Fabrication of MEMS using liquid jet dispensing technique

We describe a simple yet efficient technique of delineation of various polymer MEMS structures using computer driven liquid jet dispenser. A syringe-type dispenser with a replaceable needle is filled with a polymer solution and mounted on a vertical translation stage. The substrate is mounted on two-coordinate horizontal translation stage. Additional vertical translation arm is connected to the plunger of the syringe. Vertical translation provides positioning of the needle at a certain height over the substrate. Delineation is accomplished when the syringe plunger, being pushed down by the vertical translation arm, dispenses the liquid on the substrate at a programmable flow rate simultaneously with horizontal motion of the substrate with respect to the needle. Horizontal motion is done along a programmable trajectory at a programmable sped. Comparing to conventional methods, the proposed device consumes three order of magnitude less amount of material for the fabrication of similar MEMS structures. In addition, we describe a supplement to the liquid delineation system in the form of a microscope objective head connected to a noncoherent UV source with a multimode optical fiber. The head can serve as a tool for UV curing of the polymer material deposited with the jet dispenser as well as a separate UV writing tool. In conclusion, we describe the calculation technique for the distribution of the electric field in electrically or optically controlled ferroelectric polymer MEMS fabricated by the proposed technique.