MEMS MIRRORS WITH PRECISION CLAMPING MECHANISM

摘要

A microelectromechanical (MEMS) apparatus has a base (206) and a flap (211) with a portion coupled to the base so that the flap may move out of the plane of the base between first and second position. The base may have a cavity (215) with largely vertical sidewalls that contact a portion of the flap when the flap is in the second position. Electrodes (216) may be placed on the vertical sidewalls and electrically isolated from the base to provide electrostatic clamping of the flap to the sidewall. An array of one or more of such structures may be used to form an optical switch. The apparatus may be made by a process involving etching one or more trenches in a backside of a base. The trench may be etched such that a crystal orientation of the base material defines an orientation of a sidewall.