Mems elements on non-planar surface

Abstract

A Micro Electrical Mechanical Systems (MEMS) article including a non-planar surface and a continuous film conforming to the non-planar surface is described. The continuous film includes a polymer layer disposed between two metal layers and is patterned to define one or more MEMS elements.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A Micro Electrical Mechanical Systems (MEMS) article, comprising:
 a non-planar surface; and   a continuous film conforming to the non-planar surface, the continuous film comprising first and second metallic layers and a first polymer layer disposed therebetween, the continuous film being patterned to define one or more MEMS elements therein.   
     
     
         2 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the continuous film is patterned such that each MEMS element in the one or more MEMS elements includes:
 a first metallic region in the first metallic layer, the first metallic region including a first perforation;   a first voided region in the first polymer layer, the first voided region extending continuously through a thickness of the first polymer layer; and   a second metallic region in the second metallic layer, the second metallic region including a portion that is capable of a movement relative to the first metallic region.   
     
     
         3 . The article of  claim 2 , wherein the first voided region is aligned with the first perforation. 
     
     
         4 . The article of  claim 3 , wherein the second metallic region includes a pattern aligned with the first voided region. 
     
     
         5 . The article of  claim 2 , wherein the first perforation includes 1 to about 100 holes and each hole has a diameter between about 30 microns and about 200 microns. 
     
     
         6 . The article of  claim 2 , wherein the continuous film further comprises:
 a second polymer layer disposed on the second metallic layer opposite the first polymer layer; and   a third metallic layer disposed on the second polymer layer opposite the second metallic layer.   
     
     
         7 . The article of  claim 6 , wherein the continuous film is patterned such that each MEMS element in the one or more MEMS elements further includes:
 a second voided region in the second polymer layer; and   a third metallic region in the third metallic layer, the third metallic region including a second perforation.   
     
     
         8 . The article of  claim 7 , wherein the second voided region is aligned with the second perforation. 
     
     
         8 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more MEMS elements is a plurality of MEMS elements. 
     
     
         9 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein a parallelepiped comprises the non-planar surface, and the one or more MEMS elements includes a plurality of MEMS accelerometers comprising a first MEMS accelerometer attached to a first face of the parallelepiped and a second MEMS accelerometer attached to a different second face of the parallelepiped. 
     
     
         10 . The article of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of MEMS accelerometers includes three to six MEMS accelerometers, each attached to a different face of the parallelepiped. 
     
     
         11 . The article of  claim 10 , wherein the parallelepiped is a cube. 
     
     
         12 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the continuous film is conformably attached to the non-planar surface through an adhesive layer. 
     
     
         13 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein each MEMS element further includes one or more vias extending through the second metallic layer. 
     
     
         14 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein each MEMS element is selected from the group consisting of a spring resonator, a serpentine resonator, a fixed-guided-fixed resonator, a cantilever beam, a clamped membrane and an inter-digitated comb-drive resonator. 
     
     
         15 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the first polymer layer includes a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyimide, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, benzocyclobutene polymer, liquid crystal polymer and polydimethylsiloxane. 
     
     
         16 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first metallic layer or the second metallic layer includes a metal selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, chromium, titanium, aluminum, gold, silver, beryllium and alloys thereof.