An integrated circuit (IC) device includes: a first substrate; a dielectric layer disposed over the first substrate; and a second substrate disposed over the dielectric layer. The second substrate includes anchor regions comprising silicon extending upwards from the dielectric layer, and a series of interdigitated fingers extend from inner sidewalls of the anchor regions. The interdigitated fingers extend generally in parallel with one another in a first direction and have respective finger lengths that extend generally in the first direction. A plurality of peaks comprising silicon is disposed on the dielectric layer directly below the respective interdigitated fingers. The series of interdigitated fingers are cantilevered over the plurality of peaks. A first peak is disposed below a base of a finger and has a first height, and a second peak is disposed below a tip of the finger and has a second height less than the first height.

A micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device includes a mirror; at least one hinge; an electrostatic comb structure; and a control device. The control device causes, for a period of time, a voltage to be supplied to the electrostatic comb structure to cause the electrostatic comb structure to tilt the mirror about the at least one hinge in a particular direction. The control device causes, after the period of time and at an instant of time, the voltage to cease being supplied to the electrostatic comb structure. A tilt angle of the mirror, at the first instant of time, is less than a maximum tilt angle of the mirror in the particular direction. An angular momentum of the mirror, at the instant of time, is greater than zero kilogram meters squared per second in the particular direction.

A MEMS actuator includes: a drive circuit for applying a drive voltage having a time waveform, which periodically repeats rising and falling and includes a period to be a constant voltage after the rising and before the falling, between a fixed comb electrode and a movable comb electrode; and a timing detection circuit that generates a capacitance derivative signal indicating a derivative value of a capacitance between the fixed comb electrode and the movable comb electrode by converting a current signal, which is output from the fixed comb electrode or the movable comb electrode within the period due to a change in the capacitance, into a voltage signal and detects a timing when the capacitance derivative signal reaches a threshold value. The drive circuit controls a relationship between the timing detected by the timing detection circuit and a timing of the falling to be constant.

The invention relates to a miniature kinetic energy harvester (1) for generating electrical energy, comprising: —a support (2), —a first element (3) having walls (32-35) surrounding at least one cavity (31), —at least one spring (4) mounted between the first element (3) and the support (2), the spring (4) being arranged so that the first element (3) may be brought into oscillation relative to the support (2) according to at least one direction (X) of oscillation, —a transducer (5) arranged between the first element (3) and the support (2) for converting oscillation of the first element (3) relative to the support (2) into an electrical signal, —at least one second element (7) housed within the cavity (31) and mounted to freely move within the cavity (31) relative to the first element (3) so as to impact the walls (32-35) of the cavity (31) when the harvester (1) is subjected to vibrations.

A MEMS electrostatic piston-tube actuator is disclosed. The actuator comprises two structures. A structure that comprises a plurality of fixed piston-like electrodes that are attached to a base, and form the stator of the actuator. A second structure that comprises a plurality of moving tube-like electrodes that are attached to the body of the upper structure and form the rotor of the actuator. The rotor is attached to the stator through a mechanical spring. The rotor of the actuator provides a translational motion, about the normal axis to the structures. The present piston-tube actuator utilizes a configuration that enables the use of wide area electrodes, and therefore, provides a high output force enabling translation of the rotor.

A spacer assembly includes: an essentially-planer structural portion configured to position an image sensor on a MEMS actuator; an outer sub-portion configured to be mounted to the MEMS actuator; and an inner sub-portion configured to mount the image sensor.

Caging structures are disclosed for caging or otherwise reducing the mechanical shock pulse experienced by MEMS device beam structures during events that may cause mechanical shock to the MEMS device. The caging structures at least partially surround the beam such that they limit the motion of the beam in a direction perpendicular to the beam's longitudinal axis, thereby reducing stress on the beam during a mechanical shock event. The caging structures may be used in combination with mechanical shock-resistant beams.

A comb drive for MEMS device includes a stator and a rotor displaceable relative to the stator in a first direction. The stator includes stator comb fingers and the rotor includes rotor comb fingers. The stator comb fingers are coupled to two high impedance nodes to form high impedance node domains arranged in the first direction. The rotor comb fingers are coupled to two oppositely biased electrodes to form oppositely biased domains. Pairs of capacitors with opposite acoustic polarity are respectively formed between the high impedance node domains and the oppositely biased domains. The comb drive of the present invention has increased electrostatic sensitivity for a given unit cell cross-sectional area whilst maintaining an acceptable capacitance and linearity of voltage signal vs displacement. Extra force shim unit cells may be used, which allows for the stiffness between the rotor and stator to be controlled and reduced to zero for a particular displacement range, without impacting sensitivity.

An MEMS chip includes a substrate, a movable assembly, a fastening assembly, and a drive assembly. The fastening assembly is located between the substrate and the movable assembly. The movable assembly includes a fastening portion, a movable portion, and a first support beam. The first support beam is connected to the movable portion and the fastening portion. A first avoidance slot is disposed on a face that is of the movable portion and that faces the fastening assembly. The fastening assembly is grounded. A boss and a first position limiting pole are disposed on a face that is of the fastening assembly and that faces the movable assembly. The boss is connected to the fastening portion and configured to support the fastening portion. The first position limiting pole corresponds to the first avoidance slot. The drive assembly is connected to the movable portion to drive the movable portion to move.

A MEMS acoustic transducer provided with: a substrate of semiconductor material, having a back surface and a front surface opposite with respect to a vertical direction; a first cavity formed within the substrate, which extends from the back surface to the front surface; a membrane which is arranged at the upper surface, suspended above the first cavity and anchored along a perimeter thereof to the substrate; and a combfingered electrode arrangement including a number of mobile electrodes coupled to the membrane and a number of fixed electrodes coupled to the substrate and facing respective mobile electrodes for forming a sensing capacitor, wherein a deformation of the membrane as a result of incident acoustic pressure waves causes a capacitive variation of the sensing capacitor. In particular, the combfingered electrode arrangement lies vertically with respect to the membrane and extends parallel thereto.