A multi-axis MEMS assembly is configured to provide multi-axis movement and includes: a first in-plane MEMS actuator configured to enable movement along at least an X-axis; and a second in-plane MEMS actuator configured to enable movement along at least a Y-axis; wherein the first in-plane MEMS actuator is coupled to the second in-plane MEMS actuator.

A micromechanical component, including an adjustable part that is connected, at least via springs, to the mounting, and an actuator device with which a first oscillating motion of the adjustable part is excitable about a first rotational axis and at the same time a second oscillating motion of the adjustable part is excitable about a second rotational axis. The actuator device includes four piezoelectric bending actuators, and the adjustable part is settable into the first oscillating motion and/or into the second oscillating motion by deformation of the four piezoelectric bending actuators, and each of the four piezoelectric bending actuators at its first end is anchored to the mounting, and the adjustable part is suspended, at least via the springs, on the four piezoelectric bending actuators.

A micromirror array comprises a substrate, a plurality of mirrors for reflecting incident light and, for each mirror of the plurality of mirrors, at least one multilayer piezoelectric actuator for displacing the mirror, wherein the at least one multilayer piezoelectric actuator is connected to the substrate, and wherein the at least one multilayer piezoelectric actuator comprises a plurality of piezoelectric layers of piezoelectric material interleaved with a plurality of electrode layers to form a stack of layers. Also disclosed is a method of forming such a micromirror array. The micromirror array may be used in a programmable illuminator. The programmable illuminator may be used in a lithographic apparatus and/or in an inspection and/or metrology apparatus.

A driving apparatus includes a movable portion, a fixed portion configured to hold the movable portion, and a controller configured to control a position of the movable portion relative to the fixed portion. At least part of the outer surface of the movable portion is a spherical surface. The fixed portion includes a plurality of vibrators configured to press and contact the spherical surface of the movable portion and to rotate the movable portion, and a pressure receiver configured to hold pressure contact states of the plurality of vibrators against the movable portion. The movable portion is held by the plurality of vibrators and the pressure receiver, and a spherical center of the spherical surface of the movable portion is located between a plane passing through the plurality of vibrators and the pressure receiver.

A piezoelectric drive apparatus for a motor, the apparatus including a substrate having a longitudinal direction and a widthwise direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, a piezoelectric element provided on the substrate and having a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric body positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a contact section that is attached to a front end section of the substrate in the longitudinal direction thereof or in contact with the front end section of the substrate in the longitudinal direction thereof and comes into contact with a driven body, wherein the longitudinal direction of the substrate roughly coincides with a direction in which Young's modulus is minimized in a plane of the substrate.

A piezoelectric driving device includes: a substrate including a fixed portion, and a vibrating body portion which is provided with a piezoelectric element and is supported by the fixed portion; and a contact portion which comes into contact with a driven body, and transmits movement of the vibrating body portion to the driven body, the contact portion is provided at an end portion in the longitudinal direction of the vibrating body portion, and a difference between a distance between the end portion when the contact portion is not pressed against the driven body and a tip end of the contact portion, and a distance between the end portion when the contact portion is pressed against the driven body and the tip end, is smaller than a total amplitude in the longitudinal direction in a case where the vibrating body portion is driven.

A drive element includes: a fixing part; a drive part placed on a lateral side of the fixing part and coupled to the fixing part; and a movable part configured to be driven by the drive part. A lower electrode, a piezoelectric layer, and an upper electrode are formed in order in an upper surface region of the fixing part and the drive part, and in a wiring region on the fixing part side of the upper surface region, a low dielectric layer containing at least one element forming the piezoelectric layer is formed on an upper surface of the piezoelectric layer.

A driving device includes a plurality of motive power generators that receive electric power supply and generate motive power, the plurality of motive power generators form a plurality of sets of motive power generators in which two or more of the motive power generators are electrically parallel-connected, and the plurality of sets of motive power generators are electrically series-connected. A driving device includes a plurality of vibrators that receive electric power supply and vibrate and provide drive power for driving a driven member to the driven member, the plurality of vibrators form a plurality of sets of vibrators in which two or more of the vibrators are electrically parallel-connected, and the plurality of sets of vibrators are electrically series-connected.

A monolithic, bulk piezoelectric actuator includes a bulk piezoelectric substrate having a starting top surface and an opposing starting bottom surface and a at least two electrodes operatively disposed on the bulk piezoelectric substrate consisting of at least two discrete electrodes disposed on either/both of the starting top surface and the starting bottom surface and at least one electrode disposed on the respective other starting bottom surface or starting top surface. A stage includes a base, at least two of the monolithic, bulk piezoelectric actuators disposed on the base, a movable platform disposed on the base, and a respective number of deformable connectors each having a first connection to a respective one of the piezoelectric actuators and a second connection to a respective portion of the movable platform. A method for monolithically making a monolithic, bulk piezoelectric actuator involves a direct write micropatterning technique.

A two-degree-of-freedom rotation control device includes a rotary body having a friction spherical surface, wherein a load mounting platform is provided on a top of the rotating body or inside the rotating body; a fixing and supporting structure configured to hold the rotating body, to allow the rotating body to have only a rotational degree of freedom; and a driving motor, wherein, a driving end of the driving motor is in direct contact with the friction spherical surface of the rotating body, to form a friction transmission pair tangent to the friction spherical surface. An application system has the two-degree-of-freedom rotation control device and a working unit on the two-degree-of-freedom rotation control device.