A reflector device is provided in the present disclosure, and includes a base, a first single-axis motion motor, a fulcrum structure and a reflector. The base includes a base plate having a base plate surface. The first single-axis motion motor is disposed on the base plate surface, and has a motion direction parallel to a normal direction of the base plate surface. The fulcrum structure is disposed on the base plate surface. The reflector has a first and a second ends connected with the first single-axis motion motor and the fulcrum structure respectively.

A method for manufacturing an apparatus having in-plane and out-of-plane motions is provided. The method includes the steps of providing an in-plane motion motor capable of moving in a first set of three degrees of freedom with respect to a reference plane for mounting thereon a functional device for performing the application function; providing an out-of-plane motion motor having a base plate surface and supporting thereon the in-plane motion motor; and providing four single-axis motors in the out-of-plane motion motor, wherein: each of the four single-axis motors has a single-axis actuator having an actuating end, a planar surface and a side surface; the side surface is attached to the base plate surface; and the four single-axis motors cooperatively enable the reference plane to be capable of moving in a second set of three degrees of freedom, wherein the first set of three degrees of freedom are all different from the second set of three degrees of freedom.

A CMOS single chip includes a movable film, at least one support pillar, a base metal layer and a circuit integration. The movable film is disposed on a top layer of the CMOS single chip and has a plurality of through-vias. The support pillar is disposed under the movable film to provide a supporting force of the movable film. The base metal layer is formed under the support pillars and isolated from the support pillars, and faces towards the movable film to form a micro capacitor to sense one of the outside sensing signals. The area of the base metal layer is larger than the area of the movable film. The circuit integration is formed under the base metal layer, or formed under the base metal layer and on the side of the movable film, and connected to the movable film and the base metal layer.

Controllable electromechanical adhesive devices including three-dimensional dielectrically-coated microstructures that are mechanically compliant are provided. The microstructures can be controlled to provide tunable electromechanical surface adhesion, allowing for dexterous gripping of microscale and/or macroscale objects. For example, the devices can tune the surface adhesion strength of one or more microstructures without complex mechanical actuation in a wide range of on/off ratios with low voltage. The devices can be configured as a force sensor capable of providing tactile feedback for determining the load applied against the microstructures by the surface of an object. For example, the devices can provide output indicative of changes in an electrical property of one or more microstructures for determining the applied load of an object. The devices can be pixelated or otherwise configured to provide localized force sensing and/or surface adhesion. Related systems and methods for controlling the disclosed electromechanical adhesive devices are also described.

A planer silicon-based displacement amplification structure and a method are provided for latching the displacement. The displacement amplification structure may include a first actuation beam and a second actuation beam coupled to the first beam with an angle, the ends of the first beam and the second beam coupled to fixture sites, and an end of the second beam coupled to a motion actuator; a motion shutter coupled to an opposing end of the first and second beams; and a latching thermoelectric displacement structure blocking the shutter return path and have faster response than the shutter structure.

A MEMS microphone includes a substrate defining a cavity, a diaphragm being spaced apart from the substrate, covering the cavity, and configured to generate a displacement of the diaphragm in response to an applied acoustic pressure, an anchor extending from an end portion of the diaphragm, and fixed to an upper surface of the substrate to support the diaphragm and a back plate disposed over the diaphragm, the back plate being spaced apart from the diaphragm such that an air gap is maintained between the back plate and the diaphragm, and defining a plurality of acoustic holes, wherein the anchor has a repetitive concave-convex shape in a direction toward a center of the diaphragm so that the anchor acts as a resistance to an acoustic wave.

An microelectromechanical switch uses electrostatic attraction to draw a beam toward a contact and electromagnetic repulsion to disengage and repel the beam from the contact. The electrostatic attraction is generated by a gate electrode. The electromagnetic repulsion is generated between the beam and a magnetic coil positioned on the same side of the beam as the contact. The magnetic coil produces a magnetic field, which induces a current in the beam that repels the magnetic coil. The gate electrode and the magnetic coil may be co-planar or in different planes. A circuit may also operate a coil-shaped structure act as the gate electrode and the magnetic coil, depending on the configuration.

According to one embodiment, a sensor device includes a movable body capable of vibrating, and a catch-and-release mechanism capable of catching the vibrating movable body and capable of releasing the caught movable body. The catch-and-release mechanism includes a stopper portion capable of stopping vibration of the movable body when the movable body contacts the stopper portion, and an elastic member configured to reduce a force acting between the movable body and the stopper portion.

The devices and systems described herein generally relate to programmable surfaces. A set of tiles in conjunction with actuators, allow for the surface to be constantly changeable from a first shape to an unlimited variety of second shapes. Once a desired second shape is achieved, the shape can be held by actuating the actuators. The system can include detection and maintenance of the shapes of the programmable surface by controlling which of the actuators are released and when they are released.

The invention relates to a damping system for a mobile mass (2) of a MEMS device (1), the system being capable of preventing direct contact between the mass (2) and a surface element (3) of the MEMS device (1), the damping system comprising: a mechanical bumper (4) positioned between the mass (2) and the surface element (3); a system (5) for locking/unlocking the bumper (4), which comprises one branch (51) oriented towards the bumper (4) having a blocking end (53) and a pin joint (54) capable of pivoting the branch (51), the locking/unlocking system (5) defining two subsequent positions of the mass (2).