A bilayer composite thin-film beam structure is described. The structure incorporates a bulk phase change material as small inclusions in one layer of a bimorph. The structure, also referred to as a phase change composite bimorph or PCBM, curls abruptly, and reversibly, at a phase transition temperature. Large curling and effective expansion coefficients are demonstrated. The PCBMs may be employed in various self-assembly mechanisms and actuators.

A power conversion device includes an enclosure containing one or more drops of a liquid. A capacitive electret transducer is coupled to the enclosure. In response to applied heat at a heating surface, the liquid vaporizes and then condenses on a flexible membrane of the capacitive electret transducer. The flexible membrane is displaced in response to the vaporization-condensation and the capacitive electret transducer generates an output current.

The disclosure relates to a method for making an actuator based on carbon nanotubes. The method includes: providing a carbon nanotube layer; depositing a vanadium oxide (VO.sub.x) layer on the carbon nanotube layer; and annealing the VO.sub.x layer in an oxygen atmosphere to form a vanadium dioxide layer (VO.sub.2) layer. Because the drastic reversible phase transition of VO.sub.2, the actuator has giant deformation amplitude and fast response.

A MEMS device includes a semiconductor support body having a first cavity, a membrane including a peripheral portion, fixed to the support body, and a suspended portion. A first deformable structure is at a distance from a central part of the suspended portion of the membrane and a second deformable structure is laterally offset relative to the first deformable structure towards the peripheral portion of the membrane. A projecting region is fixed under the membrane. The second deformable structure is deformable so as to translate the central part of the suspended portion of the membrane along a first direction, and the first deformable structure is deformable so as to translate the central part of the suspended portion of the membrane along a second direction.

A microrobot is disclosed. The microrobot includes a magnet configured to provide a motive force when magnetic force of one or more electrical coils act upon the magnet, a support member coupled to the magnet, a thermo-responsive polymer member coupled to each end of the support member at a proximal end, the thermo-responsive polymer member configured to articulate when heated, wherein the thermo-responsive polymer members configured to receive light from a microrobot structured light system and convert the received light into heat.

In some aspects, the present invention embodies both the method and apparatus for converting a pattern of irradiation to a visible image. An embodiment of the present invention provides an array of micro-electro-mechanical sensors with each sensor includes a deflectable micro-cantilever, responsive to absorbed incident radiation and to an applied repulsive electrostatic field. Associated circuitry senses a change in an output signal of the sensor as it responds to incident radiation incident upon the cantilever and provides a biasing force to deflect the cantilever and maintain the detector output signal at a desirable level. The biasing element may be a piezoelectric element, a heater or a pair of electrodes and the corresponding biasing stimulus may be stress (expansion), heat, or electrostatic change. The stimulus compensates for the effect of the infrared radiation and maintains the chosen detector output level at the same level.

An electrothermally actuated microelectromechanical and/or nanoelectromechanical structure including a stationary portion, at least one portion which is movable relative to the stationary portion, at least one electrothermal actuation beam which makes it possible to cause an electric current to flow from the stationary portion to the movable portion, is mechanically connected to the movable portion and is intended to move the movable portion relative to the stationary portion by electrothermal actuation, and at least one electrically conductive connection element electrically connecting the movable portion to the stationary portion, the actuation beam having a thickness of no greater than half one thickness of the movable portion and no greater than half one thickness of the connection element.

A vibrator device includes a base, a vibrator that includes a vibrator element and a vibrator element package, which accommodates the vibrator element and has a first terminal on a surface on a base side, a circuit element that is disposed between the base and the vibrator and has a first connection pad on a surface on a vibrator side, and a conductive connecting member that is disposed between the circuit element and the vibrator, bonds the circuit element and the vibrator together, and electrically connects the first connection pad and the first terminal together.

A system and methods for base excitation of moderately high vibration of micro-cantilevers are disclosed. A micro-cantilever may be coupled to one or more actuators adjacent its base. The actuators may comprise bulk materials, bridges, or formed wires that expand and contract by application of electric currents, due to, for example, the effect of electro-thermal heating or piezoelectric effects. Single actuators or an array of actuators may be placed around the micro-cantilever to oscillate it and apply actuation pulses. The system and methods, and adjustments of the geometrical parameters, may be performed to yield a nominal natural frequency in the system. The excitation of actuators with signals corresponding to the natural frequency may induce resonance in the system and may result in high amplitude vibrations and displacement of the cantilever tip of the micro-cantilever. Various architectures of the actuators may be implemented to stimulate different frequencies of the beam and induce displacement in different direction and amplitudes.

We describe here a method that employs through substrate vias (TSVs) to frustrate the standing waves that are formed in the metal trace. TSVs may be formed at intervals in the first substrate, electrically coupling the metal bondline to the ground plane.