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:
Nov. 17, 2015
Filed:
Feb. 06, 2013
Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., Austin, TX (US);
Yizhen Lin, Cohoes, NY (US);
Andrew C. McNeil, Neukirchen, AZ (US);
Mark E. Schlarmann, Chandler, AZ (US);
FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC., Austin, TX (US);
Abstract
A MEMS device () includes a movable element () suspended above a substrate () by a spring member () having a spring constant (). A spring softening voltage () is applied to electrodes () facing the movable element () during a powered mode () to decrease the stiffness of the spring member () and thereby increase the sensitivity of the movable element () to an input stimulus (). Upon detection of a stiction condition (), the spring softening voltage () is effectively removed to enable recovery of the movable element () from the stiction condition (). A higher mechanical spring constant () yields a stiffer spring () having a larger restoring force () in the unpowered mode () in order to enable recovery from the stiction condition (). A feedback voltage () can be applied to feedback electrodes () facing the movable element () to provide electrical damping.