A microelectromechanical motion sensor device is described, provided with: a base substrate having a front surface with extension in a horizontal plane; and a sensing structure arranged above the base substrate, for sensing components of a motion quantity along respective sensing axes. The sensing structure is provided with: a housing element integrally coupled above the front surface of the base substrate and internally defining a cavity; a single mobile mass arranged inside the cavity; an elastic supporting arrangement arranged above the mobile mass, with main extension in a plane overlying the mobile mass to elastically support the mobile mass inside the cavity, so that it is suspended above the front surface of the base substrate and performs, due to inertial effect, a respective sensing movement in response to each of the components of the motion quantity; and a sensing electrode arrangement, capacitively coupled to the mobile mass for sensing the components of the motion quantity.

A micro-electrical-mechanical system (MEMS) piezoelectric autofocus actuator includes: a fixed stage that is stationary; a moving stage that is movable along a travel direction (Z-axis); a motion control system coupling the fixed stage to the moving stage and including motion control springs; piezoelectric bending elements configured to deform the motion control system and thereby control a precise position of the moving stage relative to the fixed stage; and integrated piezoelectric motion stops that are actuatable to restrict out-of-plane motion of the moving stage along the travel direction (Z-axis). In another example, a MEMS piezoelectric autofocus actuator includes integrated motion limiting snubbers configured to limit in-plane motion of the moving stage; integrated motion stoppers configured to restrict out-of-plane motion of the moving stage along the travel direction (Z-axis); and assembled motion stoppers disposed in assembly slots and configured to restrict out-of-plane motion of the moving stage along the travel direction (Z-axis).

An optical micro-electrical-mechanical system (MEMS) unit is provided, which includes: a MEMS tip-tilt actuator; a polymer layer disposed on at least a portion of the MEMS tip-tilt actuator; and a first plate disposed on the polymer layer oppositely to the MEMS tip-tilt actuator. The MEMS tip-tilt actuator includes: an outer frame that is fixed; a second plate that is movable; a motion control structure between the outer frame and the second plate; and a bending film configured to deform the motion control structure and thereby control a precise position of the second plate.

A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) transducer includes a substrate and a pair of electrodes supported by the substrate. The pair of electrodes are configured as a bias electrode-sense electrode couple. A moveable electrode of the pair of electrodes is configured for vibrational movement in a first direction during excitation of the moveable electrode. The pair of electrodes are spaced apart from one another by a gap in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The moveable electrode includes a cantilevered end, the cantilevered end being warped to exhibit a resting deflection along the first direction.

A coupling device (130) for coupling a plurality of vibration systems (110, 120), which are mounted above a substrate (200) in such a manner that said systems can vibrate along a first direction (x) and are offset with respect to one another in a second direction (y) perpendicular to the first direction (x), has a flexural beam spring (135) which can bend in the first direction (x) and can be connected to the vibration systems (110, 120); in this case, connections (112, 122) between the flexural beam springs (135) and the vibration systems (110, 120) are arranged between at least two connection points (140) of the flexural beam springs (135) to the substrate (200) in such a manner that a deflection of the flexural beam springs (135) which is caused by movements of the vibration systems (110, 120) results in a vibration of the flexural beam springs (135) with antinodes of vibration in the region of the connections (112, 122) between the flexural beam springs (135) and the vibration systems (110, 120).

A dual-shell architecture and methods of fabrication of fused quartz resonators is disclosed. The architecture may include two encapsulated and concentric cavities using plasma-activated wafer bonding followed by the high-temperature glassblowing. The dual-shell architecture can provide a protective shield as well as a fixed-fixed anchor for the sensing element of the resonators. Structures can be instrumented to operate as a resonator, a gyroscope, or other vibratory sensor and for precision operation in a harsh environment. Methods for fabricating a dual-shell resonator structure can include pre-etching cavities on a cap wafer, pre-etching cavities on a device wafer, bonding the device wafer to a substrate wafer to form a substrate pair and aligning and bonding the cap wafer to the substrate pair to form a wafer stack with aligned cavities including a cap cavity and a device cavity. The wafer stack may be glassblown to form a dual-shell structure.

Monolithic microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based spatial light modulators (SLM) are provided. Generally, the SLM includes a common electrode in or on a substrate, an electrostatically displaceable actuator including an actuator electrode suspended above an upper surface on the substrate, a first light reflective surface supported by and separated from the upper surface on the substrate by the actuator, and a driver monolithically integrated in the substrate below the SLM. The actuator includes a structural layer of tensile, amorphous silicon-germanium that also serves as an actuator electrode. The driver includes multiple layers of vias, metal interconnects, and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) devices to electrically couple to the common electrode and actuator, and is operable to displace the actuator and first light reflective surface in response to voltages applied thereto.

Monolithic microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based spatial light modulators (SLM) including ribbon-type modulators and drivers integrally fabricated in or on a common substrate are provided. Generally, the monolithic MEMS-based SLM includes a common electrode in or on a substrate, a number of electrostatically displaceable ribbons, each including a tensile, amorphous silicon-germanium layer (SiGe layer) that serves as a structural layer and as a ribbon electrode, and a light reflective surface on the SiGe layer facing away from the surface on the substrate. A driver including a plurality of drive channels monolithically integrated in the substrate below the surface, the driver electrically coupled to the common electrode and each ribbon electrode and operable to apply voltages thereto to drive the plurality of ribbons to modulate light reflected from the light reflective surfaces.

A micro-electromechanical gyroscope includes a supporting body and a sensor assembly. The sensor assembly includes a transduction mass, constrained to the supporting body for oscillation along a first driving axis perpendicular to the supporting body and along a sensing axis perpendicular to the first driving axis, driving structures each having an actuator, and a driving mass and motion conversion flexures connecting the driving mass to the transduction mass. The actuator causes the driving mass to oscillate along a second driving axis perpendicular to the first driving axis and the sensing axis. The motion conversion flexures cause movements of the transduction mass along the first driving axis in response to movements of the driving mass along the second driving axis. Sensing structures are mechanically coupled to the transduction mass and have a variable capacitance depending on a position of the transduction mass along the sensing axis.

A foil sensor for force detection with direct force transducer, with a corresponding electrical contact line for detecting forces and force loads, wherein electrical signal can be derived from the foil sensor. At least two conductive electrodes are applied to the plastic film material which have a contacting area on the leads. On this surface of the plastic film material, a direct force transducer is applied, which absorbs the mechanical forces and deforms elastically when force is applied. A polymer nanocomposite material is also placed on this surface in such a way that the conductive electrodes are covered by the polymer nanocomposite material, which does not or only partially touches the direct force transducer, whereby a free area is formed between the material and transducer. The elastic material compression of the polymer nanocomposite can be detected by an impedance and/or electrical resistance measurement via the conductive electrodes.