Abstract: A piezoelectric motor comprising: a piezoelectric vibrator having an axis of symmetry and a first vibration mode, which when excited generates oscillatory motion of mass points in the vibrator parallel to the axis of symmetry; and at least one friction nub having a center of mass displaced from the axis of symmetry, as a result of which displacement, when the vibration mode is excited, torque is generated on the vibrator that excites a second vibration mode of the vibrator.

Abstract: A piezoelectric vibrator comprising: a thin rectangular piezoelectric plate formed of a material having a Young's modulus having two short edge surfaces and two long edge surfaces and two large planar face surfaces which plate has transverse resonant vibration modes parallel to its short edges and longitudinal resonant vibration modes parallel to its long edges and is formed with at least one cavity; and at least one electrode on each of the planar surfaces that is electrifiable to excite at least one vibration mode of the plate, wherein the at least one cavity is not filled with a material having a Young's modulus substantially equal to the Young's modulus of the material from which the plate is formed, such that the presence of the at least one cavity shifts a resonant frequency of at least one vibration mode of the plate with respect to the resonant frequency that characterizes the at least one vibration mode in the absence of the at least one cavity.

Abstract: A method of fabricating silicon micro-mirrors includes etching from opposite sides of a silicon wafer with a polished surface on at least one of the opposite sides, to form silicon bars each having a parallelogram-shaped cross-section and including a portion of the polished surface. At least one of the silicon bars is mounted on a mounting surface. The polished surface of the silicon bar may be used to reflect optical signals.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for fabricating a relatively thin package for housing a micro component, such as an opto-electronic or MEMs device. The packages may be fabricated in a wafer-level batch process. The package may include hermetically sealed feed-through electrical connections coupling the micro component to electrical contacts on an exterior surface of the package.

Abstract: A method for accelerating or decelerating a moveable body which body is moved by urging a piezoelectric micromotor to the body in a first direction so that a contact region of the piezoelectric motor is pressed to the body and exciting vibrations in the piezoelectric micromotor at the contact region in the first direction and in a second direction along a direction of motion of the body, said vibrations having a first amplitude in the first direction and a second amplitude in the second direction, the method comprising: a) for acceleration, gradually changing a ratio between the second amplitude relative to the first amplitude from substantially zero to a desired non-zero value; or b) for deceleration, gradually changing the ratio between the second amplitude relative to the first amplitude from a non-zero value to substantially zero.

Abstract: A piezoelectric micromotor for moving a moveable element comprising: a vibrator in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped formed from a plurality of thin layers of piezoelectric material having first and second identical relatively large rectangular face surfaces defined by long and short edge surfaces wherein the layers are aligned one on top of the other and have their face surfaces bonded together; electrodes on surfaces of the layers; a contact region located on one or more edge surfaces of the layers, urged against the body; and at least one electrical power supply that electrifies electrodes to excite vibrations in the vibrator and thereby in the contact region that impart motion to the body.

Abstract: A piezoelectric motor comprising: a piezoelectric vibrator having an axis of symmetry and a first vibration mode, which when excited generates oscillatory motion of mass points in the vibrator parallel to the axis of symmetry; and at least one friction nub having a center of mass displaced from the axis of symmetry, as a result of which displacement, when the vibration mode is excited, torque is generated on the vibrator that excites a second vibration mode of the vibrator.

Abstract: A piezoelectric motor comprising: a layer of piezoelectric material having narrow edge surfaces and first and second large face surfaces, formed with at least three arms, each extending radially outward from a common central region and terminating in an end; and at least one electrode on the first face surface and at least one electrode on the second face surface.

Abstract: A package for a MEMS device includes a semiconductor cap structure and a lid substrate that define an encapsulated area within which the MEMS device is located. Feed-through metallization hermetically seals micro-vias in the semiconductor cap structure and extends through the semiconductor cap structure to provide interconnections coupled electrically to the MEMS device and to an exterior of the semiconductor cap structure.

Abstract: A piezoelectric vibrator comprising: a thin rectangular piezoelectric plate formed of a material having a Young's modulus having two short edge surfaces and two long edge surfaces and two large planar face surfaces which plate has transverse resonant vibration modes parallel to its short edges and longitudinal resonant vibration modes parallel to its long edges and is formed with at least one cavity; and at least one electrode on each of the planar surfaces that is electrifiable to excite at least one vibration mode of the plate, wherein the at least one cavity is not filled with a material having a Young's modulus substantially equal to the Young's modulus of the material from which the plate is formed, such that the presence of the at least one cavity shifts a resonant frequency of at least one vibration mode of the plate with respect to the resonant frequency that characterizes the at least one vibration mode in the absence of the at least one cavity.

Abstract: A piezoelectric vibrator comprising: a thin rectangular piezoelectric plate formed of a material having a Young's modulus having to short edges surfaces and two long edge surfaces and two long planar face surfaces which plate has transverse resonant vibration modes parallel to its short edges and longitudinal resonant vibration parallel to its long edges and is formed with at least one cavity; and least one electrode on each of the planar surfaces that is electrifiabie to excite at least one vibration mode of the plate, wherein the at least one cavity is not filled with a material having a Young's modulus substantially equal to the Young's modulus of the material from which the place is formed, such that the presence of the at least one cavity shifts a resonant frequency of at least one vibration mode of the plate with respect to the resonant frequency that characterizes the at least one vibration mode in the absence of the at least one cavity.

Abstract: A method is provided for exciting vibrations in a piezoelectric motor having a plurality of electrode sets, each set comprising at least one first electrode and at least one second electrode between which AC voltages are applied to excite vibrations in the piezoelectric motor, the method comprising: coupling an AC power source to the at least one first electrode and at least one second electrode of a first electrode set; electrically connecting the at least one first electrode to the at least one second electrode of a second set of electrodes with a non-zero impedance that is substantially less than an impedance between them resulting from stray capacitive coupling; and energizing the power source to apply an AC voltage difference between the at least one first electrode and at least one second electrode of the first set of electrodes to excite the vibrations.