Disclosed is a piezoelectric inertial drive stage including a piezoelectric inertial driver, a slider and a holder. The driver includes a mounting portion for the mounting on the holder, a friction portion coupling to the slider, a flexure portion between the mounting portion and friction portion, a piezoelectric element with a first end bonded to the mounting portion and a second end bonded to a movement portion, the movement portion transferring the motion of the piezoelectric element to the friction portion to drive the slider.

An optical element driving mechanism is provided, including a movable portion, a fixed portion, a driving assembly, and a support element. The movable portion is used for connecting to an optical element having a main axis. The movable portion is movable relative to the fixed portion. The driving assembly is used for driving the movable portion to move relative to the fixed portion. The movable portion moves relative to the fixed portion through the support element.

An optical system is provided. The optical system includes a first optical module. The first optical module includes a fixed portion, a movable portion, a driving assembly, and a circuit assembly. The movable portion is movably connected to the fixed portion, and the movable portion is used to connect to an optical element. The driving assembly is used to drive the movable portion to move relative to the fixed portion. The circuit assembly is electrically connected to the driving assembly.

A brushless electric motor is disclosed. A group of permanent magnets are physically attached to a group of piezoelectric actuators which push them toward or pull them away from a second group of permanent magnets when the piezoelectric actuators are electrically activated. The second group of permanent magnets may also be pushed and pulled with a second group of piezoelectric actuators. Alternate configurations using electromagnets are also disclosed. A novel configuration for the groups of electromagnets which maximizes efficiency in a piezoelectrically actuated motor is also disclosed.

An optical element driving mechanism is provided. The optical element driving mechanism includes a fixed portion, a movable portion, and a driving assembly. The fixed portion includes a limiting portion. The movable portion is movably disposed on the fixed portion and includes an optical element and a connecting assembly. The optical element has a main axis. The connecting assembly is connected to the optical element. The driving assembly is at least partially disposed on the fixed portion, wherein the limiting portion is used for limiting the range of motion of the movable portion relative to the fixed portion.

A linear or rotary step motor for moving an object comprising: one or more beam actuators; and one or more auxiliary actuators. Each beam actuator comprises: (a) a flexible beam; (b) two holders holding the flexible beam from the beam edges; and (c) an actuator for moving the said at least one holder in order to bent the beam toward the object or to pull the beam away from the object. The axillary actuators are connected to the one or more beam actuators. The beam actuators configured to grip or release the object, and the one or more beam actuators perform a movement step to the object by first grip the object by the one or more beam actuators then push the object by activating the auxiliary actuator.

An apparatus and a method of fabricating an apparatus for piercing an object, the apparatus comprises: a substrate; one or more needles; one or more anchors and one or more piezoelectric actuators. The method comprises the steps of deposit sacrificial layer over the substrate; deposit conducting layer over the sacrificial layer; deposit piezoelectric layer over the conducting layer; etch a geometry of the one or more piezoelectric actuators using a first mask created by lithography process; deposit the one or more needle and one or more anchors using a second mask created by lithography process and a lift-off process; etch the sacrificial layer under the needle and the one or more piezoelectric actuators, wherein the anchors are configured to connect the substrate to the piezoelectric actuators and the one or more piezoelectric actuators are configured to expand, contract or bend, and form holding arms that are configured to move the one or more needles.

The disclosure relates to a drive means for non-resonant linear and/or rotary positioning of an object, comprising at least two piezoelectric or electrostrictive actuator groups, where-in a first actuator group moves a first runner portion relative to a stationary base of the drive means according to the principle of an inertia drive, and by means of the second actuator group a second runner portion is moved relative to the first runner portion with a limited range of movement in the high-resolution scan mode, wherein a common electrical control signal is applied to the first and second actuator groups.

A piezoelectric stepper drive includes a piezoelectric drive apparatus with at least two drive sections, each acted upon by at least two piezoelectric actuators, and a driven member which is advanced by at least one of the drive sections when control voltages are applied to the actuators. The drive apparatus is configured approximately in the shape of a triangle, at the tip of which the drive sections are arranged. At least one of the drive sections is biased against the driven member, in the absence of control voltages applied to the actuators, such that the drive section blocks advance of the driven member, where each of the drive sections is mounted individually resilient relative to a base of the triangle.

An optical element driving mechanism is provided that includes a fixed assembly, a movable assembly, a driving assembly, and a circuit assembly. The movable assembly is configured to be connected to an optical element, and the movable assembly is movable relative to the fixed assembly. The driving assembly is configured to drive the movable member to move relative to the fixed assembly. The circuit assembly is electrically connected to the driving assembly, and the circuit assembly includes an electrical connection element having a resin material.