A sound producing cell includes a membrane and an actuating layer. The membrane includes a first membrane subpart and a second membrane subpart, wherein the first membrane subpart and the second membrane subpart are opposite to each other. The actuating layer is disposed on the first membrane subpart and the second membrane subpart. The first membrane subpart includes a first anchored edge which is fully or partially anchored, and edges of the first membrane subpart other than the first anchored edge are non-anchored. The second membrane subpart includes a second anchored edge which is fully or partially anchored, and edges of the second membrane subpart other than the second anchored edge are non-anchored.

A sound producing cell includes a membrane and an actuating layer. The membrane includes a first membrane subpart and a second membrane subpart, wherein the first membrane subpart and the second membrane subpart are opposite to each other. The actuating layer is disposed on the first membrane subpart and the second membrane subpart. The first membrane subpart includes a first anchored edge which is fully or partially anchored, and edges of the first membrane subpart other than the first anchored edge are non-anchored. The second membrane subpart includes a second anchored edge which is fully or partially anchored, and edges of the second membrane subpart other than the second anchored edge are non-anchored.

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.

A micromechanical arm is provided. The micromechanical arm includes: a bottom metal piece having a plurality of trenches extending downwardly from a top surface of the bottom metal piece; an intermediate layer on the bottom metal piece and filling at least a portion of each of the plurality of trenches; and a top metal piece on the intermediate layer. The intermediate layer is made of a material that has a stiffness smaller than the bottom metal piece and the top metal piece.

A sound producing cell includes a membrane and an actuating layer. The membrane includes a first membrane subpart and a second membrane subpart, wherein the first membrane subpart and the second membrane subpart are opposite to each other. The actuating layer is disposed on the first membrane subpart and the second membrane subpart. The first membrane subpart includes a first anchored edge which is fully or partially anchored, and edges of the first membrane subpart other than the first anchored edge are non-anchored. The second membrane subpart includes a second anchored edge which is fully or partially anchored, and edges of the second membrane subpart other than the second anchored edge are non-anchored.

A sound producing cell includes a membrane and an actuating layer. The membrane includes a first membrane subpart and a second membrane subpart, wherein the first membrane subpart and the second membrane subpart are opposite to each other. The actuating layer is disposed on the first membrane subpart and the second membrane subpart. The first membrane subpart includes a first anchored edge which is fully or partially anchored, and edges of the first membrane subpart other than the first anchored edge are non-anchored. The second membrane subpart includes a second anchored edge which is fully or partially anchored, and edges of the second membrane subpart other than the second anchored edge are non-anchored.

A cell includes a membrane and an actuating layer. The membrane includes a first membrane subpart and a second membrane subpart, wherein the first membrane subpart and the second membrane subpart are opposite to each other. The actuating layer is disposed on the first membrane subpart and the second membrane subpart. The first membrane subpart includes a first anchored edge which is fully or partially anchored, and edges of the first membrane subpart other than the first anchored edge are non-anchored. The second membrane subpart includes a second anchored edge which is fully or partially anchored, and edges of the second membrane subpart other than the second anchored edge are non-anchored.

A stress-isolated microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device and a method of manufacture of the stress-isolated MEMS device are provided. MEMS devices may be sensitive to stress and may provide lower performance when subjected to stress. A stress-isolated MEMS device may be manufactured by etching a trench and/or a cavity in a first side of a substrate and subsequently forming a MEMS device on a surface of a platform opposite the first side of the substrate. Such a stress-isolated MEMS device may exhibit better performance than a MEMS device that is not stress-isolated. Moreover, manufacturing the MEMS device by first forming a trench and cavity on a backside of a wafer, before forming the MEMS device on a suspended platform, provides increased yield and allows for fabrication of smaller parts, in at least some embodiments.

Methods are disclosed for manufacturing a Micro-ElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) scanning mirror. In an embodiment, one method includes depositing a hinge material on a substrate and removing first and second portions of the substrate to form an outer frame, an inner frame, and a mirror plate in the substrate. First and second portions of the hinge material rotationally couple the outer frame to the inner frame and the inner frame to the mirror plate for rotation about first and second orthogonal axes of rotation. In another embodiment, a third portion of the substrate rotationally couples the inner frame to the mirror plate. In still another embodiment, an elastomer material is configured as a bending hinge that rotationally couples the outer frame to the inner frame.

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a mass flow control apparatus, systems incorporating the same, and methods using the same. In one embodiment, a mass flow control apparatus comprises a flow modulating valve configured to modulate gas flow in a gas flow channel, a sensor device, such as a micro-electromechanical (MEMS) device, configured to generate a signal responsive to a condition of the gas flow, and a processing device operatively coupled to the flow modulating valve and the sensor device to control the flow modulating valve based on a signal received from the sensor device.