Patent ID: 7612423

Claim:
A signal-carrying flexure structure for a micro-electromechanical device, comprising: a substrate; at least two conductive flexure segments having respective longitudinal axes, each of said segments having a respective cross-sectional area with respect to a plane which is perpendicular to said substrate and parallel to said segment's longitudinal axis; at least one conductive crosspiece affixed to said flexure segments to operatively couple said segments together such that said flexure segments and crosspiece form a single flexure structure, wherein the total cross-sectional area of said at least one crosspiece is less than the total cross-sectional area of said at least two conductive flexure segments, said flexure segments and crosspieces arranged such that the resistance of said flexure structure is equivalent to and the spring constant of said flexure structure is less than that of a solid flexure having a comparable total cross-sectional area with respect to a plane which is perpendicular to said substrate and parallel to said solid flexure's longitudinal axis; at least one support structure affixed to said substrate, said flexure structure having first and second ends, at least one of which is affixed to a respective one of said support structures, said flexure structure arranged such that its flexure segments and crosspieces extend from said support structures and are parallel to and at approximately equal heights above said substrate; wherein said at least two conductive flexure segments are parallel to each other.