Disclosed is a hinged MEMS and/or NEMS device with out-of-plane movement including a first portion and a second portion that is hinged so as to be able to rotate with respect to the first portion about an axis of rotation contained in a first mean plane of the device. The device also includes a hinging element that connects the first portion and the second portion and that is stressed flexurally and a sensing element that extends between the first portion and the second portion and that deforms during the movement of the second portion. Finally, the device includes two blades that extend perpendicularly to the mean plane of the hinge device and parallel to the axis of rotation, the blades being placed between the hinging element and the sensing element and connecting the first portion and the second portion and being stressed torsionally during the movement of the second portion.

A capacitive microelectromechanical device is provided. The capacitive microelectromechanical device includes a semiconductor substrate, a support structure, an electrode element, a spring element, and a seismic mass. The support structure, for example, a pole, suspension or a post, is fixedly connected to the semiconductor substrate, which may comprise silicon. The electrode element is fixedly connected to the support structure. Moreover, the seismic mass is connected over the spring element to the support structure so that the seismic mass is displaceable, deflectable or movable with respect to the electrode element. Moreover, the seismic mass and the electrode element form a capacitor having a capacitance which depends on a displacement between the seismic mass and the electrode element.

An MMS includes a substrate, an element movable with respect to the substrate and a frame structure. A first pair of springs is arranged between the substrate and the frame structure along a first spring direction. A second pair of springs is arranged between the movable element and the frame structure along a second spring direction. The frame structure is configured to generate tensile stress in the second pair of springs at tensile stress acting in the first pair of springs.

An actuator device includes a support portion, a movable portion, a connection portion which connects the movable portion to the support portion on a second axis, a first wiring which is provided on the connection portion, a second wiring which is provided on the support portion, and an insulation layer which includes a first opening exposing a surface opposite to the support portion in a first connection part located on the support portion in one of the first wiring and the second wiring and covers a corner of the first connection part. The rigidity of a first metal material forming the first wiring is higher than the rigidity of a second metal material forming the second wiring. The other wiring of the first wiring and the second wiring is connected to the surface of the first connection part in the first opening.

According to one embodiment, a sensor includes a first member including a first member surface, and a first element part. The first element part includes a first fixed electrode fixed to the first member surface, and a first movable electrode facing the first fixed electrode. The first fixed electrode is along the first member surface. A gap is located between the first movable electrode and the first fixed electrode. The first movable electrode includes a first surface and a second surface. The first surface is between the first fixed electrode and the second surface. At least one of the first surface or the second surface is non-parallel to the first member surface.

A thermal metamaterial device comprises at least one MEMS thermal switch, comprising a substrate layer including a first material having a first thermal conductivity, and a thermal bus over a first portion of the substrate layer. The thermal bus includes a second material having a second thermal conductivity higher than the first thermal conductivity. An insulator layer is over a second portion of the substrate layer and includes a third material that is different from the first and second materials. A thermal pad is supported by a first portion of the insulator layer, the thermal pad including the second material and having an overhang portion located over a portion of the thermal bus. When a voltage is applied to the thermal pad, an electrostatic interaction occurs to cause a deflection of the overhang portion toward the thermal bus, thereby providing thermal conductivity between the thermal pad and the thermal bus.

The inertial sensor includes a substrate, stationary electrodes provided to the substrate, an element section including a movable body which is displaceable with respect to the stationary electrodes, and which has electrodes in a first portion and a second portion opposed to the stationary electrodes, a protrusion which limits a displacement of the movable body, and which has a detection electrode in a portion opposed to the first portion of the movable body, a drive circuit for outputting a drive signal to the element section, a contact detection circuit for outputting a detection signal due to a contact between the electrode in the first portion of the movable body and the detection electrode of the protrusion, a self-diagnostic circuit for outputting a test signal to the element section when receiving the detection signal from the contact detection circuit, and a determination circuit for determining whether or not a level of a signal output by the element section in response to the test signal is out of a threshold value.

An actuator element of a MEMS device is provided, which is fabricated using surface micromachining on a substrate. An insulating layer having a first portion contacts the substrate while a second portion is separated from the substrate by a gap. A metallic layer contacts the insulating layer having a first portion contacting the first portion of the insulating layer and a second portion contacting the second portion of the insulating layer. The second portion of the metallic layer is prestressed. Alternately, the actuator element includes a first insulating layer separated from the substrate by a gap. A metallic layer has a first portion contacting the substrate and a second portion contacting the insulating layer. A second insulating layer contacts a portion of the second portion of the metallic layer opposite the first insulating layer, where the second insulating layer is prestressed.

A micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device may include a mirror structure suspended from a first hinge and a second hinge that are arranged to enable the mirror structure to be tilted about a tilt axis. The mirror structure may include a first actuator and a second actuator located on opposite sides of the tilt axis. The MEMS device may include a fixed electrode coupled to first actuator to cause the mirror structure to tilt about the tilt axis in a first direction based on a fixed voltage applied to the fixed electrode. The MEMS device includes a driving electrode coupled to the second actuator to cause the mirror structure to tilt about the tilt axis in a second direction opposite from the first direction based on a driving voltage applied to the driving electrode.

A micro scanning mirror includes a lens, a piezoelectric material layer, two first rotating shaft elements, and first driving electrodes. A first axial direction passes through a center of the lens. The piezoelectric material layer is arranged along a circumferential direction of the lens and has first driving electrode regions. Each first spacing region where the piezoelectric material layer is not disposed is formed between two adjacent first driving electrode regions. Each first rotating shaft element is located between one of the first spacing regions and the corresponding adjacent first driving electrode region, and the first rotating shaft element connect the lens and the piezoelectric material layer located in the first driving electrode regions. The first driving electrodes are respectively located on the corresponding first driving electrode regions. The micro scanning mirror can obtain a large rotation angle of the mirror on the same driving condition and has good reliability.