Described embodiments provide an electromechanical transducer including a mechanically compliant, elastically deformable array of dielectric shells. A first electrically conductive electrode is disposed on a first surface of the array. A second electrically conductive electrode is disposed on a second surface of the array, where the second surface opposes the first surface. The array is configured to be mechanically compliant and elastically deformable in response to one or more incident forces applied to the electromechanical transducer.

A micromechanical component for a sensor or microphone device. An electrode surface of a first electrode structure is aligned with a second electrode structure. A substructure of the first electrode structure is entirely made of at least one electrically conductive material. The electrode surface and an opposite surface of the first electrode structure are outer surfaces of the substructure. A stop structure protruding from the electrode surface towards the second electrode structure is formed on the first electrode structure. The first electrode structure includes an insulating region which extends from the electrode surface to the opposite surface of the first electrode structure. The stop structure is formed either as a projection of the at least one insulating region protruding from the electrode surface towards the second electrode structure or is bordered by the at least one insulating region.

A vibrating structure angular rate sensor includes a mount, a planar vibrating structure and a plurality of compliant supports extending between the mount and the planar vibrating structure to support the vibrating structure thereby allowing the planar vibrating structure to oscillate in its plane relative to the mount in response to an electrical excitation. A first set of transducers is arranged on the planar vibrating structure to apply, in use, an electrical excitation to the planar vibrating structure and to sense, in use, motion resulting from oscillation of the planar vibrating structure in its plane. A plurality of capacitive regions is fixed at a distance from the planar vibrating structure in its plane. The capacitive regions form a second set of transducers configured to apply, in use, an electrostatic force to the planar vibrating structure which induces a change in the frequency of oscillation of the planar vibrating structure.

A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device comprises a MEMS die that comprises first and second diaphragms, a first plurality of electrodes each disposed on the first diaphragm, and a second plurality of electrodes each disposed on the second diaphragm. A fixed dielectric element is disposed between the first and second diaphragms and includes a plurality of apertures. The MEMS die further comprises a third plurality of electrodes, wherein each of the third plurality comprises a first conductive layer disposed on the first diaphragm proximate to at least one of the first plurality and a second conductive layer disposed on the second diaphragm proximate to at least one of the second plurality, and a conductive pin that extends through an aperture of the plurality of apertures and electrically connects the first conductive layer to the second conductive layer.

A semiconductor device for use in a sensor device has a deformable membrane for the measurement of an acceleration, a vibration, or a pressure. The semiconductor device includes a deformable membrane having a membrane border; a structure holding the deformable membrane in correspondence of the membrane border; at least one electric contact to obtain an electric signal indicative of deformation of the deformable membrane; and mass elements suspended from the membrane.

A surface monitoring device is for monitoring a contact surface of a detected object. The surface monitoring device and the detected object are disposed on a substrate. The surface monitoring device includes a resonant mechanical part, having a contact tip adjacent to the contact surface by a preset gap in a static state. A driving circuit, applying an AC input signal to drive the resonant mechanical part to cause the contact tip to vibrate with respect to the contact surface at a plurality of sampling frequencies. The contact tip substantially hits the contact surface in a tapping bandwidth within the sampling frequencies. An analysis circuit to analyze a ratio of an output voltage to an input voltage of the input signal and determine the tapping bandwidth, wherein the ratio in the tapping bandwidth is jumping to a flatten phase.

A sensor apparatus includes a base, a tap, a channel, and a gate. The tap is adjacent the base and electrically coupled to the base. The channel is between the tap and the base. The gate is adjacent the channel and electrically coupled to the channel. The gate is separated from the channel by a gap. At least a portion of a charge flow in the channel is substantially parallel or antiparallel to an electric field between the gate and the channel. A triode capacitor system includes a channel region, a gate region, and a processor. The gate region is separated from the channel region by a gap. The processor is coupled to a base contact, a tap contact, and a gate contact and configured to measure a distance of the gap based on a potential difference between the base contact and the tap contact.

Devices and methods of operating partitioned actuator plates to obtain a desirable shape of a movable component of a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device. The subject matter described herein can in some embodiments include a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device including a plurality of actuation electrodes attached to a first surface, where each of the one or more actuation electrode being independently controllable, and a movable component spaced apart from the first surface and movable with respect to the first surface. Where the movable component further includes one or more movable actuation electrodes spaced apart from the plurality of fixed actuation electrodes.

The present subject matter relates to devices, systems, and methods for isolation of electrostatic actuators in MEMS devices to reduce or minimize dielectric charging. A tunable component can include a fixed actuator electrode positioned on a substrate, a movable actuator electrode carried on a movable component that is suspended over the substrate, one or more isolation bumps positioned between the fixed actuator electrode and the movable actuator electrode, and a fixed isolation landing that is isolated within a portion of the fixed actuator electrode that is at, near, and/or substantially aligned with each of the one or more isolation bumps. In this arrangement, the movable actuator electrode can be selectively movable toward the fixed actuator electrode, but the one or more isolation bumps can prevent contact between the fixed and movable actuator electrodes, and the fixed isolation landing can inhibit the development of an electric field in the isolation bump.

Systems, devices, and methods for micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) tunable capacitors can include a fixed actuation electrode attached to a substrate, a fixed capacitive electrode attached to the substrate, and a movable component positioned above the substrate and movable with respect to the fixed actuation electrode and the fixed capacitive electrode. The movable component can include a movable actuation electrode positioned above the fixed actuation electrode and a movable capacitive electrode positioned above the fixed capacitive electrode. At least a portion of the movable capacitive electrode can be spaced apart from the fixed capacitive electrode by a first gap, and the movable actuation electrode can be spaced apart from the fixed actuation electrode by a second gap that is larger than the first gap.