A micro-valve includes an orifice plate including an orifice. The micro-valve further includes an actuating beam having a first end and a second end. The actuating beam also includes a base layer and a layer of piezoelectric material disposed on the base layer, a bottom electrode layer, and a top electrode layer. At an electrical connection portion of the actuating beam, the layer of piezoelectric material includes a first via, and a portion of the top electrode layer disposed within the first via, and a portion of the bottom electrode disposed beneath the first via. The actuating beam includes a base portion extending from the electrical connection portion and a cantilevered portion extending from the base portion. The cantilevered portion is movable in response to application of a differential electrical signal between the bottom electrode layer and the top electrode layer to one of open or close the micro-valve.

A piezoelectric actuator includes a deflectable membrane and a piezoelectric element attached to a part of the deflectable membrane for exerting a mechanical force on the deflectable membrane. The piezoelectric element is operable to perform an expansion and a contraction motion depending on an electric field applied to the piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric element leaves open a central region of the deflectable membrane and has a peripheral outline that does not coincide with an outline of the deflectable membrane.

A method for manufacturing at least one micromechanical device includes: providing a first and a separate second substrate, each having two surfaces spaced parallel to each other with a predetermined thickness; patterning a first trench structure into one of the two surfaces of the first substrate, and a second trench structure into one of the two surfaces of the second substrate; arranging the patterned surfaces of the two substrates with respect to each other such that a substrate stack with an upper and a lower surface is defined and the first and/or second trench structure forms at least one cavity therein; thinning the substrate stack from its upper and/or lower surface; exposing the at least one cavity by patterning a recess into the upper and/or lower surface of the substrate stack, wherein exposing the at least one cavity is performed after arranging the two substrates into the substrate stack.

Further embodiments relate to a valve manufactured by means of the method and to a micromechanical pump.

A miniature fluid transportation device is provided and includes a convergence component, a valve component, an outlet plate and a plurality of fluid transportation actuation components. The plurality of fluid transportation actuation components are disposed on the convergence component so as to transport the fluid to the convergence component. The convergence component guides the fluid transported by the fluid transportation actuation components to the outlet plate through the valve component. The outlet plate guides the fluid from different transportation actuation components back to the convergence component by a separation guiding block. The fluid is converged in a convergence central slot of the convergence component and is discharged out through a collection channel of the outlet plate. Consequently, the problem of interference owing to the convergence of the fluid transported by different fluid transportation actuation components can be avoided.

A micro-pneumatic control unit comprising a plurality of control channels for generating the control pressures in a pneumatically actuated multi-channel coating head for coating components with a coating agent, a control channel being characterized by a valve element comprising a valve bore in a valve plate and a diaphragm layer which is below the valve plate and is configured as a diaphragm closing element in the region of the valve bore, the shape of which diaphragm closing element defined by recesses positioned laterally with respect to the valve bore, by a micro-actuator having a plunger that actuates the diaphragm closing element through the valve bore such that the valve element opens, by a second micro-pneumatic element connected in series with the valve element, the control pressure developing and a cavity located at the connection node thereof, which cavity is connected to at least one pneumatically operated coating agent ejector, and by a pneumatic pressurization of the micro-pneumatic control unit, which is directed such that, with respect to the valve element, there is a pressure gradient from the diaphragm closing element to the valve bore in the valve plate.

A piezo actuator for carrying out an actuating movement is disclosed, with a piezo bending transducer made of a carrier layer which is at least partially covered on one or two sides with a piezo lamella, with a movable end and with a housing, with a reference stop connected to the housing for determining a reference position for the actuating movement, with a first bearing region which comprises regions of the piezo actuator and the housing and which allows for twists ϕ1 of the piezo bending transducer, with a second bearing region having a surface on the side of the bending transducer and a surface on the side of the housing, and an intermediate layer between the surfaces, which connects them and which can be liquefied, and with a pressure element for generating a bias torque on the piezo bending transducer around the first bearing region against the reference stop.

A micro fluid actuator includes a first substrate, a chamber layer, a vibration layer, a first metal layer, a piezoelectric actuation layer, a second metal layer, a second substrate, an inlet layer, a resonance layer and an aperture array plate. The first substrate includes a plurality of first outflow apertures and a plurality of second outflow apertures. The chamber layer includes a storage chamber. The second metal layer includes an upper electrode pad and a lower electrode pad. While driving power having different phase charges is provided to the upper electrode pad and the lower electrode pad to drive and control the vibration layer to displace in a reciprocating manner, the fluid is inhaled from the exterior through the inlet layer, converged to the storage chamber, compressed and pushes out the aperture array plate, and then is discharged out from the micro fluid actuator to achieve fluid transportation.

A manufacturing method of micro fluid actuator includes: providing a substrate; depositing a first protection layer on a first surface of the substrate; depositing an actuation region on the first protection layer; applying lithography dry etching to a portion of the first protection layer to produce at least one first protection layer flow channel; applying wet etching to a portion of a main structure of the substrate to produce a chamber body and a first polycrystalline silicon flow channel region, while a region of an oxidation layer middle section of the main structure is not etched; applying reactive-ion etching to a portion of a second surface of the substrate to produce at least one substrate silicon flow channel; and applying dry etching to a portion of a silicon dioxide layer to produce at least one silicon dioxide flow channel.

A fluid control device (111) includes a valve section (12) and a blower section (13). The valve section (12) allows fluid to flow in one direction. The valve section (12) has the shape of a cylindrical container with a valve chamber (40) provided therein. The valve section (12) includes a top plate (21), a side-wall plate (22), a bottom plate (23), and a film (24). A plurality of ejection holes (41) and a plurality of auxiliary holes (49) arranged in a predetermined pattern are formed in a central region of the top plate (21). A plurality of communication holes (43) arranged in a predetermined pattern are formed in a central region of the bottom plate (23). A plurality of film holes (42) arranged in a predetermined pattern are formed in a central region of the film (24).

A three-way (3-way) Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)-based micro-valve device and method of fabrication for the implementation of a three-way MEMS-based micro-valve are disclosed. The micro-valve device has a wide range of applications, including medical, industrial control, aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics and products, as well as any application(s) requiring the use of three-way micro-valves for the control of fluids. The discloses three-way micro-valve device and method of fabrication that can be tailored to the requirements of a wide range of applications and fluid types, and can also use a number of different actuation methods, including actuation methods that have very small actuation pressures and energy densities even at higher fluidic pressures. This is enabled by a novel pressure-balancing scheme, wherein the fluid pressure balances the actuator mechanism so that only a small amount of actuation pressure (or force) is needed to switch the state of the actuator and device from open to closed, or closed to open.