A microelectromechanical system includes a backplate and a diaphragm. The backplate includes spaced stator elements with voids formed therebetween. The stator element includes a first conductive element. The diaphragm includes a plurality of corrugations facing the voids respectively. Each corrugation includes a groove formed at a surface thereof away from the backplate. The corrugation includes a second conductive element. The diaphragm is moveable with respect to the backplate in response to a pressure exerted thereon to cause the corrugations to be moved into or out of the corresponding voids, thereby changing the capacitance formed between the first and second conductive elements. The corrugations are defined by grooves formed at surfaces away from the backplate, which facilitate to control the compliance of the diaphragm and reduce stiffness of the diaphragm. The corrugation can be formed with lower aspect ratios, which allows it to be formed using standard front side processes.

An MEMS having a layered structure includes a cavity disposed in the layered structure and fluidically coupled to an external environment of the layered structure through at least one opening in the layered structure. The MEMS includes an interaction structure movably disposed in a first MEMS plane and in the cavity along a plane direction and configured to interact with a fluid in the cavity, wherein movement of the interaction structure is causally related to movement of the fluid through the at least one opening. The MEMS further includes an active structure disposed in a second MEMS perpendicular to the plane direction, the active structure mechanically coupled to the insulation structure and configured such that an electrical signal at an electrical contact of the active structure is causally related to a deformation of the active structure, wherein the deformation of the active structure is causally related to movement of the fluid.

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 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.

An optical device includes an elastic support portion which includes a torsion bar extending in a second direction perpendicular to a first direction and a nonlinearity relaxation spring connected between the torsion bar and a movable portion. The nonlinearity relaxation spring is configured so that a deformation amount of the nonlinearity relaxation spring around the second direction is smaller than a deformation amount of the torsion bar around the second direction and a deformation amount of the nonlinearity relaxation spring in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction is larger than a deformation amount of the torsion bar in the third direction while the movable portion moves in the first direction. A first comb finger of a first comb electrode and a second comb finger of a second comb electrode which are adjacent to each other face each other in the second direction.

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 semiconductor oxide plate is formed on a recessed surface in a semiconductor matrix material layer. Comb structures are formed in the semiconductor matrix material layer. The comb structures include a pair of inner comb structures spaced apart by a first semiconductor portion. A second semiconductor portion that laterally surrounds the first semiconductor portion is removed selective to the comb structures using an isotropic etch process. The first semiconductor portion is protected from an etchant of the isotropic etch process by the semiconductor oxide plate, the pair of inner comb structures, and a patterned etch mask layer that covers the comb structures. A movable structure for a MEMS device is formed, which includes a combination of the first portion of the semiconductor matrix material layer and the pair of inner comb structures.

An electrostatic device includes: a fixed portion, a moveable portion, and an elastically-supporting portion that are formed in a same substrate; and a first glass package and a second glass package that are anodically bonded to each other on one and the other of front and back surfaces of the substrate with the fixed portion and the elastically-supporting portion separated from each other, the second glass package forms a sealed space in which the moveable portion is arranged between the first and second glass packages, an electret is formed at least partially in the fixed portion and the moveable portion, and a first electrode connected to the fixed portion and exposed on an outer surface of the second glass package and a second electrode connected to the elastically-supporting portion and exposed on the outer surface of the second glass package are formed in the second glass package.

Micro-electro-mechanical systems and a preparation method thereof are provided. The micro-electro-mechanical systems include first fixed comb fingers, second fixed comb fingers, a support beam, a movable platform, and movable comb fingers. The first fixed comb fingers and the second fixed comb fingers are fastened to a substrate, and the first fixed comb fingers are electrically isolated from the second fixed comb fingers. Two ends of the support beam are fastened to the substrate, and the movable platform is coupled to the support beam. The movable comb fingers are coupled to the movable platform, and form a three-layer comb finger structure with the first fixed comb fingers and the second fixed comb fingers. This structure improves drive efficiency of the micro-electro-mechanical systems.

A micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) device includes a movable comb structure located in a cavity within an enclosure, and a stationary structure affixed to the enclosure. The movable comb structure includes a comb shaft portion and movable comb fingers laterally protruding from the comb shaft portion. The movable comb structure includes a metallic material portion. The movable structure and the stationary structure are configured to generate an electrical output signal based on lateral movement of the movable structure relative to the stationary structure.