Abstract: A transducer (800) is provided where a membrane (830) is formed over a front substrate (615); and a piezoelectric layer (820) is formed over the membrane (830) at an active portion (821) and peripheral portions located adjacent the active portion (821). A patterned conductive layer including first and second electrodes (840, 845) is formed over the piezoelectric layer (820). Further, a back substrate structure is provided having supports (822, 824) located at the peripheral portions adjacent the active portion (821). The height (826) of the supports (822, 824) is greater than a combined height (828) of the patterned piezoelectric layer and the patterned conductive layer. Many transducers may be connected to form an array, where a controller may be provided for controlling the array, such as steering a beam of the array, and processing signals received by the array, for presence or motion detection and/or imaging, for example.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an optical device comprising a container enclosing an insulating liquid (A) and an electrically susceptible liquid (B), the insulating liquid (A) and the electrically susceptible liquid (B) being immiscible and being in contact with each other via an interface (14), at least one of the liquids (A; B) being at least partially placed in a light path through the container. The optical device further comprises heating means (2, 12, 20) that preferably are responsive to a temperature sensor (30) for heating the insulating liquid (A) and the electrically susceptible liquid (B). Consequently, an optical device is obtained in which the influence of the temperature dependence of the physical properties of the insulating liquid (A) and the electrically susceptible liquid (B) on the behavior of the optical device is reduced, thus yielding an optical device with improved optical characteristics at low temperatures.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an optical device comprising a container enclosing an insulating liquid (A) and an electrically susceptible liquid (B), the insulating liquid (A) and the electrically susceptible liquid (B) being immiscible and being in contact with each other via an interface (14), at least one of the liquids (A; B) being at least partially placed in a light path through the container. The optical device further comprises heating means (2, 12, 20) that preferably are responsive to a temperature sensor (30) for heating the insulating liquid (A) and the electrically susceptible liquid (B). Consequently, an optical device is obtained in which the influence of the temperature dependence of the physical properties of the insulating liquid (A) and the electrically susceptible liquid (B) on the behaviour of the optical device is reduced, thus yielding an optical device with improved optical characteristics at low temperatures.

Abstract: An achromatic electrowetting lens is provided. This is achieved by a particular choice of the parameters n, n2, V, and V2, wherein n is the refractive index and V is the Abbe number. By fulfilling the relations: Formula (I) an achromatization of the electrowetting lens is achieved.

Abstract: An electrowetting module (20) comprises a fluid chamber (8) which contains a first fluid (A) and a second fluid (B), which are separated by an interface (14), and means to (16, 17) exert a force on at least one of the fluids to change the position and/or shape of the interface. By providing at least one of the fluids with a compound having a zero dipole moment in the gaseous phase, the performance of the module can be enhanced. For example the optical power of an electrowetting lens (30) can be increased.

Abstract: An electrowetting module (20) comprises a fluid chamber (8) which contains a first fluid (A) and a second fluid (B), which are separated by an interface (14), and means to (16,17) exert a force on at least one of the fluids to change the position and/or shape of the interface. By providing at least one of the fluids with a compound having at least one aromatic, non-fused, residue, the performance of the module can be enhanced. For example the optical power of an electrowetting lens (30) can be increased.

Abstract: A switchable element is described, which comprises a fluid chamber (111) containing a polar (101) and a non-polar (102) liquid, which are immiscible. The element is further provided with two electrodes (103,104), which are arranged to control the spatial distribution of the liquids, by means of an applied voltage across two the two electrodes. By the addition of surfactant to one or both of the liquids, the actuation voltage of the element is lowered. The element can work for example as an optical device or a motor.

Abstract: An electrowetting module (20) comprises a fluid chamber (8) which contains a first fluid (A) and a second fluid (B), which are separated by an interface (14), and means (16, 17) to exert a force on at least one of the fluids to change the position and/or shape of the interface. By providing the second fluid body with a dissolved or mixed compound, being insoluble in or immiscible with the first fluid body, and/or the first fluid body comprises a dissolved or mixed compound being insoluble in or immiscible with the second fluid body, in amounts sufficient for lowering the freezing point of the respective fluids to below ?20° C., the performance of the module can be improved that the module can be used at low temperatures.