Rib-reinforced micromachined beam and its applications

The stiffness of a micromachined beam is usually restricted to the thicknes s of the thin-film materials. In this research, the rib-reinforced beam is proposed to increase the bending stiffness of thin-film micromachined struc tures. The increase of the bending stiffness of micromachined cantilevers h as been demonstrated through analytical and experimental approaches. The fa brication processes required for the structure are compatible with the stan dard hulk micromachining processes. The primary contribution of the propose d design is that it can remarkably increase the bending stiffness of the mi cromachined structure without changing the thickness of the films. Hence, t he design of the micromachined structure becomes more flexible. In applicat ion of the rib-reinforced structure, a micromachined lever mechanism is als o designed and fabricated.