A microfluidic device, including a substrate including a microchannel, an activation setup disposed in the microchannel, and a matrix array of controllable shape-changing micropillars connected to the activation setup. A shape of the controllable shape-changing micropillars changes based on an activation of the activation setup.

The invention relates to a method for producing a nanostructured substrate comprising an array of protruding nanostructures, which method comprises at least the following steps: a) providing a primary substrate; b) depositing at least one layer of a material capable to be removed by means of reactive ion etching (RIE) onto said primary substrate which layer comprises a predetermined gradient of its thickness; c) depositing a nanostructured etching mask onto the graded layer deposited in step b); d) generating protruding structures, in particular nanopillars, in the graded layer deposited in step b) by means of reactive ion etching (RIE), wherein simultaneously at least 2, preferably 3, predetermined continuous gradients of geometric parameters of the protruding structures are generated on the same substrateMore specifically, the geometric parameters are selected from the group comprising the height, diameter and spacingof the protruding nanostructures. A further aspect of the invention relates to a nanostructured substrate comprising an array of protruding nanostructures obtainable by the method as outlined above. In a preferred embodiment of said nanostructured substrate, each of the protruding nanostructures simultaneously represents an element of 3 continuous gradients of the height, diameter and spacing of said protruding nanostructures.

Provided herein is a hierarchical superhydrophobic surface comprising an array of first geometrical features disposed on a substrate comprising a first material, and an array of second geometrical features disposed on the first features to form a hierarchical structure and a terminal level disposed on the second features, wherein the terminal level comprises a second material, the second material being different from the first material. The second material has a hydrophilicity different from the hydrophilicity of at least one of 1) the hydrophilicity of the second material and 2) hydrophilicity induced by the hierarchical structure. The present disclosure further methods of preparing hierarchical superhydrophobic surfaces and medical devices comprising the hierarchical superhydrophobic surfaces.

An example microelectromechanical system (MEMS) switch comprises a hinge plane having two or more intersecting hinges; a switch plate; and a plurality of electrostatic pads. Selective activation of the electrostatic pads causes torsion of at least one of the two or more intersecting hinges to tilt the switch plate to a selected one of three or more positions.

Embodiments described herein include an antimicrobial substrate surface. An example embodiment includes a structure that includes an antimicrobial surface on a substrate. The antimicrobial surface includes a plurality of nanostructures. Each nanostructure includes a nanopillar on the substrate. The nanopillar has a height. Each nanostructure also includes a head covering a distal end and at least part of the height of the nanopillar.

A micromechanical diaphragm system including a first diaphragm and a second diaphragm and spacer elements which are arranged between the first diaphragm and the second diaphragm. At least one spacer element has a first supporting element and a second supporting element. The first supporting element faces the first diaphragm. The second supporting element faces the second diaphragm. The first supporting element and the second supporting element are connected via a spring element.

The present disclosure discloses a micro-mirror array, and a backlight module and a display device using the same. Each reflection mirror in the micro-mirror array comprises a first axis of deflection and a second axis of deflection perpendicular to the first axis of deflection, and a deflection angle of the reflection mirror is controlled individually and continuously. The backlight module comprises a light source, a micro-mirror array and a control unit. The control unit adjusts a deflection angle of each reflection mirror in the micro-mirror array in response to a backlight control signal, so that depending on the backlight control signal, the micro-mirror array reflects light emitted from the light source evenly to an entire surface of the display screen or converges the light to one or more areas of the display screen.

Embodiments of a nanotip sensor for detecting and identifying chemical or biological particulates in a sample are disclosed. The nanotip sensor may include a plurality of nanotips, each with a cathode, an anode, and a gap between the cathode and the anode. An adsorbed particulate from the sample may bridge the gap between the cathode and the anode, forming an electrical circuit. A conductive spectrum of the particulates in the sample that are adsorbed onto the nanotips of the sensor may be determined, and by comparing the conductive spectrum of the sample with conductive spectrums of known particulates, one or more specific particulates contained in the sample may be detected and identified. Techniques to augment the specificity of the sensor and to clean the sensor for re-use are disclosed. Embodiments of systems and methods that use the nanotip sensor to detect chemical and biological particulates are disclosed.

A semiconductor device is proposed. The semiconductor device comprises a membrane structure having an opening. Furthermore, the semiconductor device comprises a first backplate structure, which is arranged on a first side of the membrane structure, and a second backplate structure, which is arranged on a second side of the membrane structure. The semiconductor device furthermore comprises a vertical connection structure, which connects the first backplate structure to the second backplate structure. In this case, the vertical connection structure extends through the opening.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a super-hydrophobic surface, and to a stack having a super-hydrophobic surface prepared by the above method. The super-hydrophobic surface may be realized only by plasma etching and deposition. The super-hydrophobic surface according to the present invention has a very low work of adhesion less than or equal to 3 mJ/m.sup.2. This super-hydrophobic surface may be applied to various fields including self-cleaning surface, anti-fogging surface, automobile glass surface, and drug delivery device surface.