Abstract: A MEMS mirror is provided with two rotation axes. The MEMS mirror includes a frame with a reflector and piezoelectric actuators inside, and support beams, with moving comb fingers, which alternate with static comb fingers and form electrostatic actuators. A double device layer allows separating the static comb fingers from the rest of the parts of the MEMS mirror by placing them at a different device layer. The configuration maximizes the tilt displacement and broadens operating range of the MEMS mirror. Additionally, using electrostatic comb actuator for slow drive allows effective operation in quasi-static and static modes.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical accelerometer is provided that includes one or more proof masses. The accelerometer also includes four sets of stator combs that form a set of four measurement capacitors together with rotor combs. Some rotor combs have a positive offset in a direction in the device plane in relation to stator, while others have a negative offset. Some rotor combs have a negative offset in a direction perpendicular to the device plane in relation to stator combs. Moreover, some stator combs have a negative offset in the direction perpendicular to the device plane in relation to rotor combs.

Abstract: A MEMS structure is provided that includes a mechanical layer that extends parallel to a reference device plane. The mechanical layer is patterned to include a static electrode and a movable electrode configured to move in relation to the static electrode parallel to the reference device plane. The static electrode and the movable electrode are connected to form a capacitor having capacitance that varies according to an overlap of the static electrode and the movable electrode. The mechanical layer includes a first silicon layer and a second silicon layer. Parts of the first silicon layer and the second silicon layer are directly bonded to each other. The movable electrode is in the first silicon layer and the static electrode is in the second silicon layer. The movable electrode is separated from the static electrode by a first gap in the interface between the first and second silicon layers.

Abstract: A MEMS device is provided that includes a handle layer having a cavity and a suspension structure, a first device layer including a static electrode, a second device layer including a seismic element moveably suspended above the first device layer and a cap layer. The seismic element acts as the moveable electrode or the seismic element is mechanically coupled to move with the moveable electrode. The handle layer, the first device layer, the second device layer and the cap layer, a first electrically insulating layer between the handle layer and the first device layer, and a second electrically insulating layer between the first device layer and the second device layer form an enclosure that accommodates the seismic element, the static electrode and the moveable electrode.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical element is provided that includes a motion-limiting structure that prevents a main rotor body from coming into direct physical contact with a stator across a vertical rotor-stator gap. The motion-limiting structure includes a first stopper bump that is a protrusion on the stator that extends towards the rotor. The motion-limiting structure also includes a second stopper bump that is a protrusion on the rotor that extends from the main rotor body towards the stator.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical accelerometer for measuring acceleration, comprising a first proof mass and ae second proof mass. The first proof mass is adjacent to the second proof mass. A suspension structure allows the first proof mass to undergo rotation out of the device plane about a first rotation axis and the suspension structure allows the second proof mass to undergo rotation out of the device plane about a second rotation axis. The first and second rotation axes are parallel to each other and define an x-direction which is parallel to the first and the second rotation axes and a y-direction which is perpendicular to the x-direction. The y-coordinate of the first rotation axis is greater than the y-coordinate of the second rotation axis by a nonzero distance D.

Abstract: A piezoelectric device includes a connecting section connecting a pair of beam sections adjacent to each other. The connecting section is connected to one of the pair of beam sections at a first end portion. The connecting section is connected to another of the pair of beam sections at a second end portion. The second end portion faces the first end portion in a direction in which the pair of beam sections are aligned. A second coupling portion is located along a first coupling portion. The connecting section includes only one first end portion. The connecting section includes only one second end portion. Each of the first end portion and the second end portion is closer to a tip end portion than to a fixed end portion of each of the pair of beam sections.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical element is provided that includes a first device part and a second device part, and a motion-limiting structure having a first stopper bump and a second stopper bump. The first and second stopper bumps extend from the first device part toward the second device part. When one of the device parts moves toward the other device part in the out-of-plane direction and crosses a displacement threshold, the first stopper bump comes into contact with the second device part before the second stopper bump contacts the second device part, and the second stopper bump comes into contact with the second device part before the first device part contacts with the second device part.

Abstract: An accelerometer for measuring acceleration in the direction of a z-axis which is perpendicular to an xy-plane, where a first proof mass is suspended from a first side anchor point with a first suspension structure which allows the first proof mass to undergo rotation about a first rotation axis. A second proof mass is suspended from a second side anchor point with a second suspension structure. The second suspension structure allows the second proof mass to undergo rotation about a second rotation axis. The torsion elements in the first and second suspension structure lie further away from the center of the accelerometer than the corresponding side anchor points from which the masses are suspended.

Abstract: A capacitive microelectromechanical acceleration sensor where one or more rotor measurement plates and one or more stator measurement plates are configured so that the movement of a proof mass in the direction of a sense axis can be measured in a capacitive measurement conducted between them. One or more first rotor damping plates and one or more first stator damping plates form a first set of parallel plates which are orthogonal to a first damping axis, and the first damping axis is substantially orthogonal to the sense axis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) accelerometers, in particular to an accelerometer designed to reduce error in the accelerometer output. The MEMS accelerometer includes a proof mass, which is capable of movement along at least two perpendicular axes and at least one measurement structure. The proof mass is mechanically coupled to the measurement structure along the sense axis of the measurement structure, such that movement of the proof mass along the sense axis causes the moveable portion of the measurement structure to move, and is decoupled from the measurement structures along an axis or axes perpendicular to the sense axis of the measurement structure, such that movement of the proof mass perpendicular to the sense axis of the measurement structure does not cause the moveable portion of the measurement structure to move.

Abstract: An accelerometer element is provided that includes a body, a mass and a spring system that couples the mass to the body. The spring system configures the mass to rotate reciprocally about a rotary axis. The mass includes a volume of a bulk material that forms two essentially closed surfaces and incorporates between those two closed surfaces one or more weight elements, each of which is formed of a substance whose weight per unit volume is different from weight per unit volume of the bulk material. The weight elements are incorporated in the mass so that the centre of gravity of the mass is offset from the rotary axis in an in-plane direction and the centre of gravity of the mass and the rotary axis are at the same level within the mass in the out-of-plane direction.

Abstract: An accelerometer comprising a first proof mass and a second proof mass which are coupled to each other with a coupling structure which extends from the first proof mass to the second proof mass. The coupling structure synchronizes the movement of the first and second proof masses so that the first and second proof masses may be linearly displaced from their rest position in the x-direction, rotationally displaced in opposite in-plane directions and rotationally displaced in opposite out-of-plane directions.

Abstract: A transducer includes a first connection portion connecting a first tip and a second tip to each other. The first connection portion is surrounded by a split slit connecting a center of the first tip, a center of a base, and a center of the second tip, the first tip, and the second tip.

Abstract: A piezoelectric device includes a connection section including a first coupling portion, a second coupling portion, and a bridging portion. The first coupling portion extends along a slit and is connected to one of a pair of beam sections. The second coupling portion extends along the slit and is connected to another of the pair of beam sections. The bridging portion is located between the slit and an opening and is connected to both of the first coupling portion and the second coupling portion. The beam sections are connected to each other in a circumferential direction of a base having an annular shape via the connecting section while each of the beam sections is interposed between the slits extending in intersecting directions.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical accelerometer for measuring acceleration, comprising a first proof mass and ae second proof mass. The first proof mass is adjacent to the second proof mass. A suspension structure allows the first proof mass to undergo rotation out of the device plane about a first rotation axis and the suspension structure allows the second proof mass to undergo rotation out of the device plane about a second rotation axis. The first and second rotation axes are parallel to each other and define an x-direction which is parallel to the first and the second rotation axes and a y-direction which is perpendicular to the x-direction. The y-coordinate of the first rotation axis is greater than the y-coordinate of the second rotation axis by a nonzero distance D.

Abstract: An accelerometer for measuring acceleration in the direction of a z-axis which is perpendicular to an xy-plane, where a first proof mass is suspended from a first side anchor point with a first suspension structure which allows the first proof mass to undergo rotation about a first rotation axis. A second proof mass is suspended from a second side anchor point with a second suspension structure. The second suspension structure allows the second proof mass to undergo rotation about a second rotation axis. The torsion elements in the first and second suspension structure lie further away from the center of the accelerometer than the corresponding side anchor points from which the masses are suspended.

Abstract: The invention relates to microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and specifically to a mirror system, for example to be used in LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). The MEMS mirror system of the invention uses four suspenders, each of which is connected to the reflector body at two separate connection points which can be independently displaced by piezoelectric actuators. By actuating adjacent and opposite pairs of piezoelectric actuators, the reflector body can be driven to oscillated about two orthogonal axes.

Abstract: A piezoelectric device includes a connecting section connecting a pair of beam sections adjacent to each other. The connecting section is connected to one of the pair of beam sections at a first end portion. The connecting section is connected to another of the pair of beam sections at a second end portion. The second end portion faces the first end portion in a direction in which the pair of beam sections are aligned. A second coupling portion is located along a first coupling portion. The connecting section includes only one first end portion. The connecting section includes only one second end portion. Each of the first end portion and the second end portion is closer to a tip end portion than to a fixed end portion of each of the pair of beam sections.

Abstract: The present invention provides a high-accuracy low-noise MEMS accelerometer by using at least two symmetric out-of-plane proof masses for both out-of-plane and in-plane axes. Movement of the proof masses in one or more in-plane sense axes is measured by comb capacitors with mirrored comb electrodes that minimise cross-axis error from in-plane movement of the proof mass out of the sense axis of the capacitor. The two out-of-plane proof masses rotate in opposite directions, thus maintaining their combined centre of mass at the centre of the accelerometer even as they rotate out of plane.