Electromagnetic mems device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016124215-A1
Application number	US-201514971070-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 16, 2015
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed toward an apparatus comprising a frameless MEMS device with a two-dimensional (2D) mirror, in accordance with some embodiments. The apparatus may include a base and a MEMS device disposed on the base. The MEMS device may comprise a rotor having a driving coil disposed around the rotor that is partially rotatable around a first axis, in response to interaction of a first magnetic field provided parallel to the first axis, with electric current to pass through the driving coil. The MEMS device may include a mirror disposed about a middle of the rotor. The mirror may be partially rotatable around a second axis coupled with the rotor and orthogonal to the first axis, in response to interaction of a second magnetic field provided parallel to the second axis, with electric current to pass through the coil. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
a base; and a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) device disposed substantially on the base, wherein the MEMS device comprises: a rotor having a driving coil disposed substantially around the rotor, wherein the rotor is at least partially rotatable around a first axis of the apparatus, in response to interaction of a first magnetic field provided substantially perpendicular to the first axis, with electric current to pass through the driving coil; and a mirror disposed about a middle of the rotor, wherein the mirror is at least partially rotatable around a second axis coupled with the rotor and disposed substantially orthogonal to the first axis, in response to interaction of a second magnetic field provided substantially perpendicular to the second axis, with the electric current to pass through the driving coil.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rotor comprises a substantially rectangular shape.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the base comprises a substantially flat surface.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising two or more pillars disposed on the base, wherein the first axis is disposed on the two or more pillars, to anchor the rotor to the pillars.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a magnetic circuit, to produce the first and second magnetic fields.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the magnetic circuit includes a magnetic base disposed on the base of the apparatus, and first and second magnets disposed opposite each other on the magnetic base and magnetized in opposite directions to each other, to produce the first magnetic field.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the magnetic circuit further includes third and fourth magnets disposed on the magnetic base opposite each other and magnetized in opposite directions to each other, to produce the second magnetic field, wherein one of the third or fourth magnets is disposed on the magnetic base substantially perpendicular to one of the first or second magnets, and wherein another one of the third or fourth magnets is disposed on the magnetic base substantially perpendicular to another one of the first or second magnets, wherein geometric dimensions of the MEMS device define the disposition of the magnets on the magnetic base.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first, second, third, and fourth magnets of the magnetic circuit comprise permanent magnets having substantially rectangular prismatic shapes, to provide the first and second magnetic fields substantially between the first and second, and third and fourth magnets respectively.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first, second, third, and fourth magnets of the magnetic circuit are magnetized in a direction perpendicular to the magnetic base, wherein the MEMS device is disposed substantially in a space formed by the first, second, third, and fourth magnets.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the MEMS device is disposed substantially in a plane formed by top surfaces of the first, second, third, and fourth magnets.

11 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first, second, third, and fourth magnets of the magnetic circuit are magnetized in a direction parallel to the magnetic base, wherein the MEMS device is disposed inside a space formed by the first, second, third, and fourth magnets, wherein a plane formed by top surfaces of the first, second, third, and fourth magnets is substantially above an imaginary space covered by the rotor during rotation around the first axis.

12 . An apparatus, comprising:
a processor; and an optical scanner module coupled with the processor to provide scan data to the processor, wherein the optical scanner module includes a base and a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) device disposed substantially on the base, wherein the MEMS device comprises: a rotor having a driving coil disposed substantially around the rotor, wherein the rotor is at least partially rotatable around a first axis of the apparatus, in response to interaction of a first magnetic field provided substantially perpendicular to the first axis with electric current to pass through the driving coil; and a mirror disposed about a middle of the rotor, wherein the mirror is at least partially rotatable around a second axis coupled with the rotor and disposed substantially orthogonal to the first axis, in response to interaction of a second magnetic field provided substantially perpendicular to the second axis with the electric current to pass through the driving coil.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising two or more pillars disposed on the base, wherein the first axis is disposed on the two or more pillars, to anchor the rotor to the pillars.

14 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the base comprises a substantially flat surface.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a magnetic circuit, to produce the first and second magnetic fields.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the magnetic circuit further includes a magnetic base disposed on the base of the optical scanner module, and first and second magnets disposed opposite each other on the magnetic base and magnetized in opposite directions to each other, to produce the first magnetic field, third and fourth magnets disposed opposite each other and magnetized in opposite directions to each other, to produce the second magnetic field, wherein one of the third or fourth magnets is disposed on the magnetic base substantially perpendicular to one of the first or second magnets, and wherein another one of the third or fourth magnets is disposed on the magnetic base substantially perpendicular to another one of the first or second magnets.

17 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the apparatus comprises a three-dimensional (3D) object acquisition device, wherein the device includes one of a 3D scanner, a 3D camera, a 3D projector, an ultrabook, or a gesture recognition device.

18 . A method of providing an apparatus with micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) device, comprising:
disposing a driving coil about a rotor, the rotor on coupling with the apparatus being at least partially rotatable around a first axis of the apparatus; rotatably attaching a mirror to the rotor, including coupling the mirror with the rotor, the mirror on coupling of the rotor with the apparatus being at least partially rotatable around a second axis disposed substantially orthogonal to the first axis; disposing the rotor with the driving coil and mirror on a base of the apparatus, to provide for the at least partial rotation of the rotor around the first axis, and the at least partial rotation of the mirror around the second axis; and providing a magnetic circuit to the apparatus to produce a first magnetic field and a second magnetic field in directions substantially perpendicular to the first and second axis respectively, to provide the at least partial rotation of the rotor and the mirror in response to interaction of the first and second magnetic fields with electric current passing through the driving coil.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
disposing two or more pillars on the base, to anchor the rotor to the pillars by the first axis.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein providing a magnetic circuit includes:
disposing a magnetic base on the base of the apparatus; disposing first and second magnets opposite each other on the magnetic base, wherein the first and second magnets are magn

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Freedman Barak
• Berkovitch Nikolai
• Hirshberg Arnon

Classifications

• H02K7/14

  Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans (with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06) · CPC title

• H02K1/17

  Stator cores with permanent magnets · CPC title

• H02K15/02

  of stator or rotor bodies · CPC title

• H02K1/22

  Rotating parts of the magnetic circuit · CPC title

• B81B7/02

  containing distinct electrical or optical devices of particular relevance for their function, e.g. microelectro-mechanical systems [MEMS] (B81B7/04 takes precedence) · CPC title