Claims
- 1. A method for forming an out-of-plane structure, comprising:
depositing a layer of an elastic material on a substrate, the elastic material having an intrinsic stress profile; photolithographically patterning the layer of elastic material into an elastic member; forming a plurality of perforations unequally spaced apart from one another in the elastic member; under-cut etching a portion of the substrate under the elastic member to release a free end of the elastic member from the substrate, an anchor portion of the elastic member remaining fixed to the substrate; wherein the intrinsic stress profile in the elastic member biases the free end of the coil structure away from the substrate, forming a spring; wherein on release of the free end, the perforations in the elastic member control a rate of release of the elastic member from the substrate.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the spacing between the perforations increases from the free end to the anchor portion.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the intrinsic stress profile in the elastic member biases the free end of the elastic member away from the substrate forming a loop winding and causing a free end of each of the elastic members to contact a point on the substrate.
- 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising connecting the free end to the substrate.
- 5. An out-of-plane structure, comprising:
a substrate; and an elastic member comprising a first anchor portion fixed to the substrate, a spring and a free end; wherein the elastic member further includes a plurality of perforations unequally spaced apart from one another in the spring; wherein the free end and the spring are initially fixed to the substrate, but are released from the substrate to become separated from the substrate, and wherein an intrinsic stress profile in the elastic member biases the free end away from the substrate forming the spring and wherein on release of the free end, the perforations in the elastic member control a rate of release of the elastic member from the substrate.
- 6. The structure of claim 5, wherein the spacing between the perforations increases from the free end to the anchor portion.
- 7. An out-of-plane structure, comprising:
a substrate; and an elastic member comprising a first anchor portion, a loop winding and a second anchor portion, the first anchor portion being fixed to the substrate, the second anchor portion being connected to the substrate; wherein the elastic member further includes a plurality of perforations unequally spaced apart from one another in the elastic member; wherein the second anchor portion and the loop winding are initially fixed to the substrate, but are released from the substrate to become separated from the substrate, and wherein an intrinsic stress profile in the elastic member biases the second anchor portion away from the substrate forming the loop winding and causing the second anchor portion to contact the substrate and wherein on release of the second anchor, the perforations in the elastic member control a rate of release of the elastic member from the substrate.
- 8. The structure of claim 7, wherein the spacing between the perforations increases from the free end to the anchor portion.
- 9. A device comprising:
a substrate; and a circuit having at least one reactance element, formed on the substrate; wherein the reactance element comprises at least one out-of-plane structure comprising:
an elastic member comprising a first anchor portion fixed to the substrate, a spring and a free end; wherein the elastic member further includes a plurality of perforations unequally spaced apart from one another in the spring; wherein the free end and the spring are initially fixed to the substrate, but are released from the substrate to become separated from the substrate, and wherein an intrinsic stress profile in the elastic member biases the free end away from the substrate forming the spring and wherein on release of the free end, the perforations in the elastic member control a rate of release of the elastic member from the substrate.
- 10. The device of claim 9, wherein the intrinsic stress profile in each of the elastic members biases the free end of the member away from the substrate forming a loop winding and causing a free end of each of the elastic members to contact a point on the substrate.
- 11. The device of claim 10, wherein the reactance element is at least one of a capacitor, an inductor and a transformer.
- 12. A method for forming an out-of-plane coil structure, comprising:
depositing a layer of an elastic material on a substrate, the elastic material having an intrinsic stress profile; photolithographically patterning the layer of elastic material into a first elastic member and a second elastic member; under-cut etching a portion of the substrate under each of the first elastic member and the second elastic member to release a first free end of the first elastic member from the substrate, a first anchor portion of the first elastic member remaining fixed to the substrate and to release a second free end of the second elastic member from the substrate, a second anchor portion of the second elastic member remaining fixed to the substrate; wherein the first free end comprises at least one elongated tip and wherein the second free end comprises a tip having at least one structure for receiving at least one elongated tip; wherein the intrinsic stress profile in the first elastic member biases the first free end away from the substrate and wherein the intrinsic stress profile in the second elastic member biases the second free end away from the substrate; and connecting the first free end to the second free end, forming a loop winding.
- 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the elastic member is formed of an electrically conductive material.
- 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of photolithographically patterning comprises photolithographically patterning the layer of elastic material into a plurality of substantially parallel, spaced-apart elastic member pairs, each elastic member pair comprising a first elastic member and a second elastic member and further comprising: performing the subsequent steps for each pair of first and second elastic members; and
electrically connecting the first anchor portion of a pair to the second anchor portion of an adjacent pair.
- 15. An out-of-plane coil structure, comprising:
a substrate; an elastic member comprising a first anchor portion, a loop winding and a second anchor portion, the first anchor portion and the second anchor portion being fixed to the substrate; wherein the elastic member further comprises a first elastic member comprising a first anchor portion and a first free end and a second elastic member comprising a second anchor portion and a second free end; wherein the first free end includes an elongated tip and wherein the second free end includes a tip having at least one structure for receiving at least one elongated tip; wherein the first free end and the second free end are initially fixed to the substrate, but are released from the substrate to become separated from the substrate, and wherein an intrinsic stress profile in the first elastic member biases the first free end away from the substrate and wherein an intrinsic stress profile in the second elastic member biases the second free end away from the substrate; and wherein the first free end and the second free end are connected together forming the loop winding.
- 16. The coil structure of claim 15, wherein the elastic member is formed of an electrically conductive material.
- 17. A device comprising:
a substrate; and a circuit having at least one reactance element, formed on the substrate; wherein the reactance element comprises at least one out-of-plane structure comprising:
an elastic member comprising a first anchor portion, a loop winding and a second anchor portion, the first anchor portion and the second anchor portion being fixed to the substrate; wherein the elastic member further comprises a first elastic member comprising a first anchor portion and a first free end and a second elastic member comprising a second anchor portion and a second free end; wherein the first free end includes an elongated tip and wherein the second free end includes a tip having at least one structure for receiving at least one elongated tip; wherein the first free end and the second free end are initially fixed to the substrate, but are released from the substrate to become separated from the substrate, and wherein an intrinsic stress profile in the first elastic member biases the first free end away from the substrate and wherein an intrinsic stress profile in the second elastic member biases the second free end away from the substrate; and wherein the first free end and the second free end are connected together forming the loop winding.
- 18. The device of claim 17, wherein the reactance element is at least one of an inductor and a transformer.
- 19. A method for forming an out-of-plane coil structure, comprising:
depositing a layer of an elastic material on a substrate, the elastic material having an intrinsic stress profile; photolithographically patterning the layer of elastic material into a first elastic member and a second elastic member; under-cut etching a portion of the substrate under each of the first elastic member and the second elastic member to release a first free end of the first elastic member from the substrate, a first anchor portion of the first elastic member remaining fixed to the substrate and to release a second free end of the second elastic member from the substrate, a second anchor portion of the second elastic member remaining fixed to the substrate; wherein the intrinsic stress profile in the second elastic member biases the second free end away from the substrate forming a tab for receiving the first free end; and wherein the intrinsic stress profile in the first elastic member biases the first free end away from the substrate forming a loop winding and contacting the tab and substrate at the second anchor portion.
- 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising forming a strip of release material at the second anchor portion; and when the free end contacts the tab at the second anchor portion, using the strip of release material to tack the free end in place.
- 21. A method for forming an out-of-plane structure, comprising:
depositing a layer of an elastic material on a substrate, the elastic material having an intrinsic stress profile; photolithographically patterning the layer of elastic material into at least two spaced-apart elastic members, wherein each elastic member includes an elongated tip at one end and an inverted U-shaped base at the other end; photolithographically patterning a contact pad for each of the elastic members, wherein each contact pad comprises a Y-shaped segment having an extended leg, wherein the extended leg of the Y-shaped segment of one elastic member is positioned within the inverted U-shaped base of an adjacent elastic member; under-cut etching a portion of the substrate under the elastic members to release the elongated tip end for each of the elastic members from the substrate, the base for each of the elastic members remaining fixed to the substrate; wherein the intrinsic stress profile in each of the elastic members biases the free end of the member away from the substrate forming a loop winding and causing the free end to contact the substrate at the contact pad of the adjacent elastic member.
- 22. A method for forming an out-of-plane structure, comprising:
depositing a layer of an elastic material on a substrate, the elastic material having an intrinsic stress profile; photolithographically patterning the layer of elastic material into first and second elastic members disposed in opposite directions on the substrate and having a common base; photolithographically patterning a first contact pad for the first elastic member and a second contact pad for the second elastic member, wherein the first contact pad is adjacent the second elastic member and the second contact pad is adjacent the first elastic member; under-cut etching a portion of the substrate under the elastic members to release a free portion for each of the elastic members from the substrate, the common base for the elastic members remaining fixed to the substrate; wherein the intrinsic stress profile in the first elastic member biases the free end of the first elastic member away from the substrate forming a loop winding and causing the free end to contact the substrate at the second contact pad and wherein the intrinsic stress profile in the second elastic member biases the free end of the second elastic member away from the substrate forming a loop winding and causing the free end to contact the substrate at the first contact pad.
- 23. A method for forming an out-of-plane structure, comprising:
depositing a layer of an elastic material on a substrate, the elastic material having an intrinsic stress profile; photolithographically patterning the layer of elastic material into an elastic member having a first portion disposed along a first direction and a second portion disposed at an angle from the first direction; under-cut etching a portion of the substrate under the elastic member to release a free portion of the elastic member from the substrate, an anchor portion remaining fixed to the substrate; wherein the intrinsic stress profile in the elastic member biases the free end of the elastic member away from the substrate forming a loop winding; and wherein the angular disposition of the second portion causes the free end to contact the substrate at a point which is axially offset from the anchor portion.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is related to copending, coassigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/573,815 filed May 17, 2000, “Photolithographically-patterned out-of-plane coil structures and method of making” (the “'815 application”) and to copending, coassigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/591,262 filed Jun. 9, 2000, “Photolithographically-patterned out-of-plane coil structures and method of making” (the “'262 application”).