High-volume millimeter scale manufacturing

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a millimeter scale electromechanical device includes coupling a stainless steel ply to a polymer carrier ply, coating the stainless steel ply in a photo resist material, masking the photoresist material, exposing the photoresist material to cure a portion of the photoresist material, developing the photoresist material to remove uncured photoresist material from the stainless steel ply, chemically etching the stainless steel ply to remove a patterned portion of the stainless steel ply, dissolving the polymer carrier ply to release unwanted chips of the stainless steel ply, and adhering the patterned stainless steel ply to a flexible material ply to form a sub-laminate.

1 . An element of a work in process low profile mechanical system comprising:
 a substantially rigid first ply material having a first surface and a second surface, said first and second surfaces being disposed in substantially parallel spaced relation to one another;   a sacrificial ply material, said sacrificial ply material being coupled to said second surface at a corresponding region of said sacrificial ply material, said sacrificial ply material being adapted to support a substrate portion of said substantially rigid first ply material during a patterning process thereof, said substrate portion of said substantially rigid first ply material having a surface portion of said first surface; and   
       a substantially flexible second ply material, said substantially flexible second ply material being coupled to said surface portion at a corresponding surface region of said substantially flexible second ply material to form said element of said work in process low profile mechanical system, wherein said sacrificial ply material is adapted to be removed from said substantially rigid first ply material after said patterning process and after said coupling of said substantially flexible second ply material to said surface portion. 
     
     
         2 . An element of a work in process low profile mechanical system as defined in  claim 1  further comprising:
 an adhesive portion, said adhesive portion being disposed between said second surface of said substantially rigid first ply material and said corresponding region of said sacrificial ply material to effect said coupling between said sacrificial ply material and said second surface. 
 
     
     
         3 . An element of a work in process low profile mechanical system as defined in  claim 2  wherein said adhesive portion comprises at least one of a screenprinted material, a spray applied material, a jet printed material, a transfer printed material, and a B-staged material. 
     
     
         4 . An element of a work in process low profile mechanical system as defined in  claim 1  further comprising:
 an adhesive portion, said adhesive portion being disposed between said surface portion and said corresponding surface region of said substantially flexible second ply material to effect said coupling between said surface portion and said substantially flexible second ply material. 
 
     
     
         5 . An element of a work in process low profile mechanical system as defined in  claim 4  wherein said adhesive portion comprises at least one of a screenprinted material, a spray applied material, a jet printed material, a transfer printed material, and a B-staged material. 
     
     
         6 . An element of a work in process low profile mechanical system as defined in  claim 1  further comprising:
 a first adhesive portion, said first adhesive portion being disposed between said second surface of said substantially rigid first ply material and said corresponding region of said sacrificial ply material to effect said coupling between said sacrificial ply material and said second surface; and 
 a second adhesive portion, said second adhesive portion being disposed between said surface portion and said corresponding surface region of said substantially flexible second ply material to effect said coupling between said surface portion and said substantially flexible second ply material. 
 
     
     
         7 . An element of a work in process low profile mechanical system as defined in  claim 6  wherein said first adhesive portion comprises a different composition than said second adhesive portion. 
     
     
         8 . An element of a work in process low profile mechanical system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said sacrificial ply material is adapted to be removed from said substantially rigid first ply material by chemical dissolution. 
     
     
         9 . An element of a work in process low profile mechanical system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said sacrificial ply material is adapted to be removed from said substantially rigid first ply material by thermal melting. 
     
     
         10 . An element of a work in process low profile mechanical system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said sacrificial ply material is adapted to be removed from said substantially rigid first ply material by burning. 
     
     
         11 . An element of a work in process low profile mechanical system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said sacrificial ply material is adapted to be removed from said substantially rigid first ply material by evaporation. 
     
     
         12 . An element of a work in process low profile mechanical system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said patterning process is a patterning process that separates said substrate portion of said substantially rigid first ply material by photochemical machining. 
     
     
         13 . An element of a work in process low profile mechanical system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said patterning process is a patterning process that separates said substrate portion of said substantially rigid first ply material by laser cutting. 
     
     
         14 . An element of a work in process low profile mechanical system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said patterning process is a patterning process that separates said substrate portion of said substantially rigid first ply material by waterjet cutting. 
     
     
         15 . An element of a work in process low profile mechanical system as defined in  claim 1  wherein said patterning process is a patterning process that separates said substrate portion of said substantially rigid first ply material by die cutting. 
     
     
         16 . A method of forming a work in process low profile mechanical system including a millimeter-scale mechanical hinge comprising:
 providing a first ply of relatively rigid mechanical material, said first ply of relatively rigid mechanical material having a first surface region and having a second surface region disposed in substantially parallel spaced relation to said first surface region;   coupling said first surface region of said first ply of relatively rigid mechanical material to a corresponding surface region of a second ply of sacrificial film carrier material;   applying a patterned photoresist material to said second surface region;   selectively etching said first ply of relatively rigid mechanical material to form at least one substrate portion, said at least one substrate portion remaining coupled to said second ply of sacrificial film carrier material;   selectively coupling said at least one substrate portion to a third ply of relatively flexible material by applying an adhesive material onto said second surface region at said at least one substrate portion and disposing said third ply of relatively flexible material into contact with said adhesive material; and   removing said second ply of sacrificial film carrier material to release a linkage laminate structure from said second ply of sacrificial film carrier material and produce said work in process low profile mechanical system including a millimeter-scale mechanical hinge.   
     
     
         17 . A method of forming a work in process low profile mechanical system including a millimeter-scale mechanical hinge as defined in  claim 16  wherein said applying said adhesive material comprises screenprinting said adhesive material through a stainless steel wire mesh. 
     
     
         18 . A method of forming a work in process low profile mechanical system including a millimeter-scale mechanical hinge as defined in  claim 16  wherein said applying said adhesive material comprises screenprinting said adhesive material through a 325 wire mesh. 
     
     
         19 . An element of a work in process low profile mechanical system comprising:
 a substantially rigid first ply material having a first surface and a second surface, said first and second surfaces being disposed in substantially parallel spaced relation to one another;   a sacrificial ply material, said sacrificial ply material being coupled to said second surface at a corresponding region of said sacrificial ply material, said sacrificial ply material being adapted to support a substrate portion of said substantially rigid first ply material during a patterning process thereof, said substrate portion having a surface portion of said first surface; and   a substantially flexible second ply material, said substantially flexible second ply material being coupled to said surface portion at a corresponding surface region of said substantially flexible second ply material to form said element of said work in process low profile mechanical system, wherein said sacrificial ply material is adapted to be removed from said substantially rigid first ply material after said patterning process and after said coupling of said substantially flexible second ply material to said surface portion, and wherein, after said patterning process, said substrate portion is supported by said sacrificial ply material and said surface portion has no bridge support.   
     
     
         20 . An element of a work in process low profile mechanical system as defined in  claim 19 , further comprising:
 an additional substrate portion of said substantially rigid first ply material, said additional substrate portion being supported by said sacrificial ply material during said patterning process, said substantially flexible second ply material being coupled to a further surface portion of said additional substrate portion at a corresponding surface region of said substantially flexible second ply material such that, after said removal of said sacrificial ply material, a hinge region of said substantially flexible second ply material is disposed between said substrate portion and said additional substrate portion.