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.

The invention includes miniature dots, miniature disks or miniature cylinders and methods of making the same by dispersing a particle in or on a dissolvable, meltable or etchable layer on a substrate, a portion of the particle exposed above a surface of the dissolvable, meltable or etchable layer; depositing a mask on the particles and the dissolvable substrate; removing the particles from the layer; etching an array of nanoholes in the substrate; depositing one or more metallic layers into the nanoholes to form an array of dots, disks or cylinders; and dissolving the dissolvable layer with a solvent to expose the dots, disks or cylinders. The dots, disks or cylinders can be included with two sets of microelectrodes for ultrahigh speed rotation of miniature motors, and/or can be designed with a magnetic configuration into miniature motors for uniform rotation speeds and prescribed angular displacement. The invention also includes modified diatom frustules, and miniature motors containing modified diatom frustules.

A micro-sized optical device may comprise a mirror suspended on a set of hinges that are mounted to the substrate and that are configured to tilt the mirror about an axis, wherein a hinge of the set of hinges is a two-layer structure with a pivot point that aligns with a mass center of the mirror; and a three-layer comb actuator structure associated with the hinge of the set of hinges, wherein the three-layer comb actuator structure includes a rotor comb actuator, a first stator comb actuator, and a second stator comb actuator.

An energy collecting device is disclosed. For example, the energy collecting device comprises a plate layer having a plurality of perforations for receiving a plurality of molecules, a molecular energy collecting layer, coupled to the plate layer, having an impacting structure for receiving the plurality of molecules, and a substrate layer, coupled to the molecular energy collecting layer, having a conductor wire coil for collecting electrons that are generated when the plurality of molecules impacts the impacting structure.

A platform includes first and second actuation layers. The first actuation layer includes first and second frames and a plurality of actuators connected between the first frame and the second frame, wherein the plurality of actuators are adapted to move the first and second frames with respect to each other in a first direction. The second actuation layer includes third and fourth frames and a plurality of actuators connected between the third frame and the fourth frame, wherein the plurality of actuators are adapted to move the third frame and the fourth frame with respect to each other in a second direction, different from the first direction. Thereby, the fourth frame of the second actuation layer and the second frame of the first actuation layer are mechanically connected to each other, such that the second actuation layer experiences the movement in the first direction induced by the first actuation layer.

An energy collecting device is disclosed. For example, the energy collecting device comprises a plate layer having a plurality of perforations for receiving a plurality of molecules, a molecular energy collecting layer, coupled to the plate layer, having an impacting structure for receiving the plurality of molecules, and a substrate layer, coupled to the molecular energy collecting layer, having a conductor wire coil for collecting electrons that are generated when the plurality of molecules impacts the impacting structure.

A package for moving a platform in six degrees of freedom, is provided. The platform may include an optoelectronic device mounted thereon. The package includes an in-plane actuator which may be a MEMS actuator and an out-of-plane actuator which may be formed of a piezoelectric element. The in-plane MEMS actuator may be mounted on the out-of-plane actuator mounted on a recess in a PCB. The in-plane MEMS actuator includes a plurality comb structures in which fingers of opposed combs overlap one another, i.e. extend past each other's ends. The out-of-plane actuator includes a central portion and a plurality of surrounding stages that are connected to the central portion. The in-plane MEMS actuator is coupled to the out-of-plane Z actuator to provide three degrees of freedom to the payload which may be an optoelectronic device included in the package.

A motor-actuator device using a PDL trap system is provided. In one aspect, a motor-actuator device includes: a PDL trap having a pair of diametric magnets, and a levitated diamagnetic rotor in between the diametric magnets, wherein at least a portion of the diamagnetic rotor has a rectangular shape; and an electrode shell having at least one pair of semicircular electrodes which surround, but are in a non-contact position with the levitated diamagnetic rotor and each other. A system including the motor-actuator device and an electrode driver circuit is also provided, as is a method of operating the motor-actuator device.

A molecular machine comprising a movement part (2) including a first molecular element (4), a second molecular element (5), and a linking element (6) for constraining a relative movement of the first molecular element (4) and the second molecular element (5), and a control part configured to generate an electrical field around the movement part (2), wherein the first molecular element (4) is fixed relative to the control part, wherein the second molecular element (5) is movable relative to the first molecular element (4) in at least one degree of freedom, and wherein the second molecular element (5) is electrically charged such that the second molecular element (5) aligns to said electrical field.