The present invention relates to a vacuum capacitor (1, 30) comprising an enclosure (9) to contain a vacuum dielectric medium, a first electrode (12) and a second electrode (13) separated by said vacuum dielectric medium, the enclosure (9) comprising a first conductive collar (2) in electrical contact with the first electrode (12) and a second conductive collar (3) in electrical contact with the second electrode (13), the first conductive collar (2) and the second conductive collar (3) being separated by an insulating element (4) of the enclosure (9), wherein the enclosure (9) exhibits at least one protruding edge (6), said protruding edge (6) being in electrical contact with the closest of the first conductive collar (2) or the second conductive collar (3), wherein the vacuum capacitor (1, 30) comprises at least one protection means (7, 37) covering on the outside of the vacuum enclosure the protruding edge (6), wherein the protection means (7, 37) is made at least partially of an elastomer, wherein at least the outer surface (7b, 37b) of the protection means (7, 37) is electrically conductive and is at the same electrical potential as the closest conductive collar to the protruding edge (6), and wherein the outer surface (7b, 37b) of the protection means (7, 37) has a radius of curvature greater than the radius of curvature of the protruding edge (6).

The present invention relates to a vacuum capacitor (1, 30) comprising an enclosure (9) to contain a vacuum dielectric medium, a first electrode (12) and a second electrode (13) separated by said vacuum dielectric medium, the enclosure (9) comprising a first conductive collar (2) in electrical contact with the first electrode (12) and a second conductive collar (3) in electrical contact with the second electrode (13), the first conductive collar (2) and the second conductive collar (3) being separated by an insulating element (4) of the enclosure (9), wherein the enclosure (9) exhibits at least one protruding edge (6), said protruding edge (6) being in electrical contact with the closest of the first conductive collar (2) or the second conductive collar (3), wherein the vacuum capacitor (1, 30) comprises at least one protection means (7, 37) covering on the outside of the vacuum enclosure the protruding edge (6), wherein the protection means (7, 37) is made at least partially of an elastomer, wherein at least the outer surface (7b, 37b) of the protection means (7, 37) is electrically conductive and is at the same electrical potential as the closest conductive collar to the protruding edge (6), and wherein the outer surface (7b, 37b) of the protection means (7, 37) has a radius of curvature greater than the radius of curvature of the protruding edge (6).

An antenna having radio-frequency (RF) resonators and methods for fabricating the same are described. In one embodiment, the antenna comprises a physical antenna aperture having an array of antenna elements, where the array of antenna elements includes a plurality of radio-frequency (RF) resonators, with each RF resonator of the plurality of RF resonators having an RF radiating element with a microelectromchanical systems (MEMS) device.

According to one embodiment, an electronic device includes an underlying region, a variable capacitor including fixed electrodes and movable electrodes alternately arranged in a direction not perpendicular to a main surface of the underlying region, and a protective film which covers the variable capacitor and includes a conductive portion electrically connected to the fixed electrodes and having a hole.

According to one embodiment, an electronic device includes an underlying region, a variable capacitor including fixed electrodes and movable electrodes alternately arranged in a direction not perpendicular to a main surface of the underlying region, and a protective film which covers the variable capacitor and includes a conductive portion electrically connected to the fixed electrodes and having a hole.

A multi-axis MEMS gyroscope includes a micromechanical detection structure having a substrate, a driving-mass arrangement, a driven-mass arrangement with a central window, and a sensing-mass arrangement which undergoes sensing movements in the presence of angular velocities about a first horizontal axis and a second horizontal axis. A sensing-electrode arrangement is fixed with respect to the substrate and is set underneath the sensing-mass arrangement. An anchorage assembly is set within the central window for constraining the driven-mass arrangement to the substrate at anchorage elements. The anchorage assembly includes a rigid structure suspended above the substrate that is elastically coupled to the driven mass by elastic connection elements at a central portion, and is coupled to the anchorage elements by elastic decoupling elements at end portions thereof.

A MEMS electrostatic actuator comprises first and second opposing electrode arrangements, wherein at least one of the electrode arrangements is movable. A dielectric material (24) is adjacent the one of the electrode arrangements (22). The second electrode arrangement is patterned such that it includes electrode areas (26) and spaces adjacent the electrode areas, wherein the dielectric material (24) extends at least partially in or over the spaces. The invention uses a multitude of electrode portions as one plate. The electric field lines thus form clusters between the individual electrode portions and the opposing electrode. This arrangement provides an extended range of continuous actuation and tunability.

A MEMS electrostatic actuator comprises first and second opposing electrode arrangements, wherein at least one of the electrode arrangements is movable. A dielectric material (24) is adjacent the one of the electrode arrangements (22). The second electrode arrangement is patterned such that it includes electrode areas (26) and spaces adjacent the electrode areas, wherein the dielectric material (24) extends at least partially in or over the spaces. The invention uses a multitude of electrode portions as one plate. The electric field lines thus form clusters between the individual electrode portions and the opposing electrode. This arrangement provides an extended range of continuous actuation and tunability.

A micromachined tunable capacitor. A pair of first and second MEMS fabricated flexures are flexibly coupled to a piezo actuator drive element configured wherein a stress or strain induced by the piezo actuator drive element urges a first movable capacitor plate element a predetermined distance toward or away from a second capacitor plate element proportional to a predetermined voltage signal.

A micromachined tunable capacitor. A pair of first and second MEMS fabricated flexures are flexibly coupled to a piezo actuator drive element configured wherein a stress or strain induced by the piezo actuator drive element urges a first movable capacitor plate element a predetermined distance toward or away from a second capacitor plate element proportional to a predetermined voltage signal.