Axsun Technologies, Inc.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Steven F Nagle

Dale C Flanders

Martin Arnold Schmidt

Jeffrey Hastings Lang

Stephen D Senturia

Alan H Epstein

Stuart A Jacobson

Margaret B Stern

Kenneth S Breuer

Fredric F Ehrich

Ian A Waitz

Mark S Spearing

G K Ananthasuresh

Peter S Whitney

Michael Francis Miller

Minh Van Le

Xiaomei Wang

Christopher C Cook

An optical membrane device and method for making such a device are described. This membrane is notable in that it comprises an optically curved surface. In some embodiments, this curved optical surface is optically concave and coated, for example, with a highly reflecting (HR) coating to create a curved mirror. In other embodiments, the optical surface is optically convex and coated with, preferably, an antireflective (AR) coating to function as a refractive or diffractive lens.

Process for fabricating MEMS membrane with integral mirror/lens

A process for patterning dielectric layers of the type typically found in optical coatings in the context of MEMS manufacturing is disclosed. A dielectric coating is deposited over a device layer, which has or will be released, and patterned using a mask layer. In one example, the coating is etched using the mask layer as a protection layer. In another example, a lift-off process is shown. The primary advantage of photolithographic patterning of the dielectric layers in optical MEMS devices is that higher levels of consistency can be achieved in fabrication, such as size, location, and residual material stress. Competing techniques such as shadow masking yield lower quality features and are difficult to align. Further, the minimum feature size that can be obtained with shadow masks is limited to &tilde;100 &mgr;m, depending on the coating system geometry, and they require hard contact with the surface of the wafer, which can lead to damage and/or particulate contamination.

Process for integrating dielectric optical coatings into micro-electromechanical devices

MEMS membrane with integral mirror/lens

An optical system assembly technique utilizes a templating system for locating optical components on optical benches Specifically, the template system comprises a template substrate that is placed over the optical bench. The substrate has at least one alignment slot that is formed through the substrate. This alignment slot has an alignment feature against which an optical component is registered. In order to improve the accuracy of the alignment of the optical component on the optical bench, the slot has a reentrant, such as a smooth or step, sidewall extending from the alignment feature into the template substrate This way, there is a single point or near single point of contact between the optical component and the template to thereby improve the placement precision for the optical component on the optical bench

Reentrant-walled optical system template and process for optical system fabrication using same

The invention overcomes limitations of conventional power and thermodynamic sources by with micromachinery components that enable production of significant power and efficient operation of thermodynamic systems in the millimeter and micron regime to meet the efficiency, mobility, modularity, weight, and cost requirements of many modern applications. A micromachine of the invention has a rotor disk journalled for rotation in a stationary structure by a journal bearing. A plurality of radial flow rotor blades, substantially untapered in height, are disposed on a first rotor disk face, and an electrically conducting region is disposed on a rotor disk face. A plurality of stator electrodes that are electrically interconnected to define multiple electrical stator phases are disposed on a wall of the stationary structure located opposite the electrically conducting region of the rotor disk. A first orifice in the stationary structure provides fluidic communication with the first rotor disk face at a location radially central of the rotor blades, and a second orifice in the stationary structure provides fluidic communication with the first rotor disk face at a location radially peripheral of the rotor blades. An electrical connection to the stator electrode configuration is provided for stator electrode excitation and for power transfer with the stator electrode configuration as the rotor disk rotates.

Microturbomachinery

The invention provides a micro-gas turbine engine and associated microcomponentry. The engine components, including, e.g., a compressor, a diffuser having diffuser vanes, a combustion chamber, turbine guide vanes, and a turbine are each manufactured by, e.g., microfabrication techniques, of a structural material common to all of the elements, e.g., a microelectronic material such as silicon or silicon carbide. Vapor deposition techniques, as well as bulk wafer etching techniques, can be employed to produce the engine. The engine includes a rotor having a shaft with a substantially untapered compressor disk on a first end, defining a centrifugal compressor, and a substantially untapered turbine disk on the opposite end, defining a radial inflow turbine. The rotor is preferably formed of a material characterized by a strength-to-density ratio that enables a rotor speed of at least about 500,000 rotations per minute. An annular, axial-flow combustion chamber is provided that is located axially between the compressor and turbine disks and that has a ratio of annular height to axial length of at least about 0.5. The micro-gas turbine engine can be configured with an integral microgenerator as a source of electrical power, and can be employed for a wide range of power, propulsion, and thermodynamic cycle applications.

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Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Steven F Nagle