A micro-electro-mechanical actuator device includes a fixed structure and a mobile structure. The mobile structure includes a first deformable band, a second deformable band, and a third deformable band, both of which extend on opposite sides of the first deformable band, each of which carries a piezoelectric actuator. In a working condition, in which the second and third piezoelectrics are biased, the second and third deformable bands are subjected to a negative bending, while the first deformable band is subjected to a positive bending. There are thus generated two translations that add together, causing a displacement of the first deformable band greater than the one that may be obtained by a single membrane of an equal base area.

A pressure sensor including: a structure which delimits a main cavity of a closed type, the structure being at least partially deformable as a function of a pressure external to the structure; and a MEMS device, which is arranged in the main cavity and generates an output signal, which is of an electrical type and is indicative of the pressure inside the main cavity.

A micromechanical component having a substrate, a membrane that covers an opening structured into the substrate from a first side of the substrate and that can be warped by a pressure difference between the first side of the substrate and a second side, oriented away from the first side, of the substrate, and having at least one actuator electrode that is connected at least to the membrane in such a way that the at least one actuator electrode can be displaced relative to the substrate by a warping of the membrane, the at least one actuator electrode being capable of being displaced relative to the substrate by the warping of the membrane, in each case along a displacement axis oriented parallel to the second side of the substrate. A production method for a micromechanical component is also described.

A displacement increasing mechanism has a fixing portion, first and second actuators coupled to the fixing portion, a first beam having first and second end portions and coupled to the first actuator at the first end portion, a second beam having third and fourth end portions and coupled to the second actuator 4 at the third end portion, and a drive target member coupled to a parallel arrangement portion at which the first and second beams are arranged in parallel with each other. The first actuator is driven to pull the first beam from a second end portion side in the direction of extending the first beam, and the second actuator is driven to push the second beam form a fourth end portion side in the direction of extending the second beam.

A new tri-electrode topology reduces the control voltage requirement for electrostatic actuators. Conventional parallel plate actuators are dual-electrode systems, formed by the MEMS structure and the drive electrode. By placing a perforated intermediate electrode between these elements, a tri-electrode configuration is formed. This topology enables a low voltage on the intermediate electrode to modulate the electrostatic force of the higher voltage drive electrode, whose voltage remains fixed. Results presented show that in comparison to conventional parallel plate electrostatic actuators, the intermediate electrode's modulating voltage can be as low as 20% of normal, while still providing the full actuation stroke.

An actuator system can be used to adjust a position of a component in a spatial light modulator. The actuator system has a pair of actuators that are coupled together by a frame that is used to adjust the height of the component relative to the substrate. The frame includes a pair of moment arms that are coupled to the actuators and a pair of connecting arms that are coupled to the moment arms. The connecting arms are then connected together at about the center of the frame, which portion of the frame can be used to raise or lower the plate. The center of the frame can be raised or lowered by a shortening or lengthening of the connecting arms relative to each other.

A spatial light modulator is provided that uses light modulation structures at each pixel to employ electromagnetic interference to modulate the intensity and/or phase of the transmitted and/or reflected light from the pixel. The use of the modulation structures enables the independent and dynamic changing of the intensity and/or phase of the reflected and/or transmitted light at each pixel. The modulation structure can incorporate a plate with a semi-reflective surface that is separated from a substrate having either a reflective or semi-reflective surface. The modulation structure can have actuators positioned between the substrate and the plate to control the separation distance between the plate and the substrate. By controlling the separation distance, the amount of light reflected by and/or transmitted through the surfaces of the plate and substrate can be controlled. The separation distance can be related to the resulting interference applied to particular wavelengths of the light.

According to one embodiment, a sensor includes a first beam, a first opposing beam, a support portion, a first linking portion, and a first connecting portion. The first beam includes a first portion and a first other portion. A direction from the first portion to the first other portion is along a first direction. A second direction from the first opposing beam to the first beam crosses the first direction. The first opposing beam includes a first opposing portion and a first other opposing portion. The first linking portion is connected to the first other portion and the first other opposing portion. The first connecting portion is connected to the first linking portion. A first connecting portion width along the second direction of the first connecting portion is narrower than a first linking portion width along the second direction of the first linking portion.

A movable device includes a movable portion including a reflecting surface; a pair of drive beams to support the movable portion rotatably around a predetermined rotation axis with the movable portion disposed between the pair of drive beams; and a support portion configured to support the pair of drive beams. The support portion has a light passing portion on each of both sides of the movable portion in a direction intersecting with the rotation axis in a plane along the reflecting surface in a state in which the movable portion is not rotated, the light passing portion allowing light reflected by the reflecting surface to pass through the light passing portion.

A MEMS device and a method for manufacturing the MEMS device are provided. The MEMS device includes a cap sheet and a device sheet. The device sheet includes a silicon substrate, at least two device structure layers, and at least one conductive structure layer, and each two adjacent device structure layers are coupled via a corresponding conductive structure layer. The device sheet defines a functional cavity having a first region, a second region, and a third region. The at least two device structure layers and the at least one conductive structure layer each are across the first region, the second region, and the third region, and the at least two device structure layers and the at least one conductive structure layer cooperatively form a first movable structure in the first region, define an anchor point in the second region, and form a second movable structure in the third region.