Patent ID: 7718458

Claim:
A method for reducing an electrical field at an isolation gap in a capacitive actuator, the method comprising: providing a bottom electrode layer; forming a pattern in the bottom electrode layer, the pattern including an isolation gap between a center and outer electrode components of the patterned electrode layer; depositing a spacing material at least in the isolation gap, wherein the spacing material has a greater height than a remainder of the patterned electrode layer; depositing and patterning a sacrificial material over an upper surface of the patterned electrode layer, the sacrificial material conforming to a surface of the patterned electrode layer and the spacing material; and applying a deformable electrode to a surface of the sacrificial material, wherein the deformable electrode is spaced from the patterned electrode layer a greater distance at a region of the isolation gap than over a remainder between the patterned electrode layer and the deformable electrode resulting from the formation of the spacing material.