Electrochemical Fabrication Method for Producing Compliant Beam-Like Structures

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed to the formation of beam-like structures using electrochemical fabrication techniques where the beam like structures have narrow regions and wider regions such that a beam of desired compliance is obtained. In some embodiments, narrower regions of the beam are thinner than a minimum feature size but are formable as a result of the thicker regions. In some embodiments the beam-like structures are formed from a plurality of adhered layers.

1 . An elongated structure having a desired compliance, comprising a structural material that is configured with narrow regions separated by wider regions, wherein the widths of the regions are selected to yield desired mechanical properties. 
   
   
       2 . The structure of  claim 1  comprising a plurality of layers of deposited material. 
   
   
       3 . The structure of  claim 1  wherein the narrow regions have a width that is less than a general minimum feature size associated with a build process which is used in fabricating the structure and where the wider regions have a width that is greater than the general minimum feature size. 
   
   
       4 . A method of designing a structure, comprising:
 designing a structure comprising one or more beam-like elements to have a desired set of mechanical properties;   comparing the dimensions of the designed structure with minimum feature size dimensions and determining that a width of at least one of the beam-like elements is narrower than a minimum feature size;   modifying the configuration of the at least one beam-like element that has a width narrower than the minimum feature size by, configuring portions of the one beam-like element to have a width less than the minimum feature size and at least one other portion of the at least one beam-like element to have a width greater than the minimum feature size.   
   
   
       5 . A method for producing a multi-layer structure having an elongated element having an effective compliance, comprising:
 configuring a design of the elongated element to have portions that have widths less than a minimum feature size and portions having widths greater than the minimum feature size wherein a compliance of the elongated elements is set at desired amount;   producing the structure using masking operations and electrochemical deposition or etching operations, where the formation of the masks or use of the masks at least in part dictate the minimum feature size.