Abstract: A process for fabricating a micro-electro-mechanical system, includes the following steps: production of a stack on the surface of a temporary substrate so as to produce a first assembly, comprising: at least depositing a piezoelectric material or a ferroelectric material to produce a layer of piezoelectric material or of ferroelectric material; producing a first bonding layer; production of a second assembly comprising at least producing a second bonding layer on the surface of a host substrate; production of at least one acoustic isolation structure in at least one of the two assemblies; production of at least one electrode level containing one or more electrodes in at least one of the two assemblies; bonding the two assemblies via the two bonding layers, before or after the production of the at least one electrode level in at least one of the two assemblies; removing the temporary substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed is a device for mechanically characterizing an element of interest, for example an oocyte. The mechanical characterization device includes: a support receiving a container suitable for containing a liquid medium; a holder for holding the element of interest; an indenting member; a magnet for generating a magnetic field in which the indenting member is intended to move and which participates in suspending the indenting member with an unstable horizontal direction oriented coaxially to the longitudinal axis; a controller to control the magnet to maneuver the indenting member in translation along the unstable horizontal direction; and a component for determining the mechanical characteristics of the element of interest.

Abstract: A movement amplifying actuation device may include two piezoelectric beams, one beam being attached at a fixed point, and a hinge connecting a first beam and a second beam between them. Each hinge may include a first flexible portion connected to the first beam, a second flexible portion connected to the second beam, a first rigid portion connecting the first and second flexible portions, a second rigid portion capable of being positioned against a fixed point, and a third flexible portion connecting the second beam to the second rigid portion at a pivot point of the second beam such that the assembly formed by the second rigid portion and the second beam forms a lever around the pivot point. The flexible and rigid portions may form a single piece.

Abstract: A method for controlling the operation of an electrochemical device having at least one operating organ, comprising the steps of: receiving measurements related to the operation of the electrochemical device, and estimating at least diagnostics data based on said measurements, estimating prognostics data based on said diagnostics data and providing operation instructions to control said operating organ of the electrochemical device, said operation instructions being optimized with respect to said estimated diagnostics and prognostics data.

Abstract: Movement amplifying actuation device (100) comprising at least two piezoelectric beams (101, 102, 103), one beam (101) being attached at a fixed point (111), and at least one hinge (131, 132) connecting a first beam (101, 102) and a second beam (102, 103) between them. Each hinge comprises: a first flexible portion connected to the first beam, a second flexible portion connected to the second beam, a first rigid portion connecting the first and second flexible portions, a second rigid portion capable of being positioned against a fixed point (112, 113), and third flexible portion connecting the second beam to the second rigid portion at a pivot point of said second beam such that the assembly formed by the second rigid portion and the second beam forms a lever around said pivot point. Said flexible and rigid portions form a single piece.

Abstract: A bulk wave piezoelectric resonator operating at a predetermined frequency includes a substrate block, having a plane face, a first thickness and consisting of a first material, a resonant plate having a length, width and second thickness, and consisting of a second piezoelectric material, first and second metal electrodes at least partly covering the resonant plate on each side and partly facing each other. The resonant plate is fixed perpendicularly in the vicinity of the plane face of the substrate block so that the width of the resonant plate and the first thickness of the substrate block have the same direction, and the first material, the second material, the first thickness of the block of substrate, the length, the width, the second thickness of the resonant plate are configured for trapping bulk waves at the operating frequency of the resonator and for producing a plane-plane type bulk wave piezoelectric resonator.

Abstract: This sensor, comprises: a first surface acoustic wave device, comprising a first piezoelectric substrate, formed from a (YXw/t)/?/?/? cut of a Langasite crystal, where ? is equal to 0±5° is equal to 55±20° and ? is equal to 32.5±7.5° and a first resonator having a first transducer laying on a first propagation surface and having two sets of interdigitated first electrodes formed from an electrically conductive material having a high melting temperature; and a second surface acoustic wave device, comprising a second piezoelectric substrate, formed from a (YXw/t)/?/?/? cut of a Langasite crystal, where ? is equal to 0±5°, ? is equal to 5±20° and ? is equal to 0±7.

Abstract: The invention relates to a microrobot that is microfabricated using microelectromechanical system technology, including i pairs of drive modules wherein i ranges from 1 to n, where n is no less than 1, the microrobot comprising: a mounting arranged so as to support at least two drive modules aligned in a first direction, said drive modules forming a pair of drive modules; i pairs of primary connecting-rod assemblies, each primary connecting-rod assembly being pivotably connected to the drive pin of a drive module of the ith pair of drive modules; a pair of secondary connecting-rod assemblies, each secondary connecting-rod assembly being pivotably connected to the primary connecting-rod assembly of the nth pair of drive modules and to the mounting; and an actuating member pivotably connected to each secondary connecting-rod assembly.

Abstract: A microtechnique device includes an actuator, designed to move movable equipment with a permanent magnet with respect to a support. The actuator is designed to move the movable equipment in two degrees of freedom from a position of rest, and the permanent magnet is chosen to have a magnetic field distribution that presents a main plane of symmetry and a main direction of magnetization passing through a center. The device includes a first magnetic sensor and a second magnetic sensor, these two being designed to detect a movement of the magnet. The sensors are positioned with respect to the position of rest of the magnet in a specific manner in the main plane of symmetry of the magnetic field and near to extrema. The first and second sensors are then sensitive to the movements of the movable equipment perpendicular to their respective working axes.

Abstract: A micropositioning device for a piezoelectric actuator includes a means for controlling an electric field applied to the piezoelectric actuator so as to deform the piezoelectric material, and means for simultaneous measurement of a variation of electric charge accumulated on the piezoelectric actuator resulting from the deformation; and means for acquiring measurements of the variation of electric charge, for processing these acquisitions and for estimating a displacement (x, y, z) of the piezoelectric actuator and/or an applied force.

Abstract: The invention relates to a microrobot that is microfabricated using micro-electromechanical system technology, including i pairs of drive modules wherein i ranges from 1 to n, where n is no less than 1, the microrobot comprising: a mounting arranged so as to support at least two drive modules aligned in a first direction (x), said drive modules forming a pair of drive modules; i pairs of primary connecting-rod assemblies, each primary connecting-rod assembly being pivotably connected to the drive pin of a drive module of the ith pair of drive modules; a pair of secondary connecting-rod assemblies, each secondary connecting-rod assembly being pivotably connected to the primary connecting-rod assembly of the nth pair of drive modules and to the mounting; and an actuating member pivotably connected to each secondary connecting-rod assembly.

Abstract: The invention relates to a longitudinally-steerable structure, comprising essentially longitudinal actuators made from shape memory alloy, Peltier effect elements with N and P doping and electrical control device. The above is characterized in that the actuators are arranged in pairs in an antagonistic manner, each actuator being connected at the ends thereof with a Peltier effect element with N doping and a Peltier effect element with P doping respectively. The invention further relates to an endoscope comprising at least one such structure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a piezoelectric resonator having adherent or non-adherent electrodes, the piezoelectric crystal comprising a central portion and a peripheral portion forming a ring that surrounds the central portion and that is connected thereto by an intermediate portion in which a slot is formed, the peripheral portion being connected to the central portion by a single connection bridge constituted by a non-slotted portion of said intermediate portion that extends over a small fraction of the periphery of said intermediate portion. The central portion constitutes the active vibrating portion of the crystal and the peripheral portion is held in the box by fastening means disposed in such a manner as to be thermally as remote as possible from the single connection bridge. The secured portion and the bridge constitute means for suspending the crystal.

Abstract: A supporting device including four independent and identical U-shaped coupling flanges each cooperating with a pair of springs. Each spring is formed of a circular cross section metal wire made of high elastic limit alloy. The set of coupling flanges and springs is symmetrical with respect to two mutually perpendicular axial planes of resonator and with respect to a central plane of the resonator. A cylindrical element is mounted inside the casing in a region of a lateral wall of the housing and has a circular groove on its inner face and located on a center plane parallel to the top and bottom walls of the housing. For each pair of springs cooperating with a coupling flange, one of the springs engages by a first portion into an upper slot formed in a planar rear face of the coupling flange and by a second portion in the circular groove. The inner faces of the coupling flanges rest directly on the edge of the top and bottom faces of the resonator.

Abstract: Device for supporting a piezoelectric resonator inside a casing. The device comprises two cross-shaped half-shells, each one comprising: four branches of which the free ends define angle pieces with a horizontal bearing surface of small dimension, which surface is slightly raised with respect to the central part of the corresponding half-shell, as well as one vertical branch holding the edge of the resonator: four identical independent securing flanges to secure the two half-shells in position, said flanges having the shape of a turned down U, each flange comprising, at the end of each branch of the U, two stop elements bearing against two superposed branches of the two half-shells, on the faces of those branches facing said horizontal bearing surfaces; and at least four pairs of springs for suspending the four securing flanges with respect to the casing.