes the large field portion of the sacrificial layer. The HF vapor etch removes the small support portion of the sacrificial layer below the MEMS to release the MEMS from the substrate without stiction thereby preventing damage to the MEMS when released.

Method of HF vapor release of microstructures

A method of manufacturing a micromachined reflector antenna onto a substrate firstly etches a reflector aperture surface defining a dish cavity in an oxide layer and secondly rotates a hinge over the reflector aperture surface with the hinge being used as the reflector central feed. The micromachined reflector can be made into an array of reflector antennas and integrated onto a single substrate with front end receiver circuits operating as a high frequency receiver on a chip reduced in size and cost and operating at hundreds of GHz.

Micromachined reflector antenna method

A micromachined reflector antenna system is integrated onto a substrate by firstly etching a reflector aperture surface defining a dish cavity in an oxide layer and secondly rotating a hinge over the reflector aperture surface with the hinge being used as the reflector central feed. The micromachined reflector antenna system can be made with an array of reflector antennas and integrated onto a single substrate with front end receiver circuits operating as a high frequency receiver on a chip with reduced size and cost and operating at hundreds of GHz.

Growing community of inventors

Los Angeles, CA, United States of America

Ruby E Robertson