US Patent 7457021 - Fiber based MEMS

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7457021.html

Micromachined materials have traditionally been limited to silicon, metal, and ceramic films with some more recent work being done with polymers. However, this patent from Cornell Research Foundation teaches an entirely different approach using carbon fibers as the actuation material for a micromirror type actuator having improved mechanical and flexure properties. Claim 1 reads:

1. A micro-electro-mechanical device scanner comprising:

a substrate;

an array of fibers supported by the substrate at a clamped end of the array of fibers; and

a mirror supported by a second, free end of the array of fibers.