The present disclosure relates to a spatio-temporal stimulus responsive foldable structure. The structure may have a substrate having at least a region formed to provide engineered weakness to help facilitate bending or folding of the substrate about the region of engineered weakness. The substrate is formed to have a first shape. A stimulus responsive polymer (SRP) flexure is disposed at the region of engineered weakness. The SRP flexure is responsive to a predetermined stimulus actuation signal to bend or fold in response to exposure to the stimulus actuation signal, to cause the substrate to assume a second shape different from the first shape.

A platform includes first and second actuation layers. The first actuation layer includes first and second frames and a plurality of actuators connected between the first frame and the second frame, wherein the plurality of actuators are adapted to move the first and second frames with respect to each other in a first direction. The second actuation layer includes third and fourth frames and a plurality of actuators connected between the third frame and the fourth frame, wherein the plurality of actuators are adapted to move the third frame and the fourth frame with respect to each other in a second direction, different from the first direction. Thereby, the fourth frame of the second actuation layer and the second frame of the first actuation layer are mechanically connected to each other, such that the second actuation layer experiences the movement in the first direction induced by the first actuation layer.

The present disclosure relates to a spatio-temporal stimulus responsive foldable structure. The structure may have a substrate having at least a region formed to provide engineered weakness to help facilitate bending or folding of the substrate about the region of engineered weakness. The substrate is formed to have a first shape. A stimulus responsive polymer (SRP) flexure is disposed at the region of engineered weakness. The SRP flexure is responsive to a predetermined stimulus actuation signal to bend or fold in response to exposure to the stimulus actuation signal, to cause the substrate to assume a second shape different from the first shape.

A device for measuring a concentration of a component in a target sample includes a flow chamber with a first channel that receives a reference sample having a known concentration of the component. The flow chamber also includes a second channel that receives the target sample having an unknown concentration of the component. A pump operates to pump the reference sample and the target sample at a same volume flow rate through the first and second channels, respectively. A thermal mass flow meter measures a thermal conductivity of the reference sample, a thermal conductivity of the target sample, or both.

A micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) device includes a silicon substrate; and a Tantalum (Ta) layer comprising a first portion and a second portion, a first portion being suspended over the silicon substrate and configured to move relative to the silicon substrate, and the second portion of the structure being coupled to the silicon substrate and fixed in place relative to the silicon substrate.

A device may comprise a substrate formed of a first semiconductor material and a trench formed in the substrate. A second semiconductor material may be formed in the trench. The second semiconductor material may have first and second portions that are isolated with respect to one another and that are isolated with respect to the first semiconductor material.

A system and methods for base excitation of moderately high vibration of micro-cantilevers are disclosed. A micro-cantilever may be coupled to one or more actuators adjacent its base. The actuators may comprise bulk materials, bridges, or formed wires that expand and contract by application of electric currents, due to, for example, the effect of electro-thermal heating or piezoelectric effects. Single actuators or an array of actuators may be placed around the micro-cantilever to oscillate it and apply actuation pulses. The system and methods, and adjustments of the geometrical parameters, may be performed to yield a nominal natural frequency in the system. The excitation of actuators with signals corresponding to the natural frequency may induce resonance in the system and may result in high amplitude vibrations and displacement of the cantilever tip of the micro-cantilever. Various architectures of the actuators may be implemented to stimulate different frequencies of the beam and induce displacement in different direction and amplitudes.

A microrobot is disclosed. The microrobot includes a magnet configured to provide a motive force when magnetic force of one or more electrical coils act upon the magnet, a support member coupled to the magnet, a thermo-responsive polymer member coupled to each end of the support member at a proximal end, the thermo-responsive polymer member configured to articulate when heated, wherein the thermo-responsive polymer members configured to receive light from a microrobot structured light system and convert the received light into heat.

According to an embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first actuator, a second actuator, a first frame provided between the first actuator and the second actuator, a first connection member connecting the first actuator and the first frame to each other, a second connection member connecting the first actuator and the first frame to each other at a position different from a position at which the first connection member connects the first actuator and the first frame to each other, a third connection member connecting the second actuator and the first frame to each other, a fourth connection member connecting the second actuator and the first frame to each other at a position different from a position at which the third connection member connects the second actuator and the first frame to each other.

Expansion compensating structures are formed in redistribution layers of a wafer-level chip-scale integrated circuit package (WLCSP) or other IC package having a low-expansion substrate. The structures include micromechanical actuators designed and oriented to move solder bumps attached to them in the same direction and distance as a function of temperature as do pads to which they may be connected on a higher-expansion substrate such as a printed circuit board. Expansion compensated IC packages incorporating these expansion compensating structures are provided, as well as expansion compensated assemblies containing one or more of these IC packages. Methods of fabricating expansion compensated IC packages requiring minimal changes to existing commercial WLCSP fabrication processes are also provided. These devices and methods will result in assemblies having improved board-level reliability during thermal cycling, and allow the use of larger IC die sizes in WLCSP technology.