Patent ID: 7053519

Claim:
A microelectrical mechanical actuator, comprising: a planar substrate with an anchor secured thereto; cantilevered flexible bimorph arm secured at one end to the anchor and extending along and over the substrate, the bimorph arm including a distal end opposite the end secured to the anchor; a substrate electrode secured to and insulated from the substrate and positioned under and in alignment with the bimorph arm; activation electrical couplings to receive an electrical potential difference between the bimorph arm and the substrate electrode to impart electrostatic attraction between the bimorph arm and the substrate electrode, thereby to activate the actuator; a memory electrode secured to and insulated from the substrate and positioned under and in alignment with the distal end of the bimorph arm; and a memory electrical coupling to receive an electrical potential at the memory electrode relative to the bimorph arm to impart electrostatic attraction between the bimorph arm and the memory electrode separately from the potential difference applied between the bimorph arm and the substrate electrode.