US 12,404,166 B2
Manufacturing method of device
Jemm Yue Liang, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Chiung C. Lo, San Jose, CA (US); Martin George Lim, Hillsborough, CA (US); Wen-Chien Chen, New Taipei (TW); Michael David Housholder, San Jose, CA (US); and David Hong, Los Altos, CA (US)
Assigned to xMEMS Labs, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by xMEMS Labs, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 29, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/955,562.
Application 17/955,562 is a division of application No. 17/842,810, filed on Jun. 17, 2022, granted, now 11,884,535.
Application 17/842,810 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/344,980, filed on Jun. 11, 2021, granted, now 11,399,228, issued on Jul. 26, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/050,763, filed on Jul. 11, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/051,885, filed on Jul. 14, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/171,919, filed on Apr. 7, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/320,703, filed on Mar. 17, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0023306 A1, Jan. 26, 2023
Int. Cl. H04R 31/00 (2006.01); B81B 3/00 (2006.01)
CPC B81B 3/0021 (2013.01) [B81B 3/0051 (2013.01); B81B 3/0072 (2013.01); H04R 31/00 (2013.01); B81B 2201/0257 (2013.01); B81B 2203/0127 (2013.01); B81B 2203/0163 (2013.01); B81B 2207/03 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A manufacturing method for a device, comprising:
providing a wafer, wherein the wafer comprises a first layer and a second layer;
forming and patterning an actuating material formed on a first side of the wafer;
patterning the first layer of the wafer, so as to form a trench line; and
removing a first part of the second layer of the wafer,
wherein a second part of the second layer forms at least one anchor structure, the patterned first layer forms a film structure anchored by the at least one anchor structure, and the film structure comprises a membrane,
wherein a slit is formed within and penetrates through the membrane because of the trench line,
wherein the film structure is configured to be actuated to form a vent temporarily, and the vent is formed because of the slit,
wherein the device is disposed within a wearable sound device or to be disposed within the wearable sound device, and the film structure partitions a space into a first volume to be connected to an ear canal of a wearable sound device user and a second volume to be connected to an ambient of the wearable sound device,
wherein the ear canal and the ambient are to be connected via the vent temporarily opened,
wherein the slit divides the membrane into a first membrane portion and a second membrane portion, the first membrane portion is actuated to have a first displacement, and the second membrane portion is actuated to have a second displacement, and
wherein over a segment of the slit, a difference between the first displacement of the first membrane portion and the second displacement of the second membrane portion is larger than a thickness of the membrane, and the vent is formed over the segment of the slit.