Micro Devices Formed by Flex Circuit Substrates

Abstract

Disclosed is a flexible electronic circuit substrate that includes a device that is fabricated from layers of the flexible electronic circuit substrate as part of construction of the flexible electronic circuit substrate. Such devices could be functional units such as micro electro mechanical devices (MEMS) devices such as micro-accelerometer sensor elements, micro flow sensors, micro pressure sensors, etc.

1 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A flexible circuit comprises:
 a flexible substrate comprised of a plurality of layers of one or more materials, with the plurality of layers adhered together, and with at least a first set of the plurality of layers having patterned electrical conductors thereon having a configuration to receive one or more electronic circuit components; and   a micro electro mechanical device within the flexible substrate and comprised of a second set of the plurality of layers of the flexible substrate.   
     
     
         25 . The flexible circuit of  claim 24  wherein the micro electro mechanical device is disposed within the flexible substrate and comprised of the layers of the second set of the plurality of layers, with some of the layers of the second set further having conductive layers thereon. 
     
     
         26 . The flexible circuit of  claim 24  wherein at least some of the plurality of layers of the material are layers comprising a flexible material and at least some of the plurality of layers of the flexible material have conductive layers thereon. 
     
     
         27 . The flexible circuit of  claim 24  wherein the micro electro mechanical device is an accelerometer device disposed within the flexible substrate. 
     
     
         28 . The flexible circuit of  claim 27  wherein the accelerometer comprising the second set of the plurality of layers has a compartment through a first group of the second set, a first layer of the second set of layers supporting a first electrode and at second layer of the second set layers supporting a second electrode; and with the accelerometer further comprising:
 a cantilever beam having a portion disposed in alignment between the first and second electrodes, with the cantilever beam having a metal conductor supported on portions of the cantilever beam. 
 
     
     
         29 . The flexible circuit of  claim 28  wherein at least some of the first group of the second set of layers has the cantilever beam integrally formed from a first one of the second set of layers, with the cantilever beam being movable within the compartment. 
     
     
         30 . The flexible circuit of  claim 27  wherein the micro-accelerometer sensor element having a beam element that is either a cantilever beam or a torsional beam or a beam that has a central portion and four portions that suspend the beam over within the compartment. 
     
     
         31 . The flexible circuit of  claim 30 , further comprising:
 a first electrode supported by a first one of the layers of the second set of layers;   a second electrode supported by a second one of the layers of the second set of layers;   a third electrode supported one a surface of the beam element;   a capacitance measurement circuit having a first pair of inputs coupled to the first electrode and the third electrode and a second pair of inputs coupled to the second electrode and the third electrode; and   a controller that converts measured capacitance from the capacitance measurement circuit into a measure of acceleration.   
     
     
         32 . The flexible circuit of  claim 24  wherein the device is a micro flow sensor. 
     
     
         33 . The flexible circuit of  claim 32  wherein the micro flow sensor comprises:
 a subset of the second set of the plurality of layers of the flexible material having a compartment in a portion of the subset; and 
 a rotatable wheel element provided from a first layer of the subset of the second set of the plurality of layers, which rotatable wheel is supported within the compartment between second and third layers of the subset of the second set of the plurality of layers of the flexible material. 
 
     
     
         34 . The flexible circuit of  claim 33  wherein the micro flow sensor has a first passage and a second passage into the compartment. 
     
     
         35 . The flexible circuit of  claim 33  wherein the compartment is circular, the micro flow sensor has a first passage and a second passage into the compartment, and the wheel has an electrode on a surface thereof. 
     
     
         36 . The flexible circuit of  claim 33  wherein the micro flow sensor further comprises:
 a pair of electrodes, a first one of the pair of electrodes disposed over the wheel and a second one of the pair of electrodes disposed under the wheel. 
 
     
     
         37 . The flexible circuit of  claim 36  wherein the pair of electrodes are supported on a corresponding pair of the layers in the subset of the second set of the plurality of layers. 
     
     
         38 . The flexible circuit of  claim 24  wherein the device is a micro pressure sensor. 
     
     
         39 . The flexible circuit of  claim 38  wherein the micro pressure sensor comprises:
 a subset of the second set layers having a chamber in a portion of the subset; and 
 plural membrane layers supported by portions of the subset of layers over the chamber and the plural membrane layers compartmentalizing the chamber providing plural compartments, with each compartment having a single port into the compartment that is configurable as an input or an output port. 
 
     
     
         40 . The flexible circuit of  claim 38  wherein the micro pressure sensor comprises:
 at least one input port and at least one output port, with the input port having a first passage through a first one of the layers of the subset of the second set layers and the output port having a second passage through a second, different one of the layers of the subset of the second set layers. 
 
     
     
         41 . The flexible circuit of  claim 40  wherein the first one of the layers of the subset of the second set layers and the second, different one of the layers of the subset of the second set layers are mutually adjacent. 
     
     
         42 . A method comprising:
 forming a flexible circuit from a plurality of layers of one or more materials; and while forming the flexible circuit,   forming an operative, micro electro mechanical device within the flexible circuit from a set of the layers of the plurality of layers of the one or more materials, with forming further comprising:
 patterning a first subset of layers in the set of the layers to provide a compartment; 
 patterning a metal layer on a first layer from the set of layers to provide a first electrode; and 
 patterning a metal layer on a second layer from the set of layers to provide a second electrode. 
   
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising;
 forming a beam element within the compartment from a layer from the first subset of layers.   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising:
 patterning a metal layer on the beam element to provide a third electrode; and   wherein the device is an accelerometer.   
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 42  wherein the compartment is a first compartment, and the method further comprises;
 forming a plurality of compartments, including the first compartment from layers from the first subset of layers 
 providing membrane layers having electrodes on a surface of each respective membrane layer, to form the plurality of compartments. 
 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising:
 patterning corresponding wall portions that define the plurality of compartments to provide either a single port into each compartment, with the single port being either an inlet into a respective compartment or an outlet from the respective compartment; and   wherein the device is a micro flow sensor.   
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising;
 forming a rotatable wheel element within the compartment from a layer from the first subset of layers.   
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising:
 patterning a metal layer on the layer from the set of layers to provide a third electrode; and   wherein the device is a micro flow sensor.   
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 42  wherein the set of the layers of the plurality of layers of the one or more materials is a first set and with forming further comprising:
 patterning a metal layer on a second set of the plurality of layers the layer to provide patterned electrical conductors thereon having a configuration to receive one or more electronic circuit components.