Abstract: Aspects of a microelectromechanical device, an array of microelectromechanical devices, a method of manufacturing a microelectromechanical device, and a method of operating a microelectromechanical device, are discussed herein. The microelectromechanical device may include: a substrate; a diaphragm mechanically coupled to the substrate, the diaphragm comprising a stressed region to buckle the diaphragm into one of two geometrically stable positions; an actuator mechanically coupled to the diaphragm, the actuator comprising a piezoelectric layer over the diaphragm; a controller configured to provide an electrical control signal in response to a digital sound input; wherein the actuator is configured to receive the electrical control signal to exert a mechanical piezoelectric force on the diaphragm via the piezoelectric layer to move the diaphragm to create a sound wave.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical loudspeaker may include: a plurality of elementary loudspeakers each including a drive unit and a diaphragm deflectable by the drive unit, and a controller configured to respectively supply control signals to the drive units. The drive units may be respectively configured to deflect the corresponding diaphragms according to the respective control signals supplied by the controller to generate acoustic waves. The control signal supplied to at least one control unit may have at least one local extremum and a global extremum of a curvature of the control signal with a highest absolute value of the curvature may be located at a position of the control signal preceding a position of the at least one local extremum of the control signal.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical loudspeaker may include: a plurality of elementary loudspeakers each including a drive unit and a diaphragm deflectable by the drive unit, and a controller configured to respectively supply control signals to the drive units. The drive units may be respectively configured to deflect the corresponding diaphragms according to the respective control signals supplied by the controller to generate acoustic waves. The control signal supplied to at least one control unit may have at least one local extremum and a global extremum of a curvature of the control signal with a highest absolute value of the curvature may be located at a position of the control signal preceding a position of the at least one local extremum of the control signal.

Abstract: Aspects of a microelectromechanical device, an array of microelectromechanical devices, a method of manufacturing a microelectromechanical device, and a method of operating a microelectromechanical device, are discussed herein. The microelectromechanical device may include: a substrate; a diaphragm mechanically coupled to the substrate, the diaphragm comprising a stressed region to buckle the diaphragm into one of two geometrically stable positions; an actuator mechanically coupled to the diaphragm, the actuator comprising a piezoelectric layer over the diaphragm; a controller configured to provide an electrical control signal in response to a digital sound input; wherein the actuator is configured to receive the electrical control signal to exert a mechanical piezoelectric force on the diaphragm via the piezoelectric layer to move the diaphragm to create a sound wave.