Abstract: In one aspect, an electromechanical switching device is illustrated. The electromechanical switching device includes a relay with at least one first conductive portion, at least one second conductive portion, and at least one actuation component that moves the at least one first conductive portion and the at least one second conductive portion into and out of conductive contact. The at least one first conductive portion includes a conductive stationary end coupled to a substrate and a conductive free-floating end. The at least one actuation component includes an actuation stationary end coupled to the substrate and an actuation free-floating end. The actuation free floating end, when the at least one actuation component is not energized, curls, which curls the conductive free floating end into or out of conductive contact with the at least one second conductive portion.

Abstract: A method for extruding composite materials on a substrate includes feeding a first material into a first channel and a second material, used to maintain a shape of the first material, into one or more second channels residing on at least one side of the first channel, merging the flows of the first and second materials into a single flow in which the second material surrounds the first material, applying the single flow to a substrate to produce at least one composite material, and post-processing the composite material to form a solid.

Abstract: A device for extruding/dispensing materials on a substrate includes a housing with at least two channels formed to facilitate flow. The housing includes entrance ports for each of the channels for receiving different materials. The housing further includes an exit port for co-extruding the materials on the substrate to generate a relatively fine feature with a relatively high aspect ratio.

Abstract: Systems and methods may provide electrical contacts to an array of substantially vertically aligned nanorods. The nanorod array may be fabricated on top of a conducting layer that serves as a bottom contact to the nanorods. A top metal contact may be applied to a plurality of nanorods of the nanorod array. The contacts may allow I/V (current/voltage) characteristics of the nanorods to be measured.

Abstract: A curved spring structure includes a base section extending parallel to the substrate surface, a curved cantilever section bent away from the substrate surface, and an elongated section extending from the base section along the substrate surface under the cantilevered section. The spring structure includes a spring finger formed from a self-bending material film (e.g., stress-engineered metal, bimorph/bimetallic) that is patterned and released. A cladding layer is then electroplated and/or electroless plated onto the spring finger for strength. The elongated section is formed from plating material deposited simultaneously with cladding layers. To promote the formation of the elongated section, a cementation layer is provided under the spring finger to facilitate electroplating, or the substrate surface is pre-treated to facilitate electroless plating.

Abstract: A method of forming a self-assembled interconnect structure is described. In the method, a contact pad surface and particles in a solution are brought together. The particles are selected such that they the particles adhere to the contact pad surface. Formation of a contact is completed by pressing an opposite contact into the particles such that an electrical connection is formed via the particles between the opposite contact pad and the substrate surface contact pad. The described self-assembled interconnect structure is particularly useful in display device fabrication.

Abstract: A method of forming a self-assembled interconnect structure is described. In the method, a contact pad surface and particles in a solution are brought together. The particles are selected such that they the particles adhere to the contact pad surface. Formation of a contact is completed by pressing an opposite contact into the particles such that an electrical connection is formed via the particles between the opposite contact pad and the substrate surface contact pad. The described self-assembled interconnect structure is particularly useful in display device fabrication.

Abstract: A method of forming a self-assembled interconnect structure is described. In the method, a contact pad surface and particles in a solution are brought together. The particles are selected such that they the particles adhere to the contact pad surface. Formation of a contact is completed by pressing an opposite contact into the particles such that an electrical connection is formed via the particles between the opposite contact pad and the substrate surface contact pad. The described self-assembled interconnect structure is particularly useful in display device fabrication.

Abstract: A spring structure in which the transition of a metal layer from a solid solution to an intermetallic compound is utilized either to bend a spring finger into a curved shape, or to increase the yield point of the spring finger. The spring finger has an anchor portion attached to a substrate, and a cantilever portion extending over the substrate surface. The metal layer forms at least a portion of the spring finger. The metal layer is initially formed as a solid solution including a primary and secondary elements that transform to an intermetallic compound upon annealing, thereby generating a bending force that causes the cantilever portion of the spring finger to bend relative to the substrate, and/or to increase the yield point of the bent cantilever portion. The metal layer is formed by plating and/or sputtering, and annealing is performed before and/or after release of the cantilever portion.

Abstract: A spring structure in which the transition of a metal layer from a solid solution to an intermetallic compound is utilized either to bend a spring finger into a curved shape, or to increase the yield point of the spring finger. The spring finger has an anchor portion attached to a substrate, and a cantilever portion extending over the substrate surface. The metal layer forms at least a portion of the spring finger. The metal layer is initially formed as a solid solution including a primary and secondary elements that transform to an intermetallic compound upon annealing, thereby generating a bending force that causes the cantilever portion of the spring finger to bend relative to the substrate, and/or to increase the yield point of the bent cantilever portion. The metal layer is formed by plating and/or sputtering, and annealing is performed before and/or after release of the cantilever portion.

Abstract: In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a solar photovoltaic device is disclosed. The semiconductor material of the solar photovoltaic device is a heterostructure of two different binary compounds of a pair of immiscible metals. The two different binary compounds have a conduction band edge offset of greater than about 0.4 eV. The binary compound acting as the optical absorbing material of the solar photovoltaic device has a bandgap of about 1.0 eV to about 1.8 eV.

Abstract: Systems and methods may provide electrical contacts to an array of substantially vertically aligned nanorods. The nanorod array may be fabricated on top of a conducting layer that serves as a bottom contact to the nanorods. A top metal contact may be applied to a plurality of nanorods of the nanorod array. The contacts may allow I/V (current/voltage) characteristics of the nanorods to be measured.

Abstract: Systems and methods may provide electrical contacts to an array of substantially vertically aligned nanorods. The nanorod array may be fabricated on top of a conducting layer that serves as a bottom contact to the nanorods. A top metal contact may be applied to a plurality of nanorods of the nanorod array. The contacts may allow I/V (current/voltage) characteristics of the nanorods to be measured.

Abstract: Systems and methods may provide electrical contacts to an array of substantially vertically aligned nanorods. The nanorod array may be fabricated on top of a conducting layer that serves as a bottom contact to the nanorods. A top metal contact may be applied to a plurality of nanorods of the nanorod array. The contacts may allow I/V (current/voltage) characteristics of the nanorods to be measured.

Abstract: In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, a solar photovoltaic device is disclosed. The semiconductor material of the solar photovoltaic device is a heterostructure of two different binary compounds of the same metal. One or both of the two different binary compounds of the same metal are doped so that they have a conduction band edge offset of greater than about 0.4 eV. The binary compound acting as the optical absorbing material of the solar photovoltaic device has a bandgap of about 1.0 eV to about 1.8 eV.

Abstract: Micro-machined (e.g., stress-engineered spring) structures are produced by forming a release layer, forming a partially or fully encapsulated beam/spring structure, and then releasing the beam/spring structure by etching the release layer. The encapsulation structure protects the beam/spring during release, so both the release layer and the beam/spring can be formed using plating and/or using the same material. The encapsulation structure can be metal, resist, polymer, oxide, or nitride, and may be removed after the release process, or retained as part of the completed micro-machined structure.

Abstract: A curved spring structure includes a base section extending parallel to the substrate surface, a curved cantilever section bent away from the substrate surface, and an elongated section extending from the base section along the substrate surface under the cantilevered section. The spring structure includes a spring finger formed from a self-bending material film (e.g., stress-engineered metal, bimorph/bimetallic) that is patterned and released. A cladding layer is then electroplated and/or electroless plated onto the spring finger for strength. The elongated section is formed from plating material deposited simultaneously with cladding layers. To promote the formation of the elongated section, a cementation layer is provided under the spring finger to facilitate electroplating, or the substrate surface is pre-treated to facilitate electroless plating.

Abstract: According to various exemplary embodiments, a spring device that includes a substrate, a self-releasing layer provided over the substrate and a stressed-metal layer provided over the self-releasing layer is disclosed, wherein an amount of stress inside the stressed-metal layer results in a peeling force that is higher than an adhesion force between the self-releasing layer and the stressed-metal layer. Moreover, a method of manufacturing a spring device, according to various exemplary embodiments, includes providing a substrate, providing a self-releasing layer over the substrate and providing a stressed-metal layer over the self-releasing layer wherein an amount of stress inside the stressed-metal layer results in a peeling force that is higher than an adhesion force between the self-releasing layer and the stressed-metal layer is also disclosed in this invention.

Abstract: In accordance with one aspect of the present application, a solar photovoltaic cell is disclosed. The semiconductor material of the solar photovoltaic cell includes an inter-digitated nanostructure of a charge transport material and an optical absorbing material. The charge transport material is formed by anodization of a metal, preferably a transition metal. The resultant charge transport material has an array of discrete, substantially parallel and cylindrical pores formed therein. These pores are filled with the optical semiconductor material, which can include a solution of organic semiconducting materials or an inorganic semiconducting oxide material.

Abstract: Lithographically defined and etched spring structures are produced by various methods such that they avoid the formation of a plated metal wedge on an underside of the spring structure after release. A post is utilized to offset the spring from an underlying substrate by a distance greater than the thickness of the plated metal. A trench is etched into the substrate below the spring to provide clearance during deflection of the spring. Another spring includes a knee (bend) that provides the necessary clearance during deflection. A plating process is limited to the upper side of another spring. A released spring is used as a shadow mask for patterning resist that prevents wedge formation during plating.