Some embodiments are directed to a system comprising a MEMS based actuator unit and a control electric circuit. The actuator unit comprising one or more MEMS actuators, each comprising a stator and a rotor and configured to define a payload position in response to electric potential between said stator and rotor. The electric circuit comprising one or more amplifiers configured to provide electric control signal to the one or more MEMS actuators to selectively vary position of said payload. The electric circuit comprises a sensing circuit configured for providing an alternating carrier signal and for monitoring said carrier signal to generate data on impedance of said one or more MEMS actuators indicative of position of the rotor with respect to the stator of said one or more MEMS actuators.

A ferroelectric material includes a mixed crystal having AlN and at least one nitride of a transition metal. The proportion of the nitride of the transition metal is selected such that a direction of an initial or spontaneous polarity of the ferroelectric material is switchable by applying a switchover voltage. The switchover voltage is below a breakdown voltage of the ferroelectric material.

A fabric-based item may include fabric such as woven fabric having insulating and conductive yarns or other strands of material. The conductive yarns may form signal paths. Electrical components can be embedded within pockets in the fabric. Each electrical component may have an electrical device such as a semiconductor die that is mounted on an interposer substrate. The electrical device may be a light-emitting diode, a sensor, an actuator, or other electrical device. The electrical device may have contacts that are soldered to contacts on the interposer. The interposer may have additional contacts that are soldered to the signal paths. The fabric may have portions that form transparent windows overlapping the electrical components or that have other desired attributes.

A camera system incorporating a MEMS actuator to achieve focus adjustments to compensate for the thermal expansion of the lens assembly is disclosed. The camera comprises a lens barrel, lens holder, infra-red (IR) filter, board circuit, MEMS actuator, housing package for the actuator, and an image sensor. The image sensor is directly wire bonded to pads on the circuit board such that these pads are movable at the image sensor end and fixed at the circuit board end. When the camera is exposed to temperature variations, the MEMS actuator moves the sensor along the optical axis to maintain the image in focus.

A suspended device structure comprises a substrate, a cavity disposed in a surface of the substrate, and a device suspended entirely over a bottom of the cavity. The device is a piezoelectric device and is suspended at least by a tether that physically connects the device to the substrate. The tether has a non-linear centerline. A wafer can comprise a plurality of suspended device structures. A device structure can comprise a device over a sacrificial portion or cavity and a tether with a tether opening extending to the sacrificial portion or cavity. The tether or tether opening can have a T shape. The tether can have a tether length at least one third as large as a device length and the device can have a device length at least twice as large as a device width.

A method of manufacturing a MEMS device, the MEMS device comprising a movable Micro-Electro-Mechanical piezoelectric component and a CMOS circuit configured to be in conductive communication with the Micro-Electro-Mechanical component. A plurality of CMOS circuit layers are formed on a substrate to form the CMOS circuit, the plurality of CMOS circuit layers comprising a plurality of CMOS passivation and metallisation layers. A portion of at least one of the plurality of CMOS passivation and metallisation layers is removed in a component region of the device. One or more component region layers are formed in place of the removed portion in the component region to form the movable Micro-Electro-Mechanical piezoelectric component. The one or more component region layers are different from the portion of the at least one of the plurality of CMOS passivation and metallisation layers.

A ferroelectric material includes a mixed crystal having AlN and at least one nitride of a transition metal. The proportion of the nitride of the transition metal is selected such that a direction of an initial or spontaneous polarity of the ferroelectric material is switchable by applying a switchover voltage. The switchover voltage is below a breakdown voltage of the ferroelectric material.

Described is an electrically actuated, pneumatic driven motor. The pneumatic driven motor includes a body having first and second surfaces, the body having a chamber defined by an interior wall, a displacement cavity, and a passage that fluidly couples the displacement cavity to the chamber, a bleeder port and a bleeder port passage that fluidly couples the bleeder port to the chamber, a valve disposed in the passage between the displacement cavity and the chamber, an annular pushrod mechanism coupled to the valve, the annular pushrod mechanism having a pair of pawls that protrude from an inner surface of the annular pushrod mechanism, an axle disposed in the chamber; and a motor gear disposed about the axle, the motor gear having a plurality of teeth that selectively engage with the pawls on the pushrod mechanism according to displacement of the annular pushrod mechanism.

In at least one illustrative embodiment, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) includes a composable piezoelectric actuator electrically coupled to a terminal. In response to a voltage applied across electrodes of the actuator, a piezoelectric rod moves from an initial position to a displaced position. In an embodiment, the MEMS includes two terminals, a resistive element is coupled between the terminals, and when in the displaced position the rod contacts one of the terminals. In an embodiment, the MEMS includes three terminals, and when a threshold voltage is applied to one of the terminals, the rod moves to the displaced position and allows current to flow between the other two terminals. In an embodiment, the MEMS includes a primary set of actuators that are mechanically but not electrically connected to a secondary set of actuators. An output terminal is coupled to the second set of actuators. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

A device includes a first stage having a first optical switch, a first transistor connected to the first optical switch, and a second transistor connected to the first optical switch and the first transistor. The device also includes a second stage having a second optical switch, a third transistor connected to the second transistor and the second optical switch, and a fourth transistor connected to the second transistor, the second optical switch, and the third transistor.