The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 17, 2002
Filed:
Apr. 18, 2001
Toshiko Hirano, San Jose, CA (US);
Dan S. Kercher, Santa Cruz, CA (US);
Charles M. Mate, San Jose, CA (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) type electrostatic microactuator has a fixed electrode and a movable electrode, with the movable electrode being attached to the substrate by a flexure. Each electrode has a plurality of fingers with the fixed electrode fingers and the movable electrode fingers interleaved in a comb-like arrangement. A nonconductive viscous liquid is located between the fingers for damping motion of the movable electrode relative to the fixed electrode. The liquid is held in a reservoir attached to the movable electrode. Capillary pressure pulls the liquid from the reservoir into the small gaps between the interleaved fingers.