Tunable photonic device with liquid crystal elastomer microactuators and method of fabricating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11377345-B2
Application number	US-202016923731-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2020
Priority date	Jul 8, 2020
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

A tunable photonic device and method of fabricating the same are provided. The tunable photonic device including a substrate and an actuator having a first end supported by the substrate and a second end in spaced relation to the substrate. A photonic structure is operatively connected to the actuator and a stimulus generator configured to selectively generate a stimulus to act on the actuator. The stimulus acting on the actuator causes deformation of the actuator and moves the photonic structure between first and second positions.

First claim

We claim:

1. A tunable photonic device, comprising:
a substrate having an upper surface;
an actuator having a first end supported by the substrate and a second end in spaced relation to the substrate;
a photonic structure operatively connected to the actuator and being movable between a first position wherein the photonic structure lies in a first plane and a second position wherein the photonic structure lies in a second plane, the photonic structure being configured to perform one or more of scattering, refracting, confining, filtering and processing light; and
a stimulus generator configured to selectively generate a stimulus to act on the actuator;

wherein the stimulus acting on the actuator causes deformation of the actuator and moves the photonic structure between the first and second positions, and the stimulus is heat and the stimulus generator includes a microheater configured to generate heat to act on the actuator.

2. The tunable photonic device of claim 1 wherein the actuator is fabricated from a liquid crystal elastomer.

3. The tunable photonic device of claim 1 further comprising an anchor interconnecting the actuator and the substrate, the anchor supporting the first end of actuator in spaced relation to the upper surface of the substrate.

4. The tunable photonic device of claim 1 wherein the microheater is embedded in the upper surface of the substrate.

5. The tunable photonic device of claim 1 wherein the microheater is positioned adjacent a lower surface of the substrate.

6. The tunable photonic device of claim 1 wherein:
the actuator is a first actuator and the photonic structure is a first photonic structure; and
the tunable photonic device further comprises:
a second actuator having a first end supported by the substrate and a second end in spaced relation to the substrate; and
a second photonic structure operatively connected to the second end of the second actuator and being movable between a first position wherein the second photonic structure lies in the first plane and a second position wherein the second photonic structure lies in a third plane, the second photonic structure being configured to perform one or more of scattering, refracting, confining, filtering and processing light.

7. The tunable photonic device of claim 6 wherein the stimulus generator is a first stimulus generator and wherein the tunable photonic device further comprises a second stimulus generator configured to selectively generate a stimulus to act on the second actuator.

8. The tunable photonic device of claim 6 wherein the first photonic structure is operatively connected to the first end of the second actuator.

9. The tunable photonic device of claim 1 wherein the photonic structure is operatively connected to the second end of the actuator.

10. A tunable photonic device, comprising:
a substrate having an upper surface;
a plurality of actuators arranged in a pattern on the upper surface of the substrate;

a plurality of photonic structures, each photonic structure operatively connected to at least one of the plurality of actuators and being movable between a first position wherein the photonic structure lies in a first plane and a second position wherein the photonic structure lies in a second plane; and
a stimulus generator configured to generate a stimulus to selectively act on one or more of the plurality of actuators;

wherein the stimulus acting on the one or more of the plurality of actuators causes one or more of the plurality of photonic structure operatively connected to the one or more of the plurality of actuators to move between the first and second positions, and the stimulus is heat and the stimulus generator includes a plurality of microheaters, each microheater generating heat to act on at least one of the plurality of actuators.

11. The tunable photonic device of claim 10 wherein the plurality of actuators is fabricated from liquid crystal elastomers.

12. The tunable photonic device of claim 10 further comprising a plurality of anchors, each anchor interconnecting a first end of one of the plurality of actuators and the substrate and supporting the first end of actuator in spaced relation to the upper surface of the substrate.

13. The tunable photonic device of claim 10 wherein the plurality of microheaters is embedded in the upper surface of the substrate.

14. The tunable photonic device of claim 10 wherein the plurality of microheaters positioned adjacent a lower surface of the substrate, each of the plurality of microheaters generating heat to act on at least one of the plurality of actuators.

15. The tunable photonic device of claim 10 wherein the plurality of actuators is arranged in rows and columns.

16. The tunable photonic device of claim 15 wherein a first actuator of the plurality of actuators is in a first row and a first column and a second actuator is in a first row and a second column, a first photonic structure of the plurality of photonic structures being interconnected to the first and second actuators.

17. The tunable photonic device of claim 16 wherein the first photonic structure is operatively connected to a second end of the first actuator and a first end of the second actuator.

18. A method of fabricating a tunable photonic device, comprising the steps of:
interconnecting a dissolvable layer to the actuator;
interconnecting the actuator to a transfer layer;
dissolving the dissolvable layer; and
interconnecting the actuator to a support on a substrate.

19. The method of claim 18 comprising the additional steps of:
filling a mold cavity with a mixture; and
curing the mixture to form the actuator.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein prior to interconnecting the actuator to a support on a substrate, comprising the additional steps of:
affixing a photonic structure to an actuator; and
separating the transfer layer from the actuator.

21. The method of claim 20 comprising the additional steps of:
placing a photonic element in a resin mold cavity;
depositing a resin in the resin mold cavity; and
curing the resin in the resin mold cavity;

wherein the cured resin and the photonic element define the photonic structure.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the resin mold cavity is formed in a photonic layer and wherein the method comprising the additional steps of:
aligning the actuator with the support; and
removing the photonic structure from the resin mold cavity after the actuator is interconnected to the support.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein the actuator is a first actuator, the dissolvable layer is a first dissolvable layer, and the transfer layer is a first transfer layer, the method comprising the additional steps of:
fabricating a plurality of actuators, the first actuator being one of the plurality of actuators;
interconnecting a second dissolvable layer to the plurality of actuators;
interconnecting the plurality of actuators to a second transfer layer;
dissolving the second dissolvable layer;
interconnecting the first actuator to an intermediate layer, the intermediate layer moving the first actuator to the first dissolvable layer.

Assignees

• Wisconsin Alumni Res Found

Inventors

• Jiang Hongrui
• Kim Jae-Jun

Classifications

• G02B26/0808

  by means of one or more diffracting elements · CPC title

• F03G7/016

  Photosensitive actuators, e.g. using the principle of Crookes radiometer · CPC title

• G02B26/001 Primary

  based on interference in an adjustable optical cavity (interference filters G02B5/28; devices or arrangements using multiple reflections in spectrometry or monochromators G01J3/26) · CPC title

• G02B26/06

  for controlling the phase of light (G02B26/08 takes precedence {, measuring optical phase difference G01J9/00}) · CPC title

• G02B26/004

  based on a displacement or a deformation of a fluid · CPC title