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:
Jun. 17, 2003
Filed:
Aug. 07, 2001
Paul M. Bridger, Pasadena, CA (US);
Robert P. Strittmatter, Pasadena, CA (US);
Robert A. Beach, Pasadena, CA (US);
Thomas C. McGill, Pasadena, CA (US);
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (US);
Abstract
A suspended p-GaN membrane is formed using photochemical etching which membrane can then be used in a variety of MEMS devices. In the illustrated embodiment a pump is comprised of the p-GaN membrane suspended between two opposing, parallel n-GaN support pillars, which are anchored to a rigid substrate below the pillars. The p-GaN membrane bows upward between the pillars in order to relieve stress built up during the epitaxial growth of membrane. This bowing substantially increases the volume of the enclosed micro-channel defined between membrane and substrate below. The ends of membrane are finished off by a gradual transition to the flat underlying n-GaN layer in which fluidic channels may also be defined to provide inlet and outlet channels to microchannel. A traveling wave or sequential voltage applied to the electrodes causes the membrane to deform and provide a peristaltic pumping action in the microchannel.