IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
UP-0513952
(2006-08-31)
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등록번호 |
US-7644489
(2010-02-22)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Arora, William J.
- Castano, Fernando
- Nichol, Anthony J.
- Barbastathis, George
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출원인 / 주소 |
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
25 인용 특허 :
6 |
초록
▼
A passive nanomagnet alignment method is described to self-align a membrane to another surface. The membrane and the surface each have a plurality of nanomagnets patterned on it, wherein the nanomagnets are magnetized based on an applied external magnetic field. The membrane is brought into close pr
A passive nanomagnet alignment method is described to self-align a membrane to another surface. The membrane and the surface each have a plurality of nanomagnets patterned on it, wherein the nanomagnets are magnetized based on an applied external magnetic field. The membrane is brought into close proximity and coarse alignment to the surface by a positioning mechanism (e.g., an actuation force), such that the nanomagnets on the membrane attract to and self-align with the nanomagnets on said surface based on the nanomagnet magnetizations.
대표청구항
▼
The invention claimed is: 1. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to a surface, said membrane and surface each having a plurality of nanomagnets patterned on it, said membrane connected to said surface by a hinge, said method comprising the steps of: (a) applying an extern
The invention claimed is: 1. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to a surface, said membrane and surface each having a plurality of nanomagnets patterned on it, said membrane connected to said surface by a hinge, said method comprising the steps of: (a) applying an external magnetic field to said nanomagnets on said membrane and said surface, said nanomagnets magnetized based on an applied external magnetic field; and (b) applying an actuation force to fold said membrane at said hinge, bringing said membrane into close proximity to said surface, said nanomagnets on said membrane self-aligning with nanomagnets on said surface based on nanomagnet magnetizations. 2. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 1, wherein said surface is any of the following: another portion of the same membrane, another membrane or a substrate on which said membrane was fabricated. 3. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 1, wherein said external field is applied to magnetize said nanomagnets and then removed prior to said folding leaving the nanomagnets at magnetic remanance. 4. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 1, wherein said nanomagnets are magnetized by an external field at the same time as the membranes are brought together by folding allowing said self-alignment to take place while said nanomagnets are near magnetic saturation. 5. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 1, wherein each of said nanomagnets are lithographically patterned and deposited by any of the following methods: evaporation, sputtering, electroplating, or chemical vapor deposition. 6. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 1, wherein said nanomagnets are deposited on either one or both sides of said membrane. 7. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 1, wherein said nanomagnets are patterned in a thin film made from a metal alloy that primarily comprises cobalt, iron, or nickel. 8. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 1, wherein said nanomagnets are lithographically patterned into any of the following shapes: rectangular shapes, cross shapes, polygonal shapes, curved shapes, or out-of-plane pillars. 9. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 1, wherein said nanomagnets have a thickness between 5 nm and 1 micron and lateral dimensions ranging from 10 nm and 100.mu.m. 10. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 1, wherein said nanomagnets are arranged in a periodic or non-periodic array that consists of one or more types of nanomagnets based on shape, size, or material. 11. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 1, wherein said membrane and said surface are patterned with devices or other functionality to be aligned with the nanomagnets. 12. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 1, wherein said membrane and/or said hinge has sufficient structural compliance so that the attractive force between the nanomagnets can move said membrane into fine alignment. 13. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 12, wherein said compliance is achieved via one or more flexural components patterned into said membrane or a hinge by lithography and material etching. 14. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 12, wherein said compliance is achieved via one or more flexural components made by depositing and patterning additional material that connects the membrane to another membrane or a rigid substrate. 15. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 1, wherein the nanomagnets latch together said membrane and said surface in a permanent or semi-permanent form. 16. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, said membrane and surface each having a plurality of nanomagnets patterned on it, said method comprising: (a) applying an external magnetic field to said nanomagnets on said membrane and said surface, said membrane held by a positioning mechanism and said nanomagnets magnetized based on said applied external magnetic field; and (b) bringing said membrane into close proximity and coarse alignment to said surface by said positioning mechanism, such that said nanomagnets on said membrane attract to and self-align with said nanomagnets on said surface based on the nanomagnet magnetizations. 17. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 16, wherein said membrane is held by a flexural component connected to said positioning mechanism allowing said membrane to self-align with said nanomagnets on said surface when said positioning mechanism brings said membrane into said close proximity and said coarse alignment to said surface. 18. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 16, wherein said surface is any of the following: another membrane, another substrate, or a portion of the same substrate that said former membrane was fabricated on. 19. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 16, wherein said external field is applied to magnetize said nanomagnets and then removed prior to bringing said membrane in close proximity to said surface, leaving the nanomagnets at magnetic remanance. 20. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 16, wherein said nanomagnets are magnetized by an external field at the same time as bringing said membrane to close proximity to said surface, allowing said self-alignment to take place while said nanomagnets are near magnetic saturation. 21. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 16, wherein each of said nanomagnets are lithographically patterned and deposited by any of the following methods: evaporation, sputtering, electroplating, or chemical vapor deposition. 22. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 16, wherein said nanomagnets are deposited on either one or both sides of said membrane. 23. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 16, wherein said nanomagnets are patterned in a thin film made from a metal alloy that primarily comprises cobalt, iron, or nickel. 24. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 16, wherein said nanomagnets are lithographically patterned into any of the following shapes: rectangular shapes, cross shapes, polygonal shapes, curved shapes, or out-of-plane pillars. 25. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 16, wherein said nanomagnets have a thickness between 5 nm and 1 micron and lateral dimensions ranging from 10 nm and 100.mu.m. 26. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 16, wherein said nanomagnets are arranged in a periodic or non-periodic array that consists of one or more types of nanomagnets based on shape, size, or material. 27. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 16, wherein said membrane and said surface are patterned with devices or other functionality to be aligned with the nanomagnets. 28. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 17, wherein said membrane and/or said flexural component has sufficient structural compliance so that the attractive force between the nanomagnets can move said membrane into fine alignment. 29. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 28, wherein said compliance is achieved via one or more flexural components patterned into said membrane or a hinge by lithography and material etching. 30. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 28, wherein said compliance is achieved via one or more flexural components made by depositing and patterning additional material that connects the membrane to another membrane or a rigid substrate. 31. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 16, wherein the nanomagnets latch together said membrane and said surface in a permanent or semi-permanent form. 32. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 16, wherein said nanomagnets serve as electrical connections between said aligned membrane and said surface. 33. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 16, wherein said nanomagnets on said membrane and said surface differ in shape, size or material. 34. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 16, wherein said passive alignment method is repeated a plurality of times to form a set of aligned structures. 35. A passive nanomagnet alignment method to self-align a membrane to another surface, as per claim 16, wherein said passive alignment method is used to align a plurality of membranes having nanomagnets simultaneously.
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