A gas sensor, a method of manufacturing a gas sensor, a method for fabricating a micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) die for a heater or thermopile, and a micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) die for a heater or thermopile. The gas sensor comprises a first micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) die comprising a light source; a second MEMS die comprising a light detector; a sample chamber disposes in an optical path between the light source and the light detector; and a holder substrate; wherein the first and second MEMS dies are disposed on the holder substrate in a vertical orientation relative to the holder.

An optical system has a first electrode, and an optical element suspended above the first electrode. The optical element is flexible and comprises a second electrode. An optical element support rigidly supports an outer perimeter of the optical element above the first electrode. A voltage source applies a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode, the potential difference causing the optical element to flex and adjust a focal zone of the optical element. An optical source generates a beam. A lens focuses the beam to a lens focal zone in which the beam has a beam width, the beam at the beam width being incident on the optical element.

A roughened silicon surface is formed by a process including repetitively performed roughening cycles. Each roughening cycles including a step for depositing a non-planar polymeric layer over an area of a silicon body and a step for plasma etching the polymeric layer and the area of the silicon body etch in a non-unidirectional way. As a result, a surface portion of the silicon body is removed, in a non-uniform way, to a depth not greater than 10 nm.

A method for fabricating an MEMS device includes providing a first substrate with a central region and a peripheral region, and forming a plurality of first openings in the peripheral region and a plurality of third openings in the central region by etching the first substrate from a front side. The depth of the first openings is larger than the depth of the third openings. The method further includes forming a photosensitive layer on the surfaces of the first openings and the third openings, bonding a second substrate to the front side of the first substrate, and forming a trench by etching the first substrate from a back side using a patterned mask layer as an etch mask. The trench has a concave bottom surface and exposes a portion of the photosensitive layer formed on the bottom surfaces of the first openings and the third openings.

A microelectromechanical device includes a body of semiconductor material, which forms a cavity, a mobile structure, and an actuation structure. The actuation structure includes at least one first deformable element which faces the cavity and is mechanically coupled to the body and to the mobile structure, and a piezoelectric-actuation system which can be controlled so as to deform the first deformable element and cause a consequent rotation of the mobile structure. The mobile structure includes a supporting region and at least one first pillar region, the first pillar region being mechanically coupled to the first deformable element, the supporting region being set on the first pillar region and overlying at least part of the first deformable element.

An addressable display system configured for use in a mounting adapter configured to mount a personal electronic device (PED) on an aircraft includes a transparent surface configured to overlay the display surface of a PED when the PED is mounted in the mounting adapter wherein the transparent surface includes a region that is uniformly coated with a coating layer that when activated with a select excitation wavelength is configured to emit visible light to annunciate a message indicating a problem with an image displayed on a PED display; a lighting source configured to provide light in at an excitation wavelength; a MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) scanner module that is controllable to write desired symbology for annunciation at different addressable locations on the transparent surface; and an imaging device configured to capture an image of the PED display for an integrity check of data displayed on the PED display.

A MEMS device includes a fixed structure and suspended structure including an internal structure and a first arm and a second arm. Each arm has a first end fixed to the fixed structure and a second end fixed to the internal structure. The ends are angularly arranged at a distance apart. Piezoelectric actuators mounted to the arms are driven so as to cause deformation of the arm and produce a rotation of the internal structure. In a resting condition, each of the first and second arms has a respective elongated portion with a respective concavity. The internal structure extends in part within the concavities of the elongated portions of the first and second arms.

An apparatus includes a reflector system having a support, a reflector and a spring structure for scanning motion of the reflector in two orthogonal oscillation modes. A frequency response peaks at a natural resonant frequency with an initial bandwidth. A first transducer structure provides mechanical actuation of the reflector; a second transducer structure generates sense signals representing mechanical motion of the reflector. A feedback circuit receives from the second transducer structure a sense signal and generates to the first transducer structure a drive signal. The feedback circuit is adjusts amplitude and frequency of the drive signal to a non-linear vibration range where a frequency shift at the peak frequency is at least ten times the initial bandwidth, varies the amplitude of the drive signal in proportion to a waveform of a modulation signal, and sets frequency of the modulation signal component smaller than the frequency shift at the peak frequency.

A micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) device is formed in a first wafer overlying and bonded to a second wafer. The first wafer includes a fixed part, a movable part, and elastic elements that elastically couple the movable part and the fixed part. The movable part further carries actuation elements configured to control a relative movement, such as a rotation, of the movable part with respect to the fixed part. The second wafer is bonded to the first wafer through projections extending from the first wafer. The projections may, for example, be formed by selectively removing part of a semiconductor layer. A composite wafer formed by the first and second wafers is cut to form many MEMS devices.

A piezo MEMS mirror system that includes a drive system that drives a piezo MEMS mirror that generates an image on a portable device display. The drive system includes a DC-AC converter that operates to convert the DC power provided by the battery to AC power. The DC-AC converter may generate the AC power having a peak voltage that is at an intermediate levelbeing between the DC voltage of the battery, and the peak AC voltage generated by the drive system. The drive system also includes an output filter that uses a series-coupled inductance system (perhaps inductively coupled inductors in a differential mode circuit) in conjunction with a capacitance of the piezo MEMS mirror (and perhaps tuning capacitors to account for mirror fabrication deviations) to amplify the AC voltage of the AC power at a mechanical resonant frequency of the piezo MEMS mirror.