Patent ID: 6120002
Filing Date: 2000-09-19
Classification: B33Y,B65H,F16K,Y10T

Abstract:
A passively addressable array of valves comprising:a plurality of valves defined by an aperture plate with a plurality of apertures therethrough and having an inner surface, and a port plate positioned in an opposed spaced apart relationship to the aperture plate, the port plate defining a plurality of ports therethrough and an inner surface, a plurality of conductive flexible films respectively attached to each of the plurality of valves, wherein each flexible film is attached to the valve at a first end thereof and free to move at a second end thereof, with each flexible film independently addressable to alternately switch between an aperture blocking position and an aperture open position,a switching voltage source for maintaining a subset of the plurality of valves at one of a non-addressed voltage and an address voltage,a plurality of switching electrodes, a switching electrode associated with each valve for applying an electrostatic switching force to move the plurality of flexible films, with only that subset of the plurality of valves having flexible films maintained at the address voltage switching between the aperture open position and the aperture blocking position, anda plurality of dielectric layers, each dielectric layer positioned between the switching electrodes and the flexible films to prevent shorting between the flexible films and the switching electrodes made by the process, comprising:forming an aperture substrate;forming a port substrate; andapplying an adhesive layer to either the aperture substrate or the port substrate, andaligning the aperture substrate and the port substrate and bonding the aperture substrate and the port substrate together.