Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) are miniturized devices that can
sense the environment, process and analyze information, and respond with a
variety of mechanical and electrical actuators. MEMS consists of mechanical
elements, sensors, actuators, electrical and electronics devices on a common
silicon substrate. Micro-electro-mechanical systems are becoming a vital
technology for modern society. Some of the advantages of MEMS devices are:
very small size, very low power consumption, low cost, easy to integrate into
systems or modify, small thermal constant, high resistance to vibration,
shock and radiation, batch fabricated in large arrays, improved thermal
expansion tolerance. MEMS technology is increasingly penetrating into our
lives and improving quality of life, similar to what we experienced in the
microelectronics revolution. Commercial opportunities for MEMS are rapidly
growing in broad application areas, including biomedical, telecommunication,
security, entertainment, aerospace, and more in both the consumer and
industrial sectors on a global scale. As a breakthrough technology, MEMS is
building synergy between previously unrelated fields such as biology and
microelectronics. Many new MEMS and nanotechnology applications will emerge,
expanding beyond that which is currently identified or known. MEMS are
definitely technology for 21st century.
Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS): Technology for the 21st century
