Patent ID: 7498715

Claim:
An actuator device, the actuator device comprising: a substrate member, the substrate member comprising a surface region; a movable compliant actuator member having a fixed end, a free end, and a length formed between the fixed end and the free end, the fixed end being coupled to a portion of the surface region, the actuator member having at least a first state at a first spatial position and a second state at a second spatial position, the free end being at the first spatial position during the first state, the first spatial position being a first predetermined height normal to the surface region and the second spatial position being a second predetermined height normal to the surface region; an arc region defining a path between the first spatial position and the second spatial position, the actuator member being in a stressed state at the second spatial position, the stressed state being in a direction toward the first spatial position; a plurality of electrode members spatially disposed along a first region of the surface region and a second region of the surface region, the first region being within a vicinity of the portion of the surface region coupled to the fixed end of the movable compliant actuator member; whereupon one or more of the electrodes is capable of being biased relative to the movable compliant actuator to cause the movable compliant actuator member to move along the arc region from the first spatial position to the second spatial position; and wherein the actuator member comprises a plurality of openings therein, the plurality of openings being provided to form a pair of electrodes with the plurality of fixed electrode within the surface region.