Abstract:
A thermoelastic device comprising an expansive element is disclosed. The expansive element is formed from a material, which is preselected by calculating a dimensionless constant for the material. The dimensionless constant is indicative of the potential effectiveness of the material in a particular application, such as a micro-electromechanical system.
Abstract:
A MEMS (micro-electromechanical system) device having a rotor 44, a stator 43 and a shaft 27 connected to the stator 43 and around which the rotor 44 rotates. Grooves 47 are formed in a portion of the rotor 44, such that when the rotor 44 rotates an air bearing is formed for supporting the rotor 44 and maintaining its distance from the shaft 27 and stator 43. The rotor 44 is formed from joining two substrates 13, 23. One of the substrates 13 includes a surface having openings 7 including frustoconical walls, and one of the substrates 23 includes a surface having openings 15 including walls perpendicular to the surface of the substrate. The openings in the two substrates are in register with each other so that pairs of the openings form chambers 24. Each chamber 24 is provided with a shaft 27, which is positioned with a wide section of the shaft trapped in the chamber 24. The wide section of the shaft has a frustoconical surface facing the frustoconical walls of the chamber 24.
Abstract:
An electrostatic bimorph actuator includes a cantilevered flexible bimorph arm that is secured and insulated at one end to a planar substrate. In an electrostatically activated state the bimorph arm is generally parallel to the planar substrate. In a relaxed state, residual stress in the bimorph arm causes its free end to extend out-of-plane from the planar substrate. The actuator includes a substrate electrode that is secured to and insulated from the substrate and positioned under and in alignment with the bimorph arm. An electrical potential difference applied between the bimorph arm and the substrate electrode imparts electrostatic attraction between the bimorph arm and the substrate electrode to activate the actuator. As an exemplary application in which such actuators could be used, a microelectrical mechanical optical display system is described.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a micro-electromechanical actuator. An electromagnetic-type micro-electromechanical actuator of the present invention has a conductive beam formed in a micro electronic substrate on an upper side of a magnetic substance, so that the conductive beam can be moved toward an in-plane mode in parallel to the micro electronic substrate depending on a direction that current flows. Therefore, the micro-electromechanical actuator can be applied to most of electromagnetic micro-electromechanical systems that require an in-plane mode.
Abstract:
A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) based sensor comprises: a substrate defining a plane; a first conductive material layer having a first stress, a first portion of the first conductive material layer being connected to the substrate and extending in a substantially parallel direction to the plane defined by the substrate and a second portion being disconnected from the substrate and extending in a substantially non-parallel direction to the plane defined by the substrate; and a sensor material layer formed over at least the second portion of the first conductive material layer, the sensor material layer having a second stress that is less than the first stress of the first conductive material layer. The stresses form a stress gradient that bends the second portion of the first conductive material layer and the sensor material layer formed over the second portion of the first conductive material layer away from the substrate.
Abstract:
The invention concerns thermoelastic designs incorporating and expansive element formed from material selected in accordance a procedure involving the derivation of an indicator of the material's potential effectiveness for each application. (FIG. 1 to accompany the abstract).
Abstract:
A micro electromechanical differential actuator is comprised of a suspension arm structure and/or a bridge structure to make a two-degree-of-freedom and bi-directional motion. The actuator support base can make out-of-plane or in-plane vertical and horizontal motions. The invention is applicable in optical micro electromechanical devices such as optical switches, variable optical attenuators, optical tunable filters, modulators, tunable VCSEL's, grating modulators, micro displays, and RF switches.
Abstract:
The invention concerns thermoelastic designs incorporating and expansive element formed from material selected in accordance a procedure involving the derivation of an indicator of the material's potential effectiveness for each application.
Abstract:
There is disclosed a one-dimensional piezoelectric actuator array 1 houses a piezoelectric device 35 including a plate or pillar-shaped piezoelectric member 4 and electrodes 18, 19, and having a planar form; the device 35 being driven by a piezoelectric effect of the piezoelectric member 4. The piezoelectric device 35 is formed as a whole in a planar comb shape wherein comb teeth 26 are connected to one another in one end, and portions of the comb teeth 26 work as a plurality of driving portions 31. The guide substrate 2 and piezoelectric device substrate 3 are integrally unified in such a manner that the resultant is readily usable for the formation of a multiply stuck structural body. In case of need, the array may be further provided with a guide substrate 2 having a concave portion 9 for housing at least a part of the piezoelectric device substrate 3.
Abstract:
An electrostatic bimorph actuator includes a cantilevered flexible bimorph arm that is secured and insulated at one end to a planar substrate. In an electrostatically activated state the bimorph arm is generally parallel to the planar substrate. In a relaxed state, residual stress in the bimorph arm causes its free end to extend out-of-plane from the planar substrate. The actuator includes a substrate electrode that is secured to and insulated from the substrate and positioned under and in alignment with the bimorph arm. An electrical potential difference applied between the bimorph arm and the substrate electrode imparts electrostatic attraction between the bimorph arm and the substrate electrode to activate the actuator. As an exemplary application in which such actuators could be used, a microelectrical mechanical optical display system is described.