In-plane MEMS thermal actuator and associated fabrication methods

1. A microelectromechanical (MEMS) actuator structure comprising:

a microelectronic substrate having a first surface;

an anchor structure affixed to the first surface of said microelectronic substrate; and

a thermally actuated composite beam having a first layer with a first thermal coefficient of expansion and a second layer with a second thermal coefficient of expansion that is lower than the first thermal coefficient of expansion and having a proximal end that is coupled to said anchor structure and a distal end that is cantilevered over the first surface of said microelectronic substrate, wherein the distal end of said composite beam moves substantially parallel to the first surface of said microelectronic substrate in a direction that is towards the second layer in response to heat applied thereto.

2. The MEMS actuator of claim 1, wherein said composite beam further comprises an electrically conductive path through said composite beam, such that said composite beam is thermally actuated in response to electrical current flowing therethrough.

3. The MEMS actuator of claim 2, wherein said anchor further comprises at least two contacts in operable connection with the electrically conductive path.

4. The MEMS actuator of claim 1, wherein the first and second layers are both disposed in a generally vertical relationship with respect to the first surface of said microelectronic substrate.

5. The MEMS actuator of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second layers comprises a semiconductor material.

6. The MEMS actuator of claim 5, wherein the first layer including a semiconductor material further comprises a controllably doped region so as to impart self-heating capabilities to said composite beam.

7. The MEMS actuator of claim 5, wherein the first layer includes a semiconductor material having a controllably doped region so as to impart self-heating capabilities to said composite beam.

8. The MEMS actuator of claim 1, wherein the composite beam further includes a semiconductor material layer having a controllably doped region.

9. The MEMS actuator of claim 1, wherein the composite beam further includes a metallic material layer.

10. The MEMS actuator of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second layers comprises a metallic material layer.

11. The MEMS actuator of claim 1, wherein the first layer comprises a semiconductor material and the second layer comprises a metallic material, wherein the second layer has a greater thermal coefficient of expansion than the first layer, such that said composite beam deflects toward the first layer at the distal end in response to selective thermal actuation.

12. The MEMS actuator of claim 1, wherein said microelectronic substrate further defines a trench generally underlying said composite beam.

13. The MEMS actuator of claim 1, wherein said anchor further comprises a first anchor portion and a second anchor portion which are physically separated by an air gap.

14. The MEMS actuator of claim 13, wherein said first anchor portion further comprises a first contact and said second anchor portion further comprises a second contact, such that an electrically conductive path is initiated at the first contact, travels through said composite beam and returns via the second contact.

15. The MEMS actuator of claim 14, wherein the first and second contacts further define controllably doped regions within a semiconductor material.

16. The MEMS acuator of claim 1, wherein said acuator is thermally actuated by a heated method selected from the group consisting internal heating, external heating and ambient temperature variations.

17. A microelectromechanical (MEMS) actuator structure comprising:

a microelectronic substrate having a first surface;

at least two anchor structures affixed to the first surface of said microelectronic substrate; and

at least two thermally actuated composite beams, each composite beam having a first layer with a first thermal coefficient of expansion and a second layer with a second thermal coefficient of expansion that is lower than the first thermal coefficient of expansion and each composite beam having a proximal end that is coupled to at least one of said anchor structures and a distal end overlying the first surface of said microelectronic substrate, wherein the distal ends of said at least two thermally actuated composite beams move substantially parallel to the first surface of said microelectronic substrate in a same direction that is toward the second layers of the at least two thermally actuated composite beams in response to heat applied thereto.

18. The MEMS actuator structure of claim 17, wherein said at least two composite beams further comprises a first and a second composite beam disposed upon said microelectronic substrate such that the distal ends of said first and second composite beams face each other, and wherein the first and second composite beams move in unison in response to thermal actuation thereof.

19. The MEMS actuator structure of claim 18, wherein said first and second composite beams are operably connected at the distal ends by an interconnecting element, such that upon thermal actuation of the composite beams the interconnecting element will move in a generally linear direction.

20. The MEMS actuator device of claim 19, wherein said interconnecting element has a wishbone-like configuration so as to provide flexing capabilities and impart a greater linear displacement distance.

21. The MEMS actuator device of claim 19, wherein said interconnecting element is controllably doped so as to permit an electrical path between said first and second composite beams.

22. The MEMS actuator device of claim 19, wherein the first and second composite beams are disposed proximate to a flexible beam structure comprising at least two anchors affixed to said microelectronic substrate and a platform operably connected between the at least two anchors by flexible beams, and wherein the platform is disposed proximate the distal ends of the first and second composite beams, such that the platform will be deflected linearly in response to thermal actuation of the first and second composite beams.

23. The MEMS actuator of claim 17, wherein said at least two composite beams further comprise electrically conductive paths through each composite beam, such that said composite beams are thermally actuated in response to electrical current flowing therethrough.

24. The MEMS actuator of claim 23, wherein said at least two anchors further comprises at least two contacts in operable connection with the electrically conductive paths.

25. The MEMS actuator of claim 17, wherein said at least two composite beams further comprise, individually, at least two layers which have differing thermal coefficients of expansion so as to respond differently to thermal actuation.

26. The MEMS actuator of claim 25, wherein the at least two layers are both disposed in a generally vertical relationship with respect to the first surface of said microelectronic substrate.

27. The MEMS actuator of claim 25, wherein the at least two layers further comprises a first layer including a semiconductor material.

28. The MEMS actuator of claim 27, wherein the first layer including a semiconductor material has a controllably doped region so as to impart self-heating capabilities to said composite beam.

29. The MEMS actuator of claim 25, wherein one of the at least two layers comprises a metallic material.

30. The MEMS actuator of claim 25, wherein the at least two layers further comprise a first layer including a semiconductor material and a second layer including a metallic material, wherein the second layer has a greater thermal coefficient of expansion than the first layer, such that said composite beams deflect toward the first layer at the distal end in response to selective thermal actuation.

31. The MEMS actuator of claim 30, wherein the first layer including a semiconductor material has a controllably doped region so as to impart self-heating capabilities to said composite beams.

32. The MEMS actuator of claim 31, wherein the controllably doped region of said first layer is operably in contact at the distal end of said composite beams with said second layer, such that a conductive path of varying resistance is provided by said composite beams.

33. The MEMS actuator of claim 17, wherein said microelectronic substrate further defines at least two trenches generally underlying the at least two composite beams.

34. A system for MEMS thermal actuation in an in-plane direction, the system comprising:

a voltage source; and

a MEMS actuator device operably connected to said voltage source, said MEMS actuator device comprising:

a microelectronic substrate having a first surface;

at least one anchor structure affixed to the first surface, said at least one anchor structure having at least two electrical contacts; and

a thermally actuated composite beam having a first layer with a first thermal coefficient of expansion and a second layer with a second thermal coefficient of expansion that is lower than the first thermal coefficient of expansion and having a proximal end that is coupled to said at least one anchor structure and a distal end overlying the first surface, said thermally actuated composite beam including an electrically conductive path electrically coupled to said voltage source, wherein the thermally actuated composite beam is heated by a current from said voltage source to the electrically conductive path via the electrical contacts, wherein the distal end moves substantially parallel to the first surface of said microelectronic substrate in a direction that is towards the second layer in response to the heat applied thereto.