A micromirror array includes a substrate, a plurality of mirrors for reflecting incident radiation, and for each mirror of the plurality of mirrors, a respective post connecting the substrate to the respective mirror. The micromirror array further includes, for each mirror of the plurality of mirrors, one or more electrostatic actuators connected to the substrate for applying force to the respective post to displace the respective post relative to the substrate, thereby displacing the respective mirror. Also disclosed is a method of forming such a micromirror array. The micromirror array may be used in a programmable illuminator. The programmable illuminator may be used in a lithographic apparatus and/or in an inspection apparatus.

A microelectromechanical mirror device includes a fixed structure defining a cavity, a tiltable structure elastically suspended above the cavity and carrying a reflecting surface, and having a main extension in a horizontal plane. A first pair of driving arms carry respective piezoelectric material regions that are biased to cause a rotation of the tiltable structure around a first rotation axis parallel to a first horizontal axis of the horizontal plane, and elastically coupled to the tiltable structure. Elastic suspension elements that couple the tiltable structure to the fixed structure at the first rotation axis are stiff with respect to movements out of the horizontal plane and yielding with respect to torsion around the first rotation axis, and further extend between the tiltable structure and the fixed structure. The elastic suspension elements have an asymmetrical arrangement on opposite sides of the tiltable structure along the first rotation axis.

In described examples, a system (e.g., a microelectromechanical system) includes a substrate, a support coupled to the substrate and a first and second element. The first element includes a contactor spring having a first portion coupled to the support and having a second portion including a cavity having a sloped surface. A clearance from the sloped surface to the substrate is widened as the sloped surface extends away from the first portion. The second portion includes a first contact surface adjacent to the sloped surface. The second element is coupled to the substrate and has a second contact surface adjacent to the first contact surface. One of the first element and the second element is adapted: in a first direction to urge the first contact surface and the second contact surface together; and in a second direction to urge the first contact surface and the second contact surface apart.

A steerable laser transmitter pairs a MEMS MMA with an optical amplifier to provide a high-power steered laser beam over a wide FOR. A single MEMS MMA may be positioned downstream of the optical amplifier. In a two-stage architecture, a MEMS MMA provides continuous fine steer upstream of the optical amplifier and a beam steerer, another MEMS MMA or a QWP and stack of switchable PGs, provides discrete coarse steering downstream. In the two-stage architecture, the upstream MEMS MMA is configured to limit its steering range to the acceptance angle of the optical amplifier, at most ±2°×±2°. The MEMS MMA may include piston capability to shape the wavefront of the beam.

The micromirror device includes a mirror part, a first actuator that reciprocally rotates the mirror part about the first axis, and a second actuator that reciprocally rotates the mirror part about the second axis. A resonance frequency Ain a lowest-order resonance mode as a resonance mode in which the mirror part and the first actuator are rotated about the first axis in opposite phases to each other, a resonance frequency B in a lowest-order resonance mode as a resonance mode in which the mirror part and the first actuator oscillate in opposite phases in a direction orthogonal to both of the first axis and the second axis, a frequency difference F=A−B, a resonance frequency C less than F and closest to the F, and a resonance frequency D greater than F and closest to F satisfy F−C≥20 Hz and F−D≤−150 Hz.

A Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) device includes a substrate, an electronic circuit mounted on the substrate, a movable element mounted on the substrate whose movement is controlled by application of an operating voltage by the electronic circuit, a stopper mounted on the substrate that stops the movement of the movable element through mechanical contact of the stopper with the movable element, and an auto-inspection mechanism that applies a test voltage between the movable element and the stopper and determines whether or not a leak current is present. The auto-inspection mechanism is mounted, at least in part, on the substrate. The test voltage is lower than the operating voltage.

A micromirror which comprises a mirror pivotally attached to a mount by a first pivoting structure that permits pivotal movement of the mirror relative to the mount about a first axis; a first comb drive which has a first position fixed relative to the mirror and second portion fixed relative to the mount. The first comb drive being for actuating the mirror about the first axis. A weight connected to the mirror, and the weight and mirror being on opposite sides of a fulcrum of the first pivoting structure. The first axis is non-parallel to a longitudinal axis extending through the weight and the mirror.

The present disclosure relates to an optical scanner package comprising a scanner element, a lower substrate having an inner space, and a semi-spherical transmissive window. The semi-spherical transmissive window has different inclinations in an incident position thereof and in an emission position thereof, and interference caused by sub-reflection can thus be reduced. Since the incident angle α and the maximum emission angle β are small, anti-reflection coating design is easy, and light loss can be reduced. There is an advantage in that, even when the optical scanning angle (OSA) γ of a laser is large, the maximum emission angle β is small, and emitted laser light thus has a small change in characteristics. In addition, since there are curvatures on both sides of two axes, there is little restriction regarding the incident direction even in the case of two-axis driving.

Tunable MEMS etalon devices comprising: a front mirror and a back mirror, the front and back mirrors separated in an initial pre-stressed un-actuated etalon state by a gap having a pre-stressed un-actuated gap size determined by a back stopper structure in physical contact with the front mirror and back mirrors, the etalon configured to assume at least one actuated state in which the gap has an actuated gap size gap greater than the pre-stressed un-actuated gap size; an anchor structure, a frame structure fixedly coupled to the front mirror at a first surface thereof that faces incoming light, and a flexure structure attached to the anchor structure and to the frame structure but not attached to the front mirror, and a spacer structure separating the anchor structure from the back mirror, and wherein the front mirror and the spacer structure are formed in a same single glass layer.

In an example, a method of manufacturing a MEMS device includes forming a via. The method also includes depositing metal in the via and depositing a first layer of a non-photoactive organic polymer on the metal. The method includes baking the first layer of the non-photoactive organic polymer. The method also includes depositing a second layer of the non-photoactive organic polymer on the first layer of the non-photoactive organic polymer after baking the first layer of the non-photoactive organic polymer. The method includes baking the second layer of the non-photoactive organic polymer. The method also includes etching the first layer and the second layer of the non-photoactive organic polymer.