Patent ID: 7570416

Claim:
An electro-mechanical system disposed in an array configuration, the electro-mechanical system comprising: a substrate comprising a surface region including an array of electrodes, each of the array of electrodes being provided in pairs and configured to support a first voltage and a second voltage different from the first voltage; and an array of moveable structures, each of the array of moveable structures being associated with a pair of electrodes of the array of electrodes, each of the array of moveable structures including: a flexible member comprising a first end coupled to the surface region of the substrate and a second end opposing the first end, wherein a length is defined between the first end and the second end and wherein the second end is operable for displacement between a first position and a second position, the first position and the second position being located in a plane defined by the length and a width of the flexible member; a base region within a first portion of the flexible member, the base region being defined from the first end to a first predetermined portion of the length of the flexible member; a tip region within a second portion of the flexible member, the tip region being defined from the second end to a second predetermined portion of the length of the flexible member; and a moveable surface coupled to the flexible member and comprising a frontside region and a backside region, the backside region being coupled to the second end of the flexible member, wherein a normal of the frontside region is configured to be oriented at a first angle with respect to the surface region in response to the first voltage and oriented at a second angle with respect to the surface region in response to the second voltage.