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 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.

Disclosed is a force transfer device that includes a first body that has a first body frame that defines a first chamber and at least one gear element. The gear element has a central gear element region. A first membrane is affixed to a surface of the first body frame, the membrane covering the chamber and having an annular aperture enclosing a central region of the membrane that is affixed to the central gear element region of the gear element. The disclosed force transfer device can be axle or shaft based. Also disclosed in a micro electrostatic motor that includes a motor body having a first and a second face, the motor body defining a chamber and a rotor having a central region. A membrane is disposed over the first face of the motor body, the membrane supporting a pair of spaced electrodes that are electrically isolated by a gap, the membrane having an annular aperture that defines a central region of the membrane that is coupled to the central region of the rotor. The force transfer device can be driven by the electrostatic motor.

Disclosed is a micro electrostatic motor that includes a body having a first and a second face and having a chamber. A first membrane is disposed over the first face of the body and a rotatable disk is disposed in the circular chamber about a member. The disk is disposed in the circular chamber and is free to rotate about the member. The disk has on a first surface thereof a set of three mutually electrically isolated electrodes, with each of the electrodes having a tab portion and being electrically isolated from the member. A second membrane is disposed over the second face of the body and a pair of spaced electrodes are provided on portions of the second membrane, with the pair of spaced electrodes being isolated by a gap between the pair of electrodes. A cylindrical shaped member is disposed in the chamber electrically isolated from the three mutually electrically isolated electrodes on the disc.

A device for converting the kinetic energy of molecules into useful work includes an actuator configured to move within a fluid or gas due to collisions with the molecules of the fluid or gas. The actuator has dimensions that subject it to the Brownian motion of the surrounding molecules. The actuator utilizes objects having multiple surfaces where the different surfaces result in differing coefficients of restitution. The Brownian motion of surrounding molecules produce molecular impacts with the surfaces. Each surface then experiences relative differences in transferred energy from the kinetic collisions. The sum effect of the collisions produces net velocity in a desired direction. The controlled motion can be utilized in a variety of manners to perform work, such as generating electricity or transporting materials.

A cooling system is described. The cooling system includes a bottom plate, a support structure, and a cooling element. The bottom plate has orifices therein. The cooling element has a central axis and is supported by the support structure at the central axis. A first portion of the cooling element is on a first side of the central axis and a second portion of the cooling element is on a second side of the central axis opposite to the first side. The first and second portions of the cooling element are unpinned. The first portion and the second portion are configured to undergo vibrational motion when actuated to drive a fluid toward a heat-generating structure. The support structure couples the cooling element to the bottom plate. At least one of the support structure is an adhesive support structure or the support structure undergoes rotational motion in response to the vibrational motion. The adhesive support structure has at least one lateral dimension defined by a trench in the cooling element or the bottom plate.

Disclosed is an actuator including a support member, an actuating unit rotatably installed in the support member and having a first electrode installed on one side and a stimulation providing unit installed on the other side to provide stimulation by rotation, and an attraction force providing unit having a second electrode to provide an attraction force to the first electrode, wherein when an electrostatic attraction force is provided to the first electrode through the second electrode, the actuating unit pivots to enable the stimulation providing unit to apply stimulation to a sensing unit.

Disclosed is an actuator including a support member, an actuating unit rotatably installed in the support member and having a first electrode installed on one side and a stimulation providing unit installed on the other side to provide stimulation by rotation, and an attraction force providing unit having a second electrode to provide an attraction force to the first electrode, wherein when an electrostatic attraction force is provided to the first electrode through the second electrode, the actuating unit pivots to enable the stimulation providing unit to apply stimulation to a sensing unit.

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 cooling system is described. The cooling system includes a bottom plate, a support structure, and a cooling element. The bottom plate has orifices therein. The cooling element has a central axis and is supported by the support structure at the central axis. A first portion of the cooling element is on a first side of the central axis and a second portion of the cooling element is on a second side of the central axis opposite to the first side. The first and second portions of the cooling element are unpinned. The first portion and the second portion are configured to undergo vibrational motion when actuated to drive a fluid toward a heat-generating structure. The support structure couples the cooling element to the bottom plate. At least one of the support structure is an adhesive support structure or the support structure undergoes rotational motion in response to the vibrational motion. The adhesive support structure has at least one lateral dimension defined by a trench in the cooling element or the bottom plate.