Shizuoka University

The University of Tokyo

Saginomiya Seisakusho, Inc.

Aoi Electronics Co., Ltd.

Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

Kabushiki Kaisha Saginomiya Seisakusho

Omron Corporation

Kagawa University

Techno Network Shikoku Co., Ltd.

Saginomiva Seisakusho, Inc.

Gen Hashiguchi

Hiroyuki Mitsuya

Masato Suzuki

Kazunori Ishibashi

Hiroyuki Fujita

Hisayuki Ashizawa

Hiroshi Imamoto

Yasushi Tomizawa

Hiroshi Toshiyoshi

Yongfang Li

Masakazu Sugiyama

Hideaki Koga

Yuki Nishimori

Shinichi Arioka

Tatsuhiko Sugiyama

Akihiro Koga

Hiroki Hayashi

Takashi Konno

Masatoshi Oba

Maho Hosogi

Yutaka Mihara

Takeo Fukino

Takafumi Hara

Akito Mori

A method of manufacturing a MEMS vibration element having a fixed electrode, a movable electrode, and an elastic supporting unit that elastically supports the movable electrode with respect to the fixed electrode includes: etching a base material having a first thickness to form the fixed electrode and the movable electrode; and etching the base material to form the elastic supporting unit having a second thickness, the second thickness being less than the first thickness.

Method of manufacturing MEMS vibration element and MEMS vibration element

The present invention enables frequency response in a wide band without lowering the Q value. This vibrational energy harvester device is provided with: a movable part capable of vibration in a vibration direction as a result of mechanical vibrational energy applied from the exterior, said movable part being provided with a first surface along the vibration direction; and a fixed part provided with a second surface facing the first surface of the movable part with an interval therebetween, said fixed part being configured so as to be positionally fixed even against vibrational energy. A plurality of projections protruding in a direction orthogonal to the vibration direction are formed so as to be arranged like comb teeth in the vibration direction on each of the first surface of the movable part and the second surface of the fixed part. An electret film is formed on at least the first surface of the fixed part or on at least the second surface of the movable part. The vibrational energy harvester device is configured so that the spring rate of the movable part is modulated as a function of the position of the vibration direction by electrostatic force acting between the movable part and the fixed part.

Vibrational energy harvester device

A MEMS vibration element includes: a base unit; a fixed unit fixed to the base unit; a movable unit that is movable relative to the fixed unit; and an elastic support unit that elastically supports the movable unit at the base unit. The elastic support unit is made of a material different from a material of the fixed unit and the movable unit.

MEMS vibration element, method of manufacturing MEMS vibration element, and vibration-driven energy harvester

Provided is an electrostatic-type vibrational energy harvester device that makes it possible to efficiently rectify and charge power from low acceleration to high acceleration of vibrational energy applied from the exterior. The vibrational energy harvester device is provided with: a movable part capable of vibrating in a vibration direction as a result of mechanical vibrational energy, said movable part being provided with a first surface along the vibration direction; and a fixed part provided with a second surface facing the first surface of the movable part with a gap therebetween so that it is possible for the movable part to vibrate in the vibration direction. A plurality of recessed portions and protruding sections are formed in an alternating manner in the vibration direction on the surfaces of each of the first surface of the movable part and the second surface of the fixed part. An electret film is formed on at least one of the fixed part and the movable part. The vibrational energy harvester device is configured so that a force factor (electromechanical conversion factor) having a value that corresponds to the gap between the first surface of the movable part and the second surface of the fixed part becomes small when the vibration amplitude of the movable part is small and large when the vibration amplitude of the movable part is large.

An electret element includes: an Si layer, an SiOlayer formed at a surface of the Si layer; and an electret formed at the SiOlayer near an interface of the SiOlayer and the Si layer.

Electret element, electromechanical converter and method for manufacturing electret element

An electret element includes: an electret film that contains silicon oxide; and a protective film formed over the electret film and constituted of aluminum oxide deposited through an atomic layer deposition method.

Electret element, microphone having electret element mounted therein and electret element manufacturing method

An actuator includes: an electrostatic actuation mechanism including a stationary electrode and a movable electrode; a first movable part driven by the electrostatic actuation mechanism; a first elastic support part that elastically supports the first movable part; an electret formed in at least one of the stationary electrode and the movable electrode; and a drive control unit that controls application of voltage to the electrostatic actuation mechanism. In the actuator a plurality of stable states are set in which the first movable part is positioned at a stable position at which an electrostatic force generated by the electret matches with an elastic force exerted by the first elastic support part or at a stable position near such stable position. By applying a voltage to the electrostatic actuation mechanism, the first movable part may be displaced from any stable position to another stable position.

Actuator, shutter device, fluid control device, switch, and two-dimensional scanning sensor device

A pressure sensor includes: a fixed part; a ring-like oscillator that is supported on the fixed part by a plurality of support beams; a plurality of electrodes that are provided on the fixed part and arranged in an oscillating direction of the ring-like oscillator with a gap; electret films that are formed on either one of opposite surfaces of the ring-like oscillator and the electrodes.

Pressure sensor and pressure detection device

An electrostatic induction conversion device includes: an input-side electrostatic actuator that includes a first fixed electrode and a first movable electrode facing the first fixed electrode; and an output-side electrostatic actuator that includes a second movable electrode linked to the first movable electrode via a link mechanism member, which increases or decreases a displacement quantity representing an extent of displacement occurring at the first movable electrode, and a second fixed electrode facing the second movable electrode, wherein: a permanently charged layer is deposited on an electrode surface either on a movable electrode side or on a fixed electrode side, at the input-side electrostatic actuator and the output-side electrostatic actuator.

Electrostatic induction conversion device and DC-DC converter

According to one embodiment, a microprobe includes a supporting base, an insulating layer, and an electrode layer arrayed in a first direction in this order. A principal surface of the microprobe is formed in a second direction different from the first direction. A step is formed on at least the electrode layer on the principal surface, and the electrode layer is partitioned into a first area and a second area by the step.

Microprobe, recording apparatus, and method of manufacturing microprobe

An object of this invention is to detect an external force or acceleration with good sensitivity using a simple configuration. An external force detection sensor comprises a comb electrode including a fixed electrode having a plurality of fixed combtooth portions and a movable electrode having a plurality of movable combtooth portions inserted between the fixed combtooth portions; a power supply connected to the fixed electrode and the movable electrode in order to cause vibration of the movable electrode at a prescribed resonance frequency through an electrostatic force on the fixed electrode; and detection means for detecting an external force based on a change in electrical characteristics between the fixed electrode and the movable electrode when the movable electrode is caused to vibrate. With respect to the fixed combtooth portions that are adjacent to each other and the movable combtooth portion inserted therebetween, the spacing between one of the fixed combtooth portions and the movable combtooth portion is different from the spacing between another of the fixed combtooth portions and the movable combtooth portion.

Comb-structured MEMS accelerometer

According to one embodiment, a MEMS memory microprobe includes a probe tip, a lever, and a base. The probe tip is arranged to oppose a recording medium and is brought into contact with the recording medium to perform recording or reproduction of information when a current or voltage is applied between them. In the probe tip, a plurality of electrodes used in the recording or reproduction and a plurality of support portions which form the probe tip together with the electrodes are alternately arranged, and the electrodes and the support portions form a single plane which opposes the recording medium.

MEMS memory microprobe and recording apparatus

A nanotweezer () according to the present invention includes: a supporting member (); an observation probe () that projects out from the supporting member (), and is used when observing a surface of a specimen; a movable arm () that is arranged next to the observation probe () projecting out from the supporting member (), and makes closed or opened between the observation probe () and the movable arm () to hold or release the specimen held between the observation probe () and the movable arm (); and a drive mechanism that drives the movable arm () so as to make closed or opened between the observation probe () and the movable arm (), and the supporting member (), the observation probe () and the movable arm () are each formed by processing a semiconductor wafer () through a photolithography process.

Nanotweezer and scanning probe microscope equipped with nanotweezer

The nano-gripper of the present invention comprises (i) a pair of armsanddisposed side by side, each armhaving a face at its front end, the front-end faces of the armsandfacing each other, (ii) and a protrusionwith a tip formed on the front-end face of each arm, the tips of the protrusionsandfacing each other, the radius of curvature of each tip being 50 nanometers or less. Each protrusionis a triangular-pyramidal silicon crystal with (001), (100), and (111) side faces.

Growing community of inventors

Hamamatsu, Japan

Gen Hashiguchi