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:
Oct. 27, 2015
Filed:
Apr. 19, 2012
Willibrordus Gerardus Van Den Hoek, Saratoga, CA (US);
Robertus Petrus Van Kampen, S-Hertogenbosch, NL;
Richard L. Knipe, McKinney, TX (US);
Charles Gordon Smith, Cambridge, NL;
Willibrordus Gerardus Van Den Hoek, Saratoga, CA (US);
Robertus Petrus Van Kampen, S-Hertogenbosch, NL;
Richard L. Knipe, McKinney, TX (US);
Charles Gordon Smith, Cambridge, NL;
CAVENDISH KINETICS, INC., San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
The present invention generally relates to methods for increasing the lifetime of MEMS devices by reducing the landing velocity on switching by introducing gas into the cavity surrounding the switching element of the MEMS device. The gas is introduced using ion implantation into a cavity close to the cavity housing the switching element and connected to that cavity by a channel through which the gas can flow from one cavity to the other. The implantation energy is chosen to implant many of the atoms close to the inside roof and floor of the cavity so that on annealing those atoms diffuse into the cavity. The gas provides gas damping which reduces the kinetic energy of the switching MEMS device which then should have a longer lifetime.