Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) is the integration of mechanical
elements, sensors, actuators, and electronics on a common silicon substrate
through microfabrication technology. While the electronics are fabricated
using integrated circuit (IC) process sequences (e.g., CMOS, Bipolar, or
BICMOS processes), the micromechanical components are fabricated using
compatible "micromachining" processes that selectively etch away parts of
the silicon wafer or add new structural layers to form the mechanical and
electromechanical devices.
MEMS promises to revolutionize nearly every product category by bringing
together silicon-based microelectronics with micromachining technology,
making possible the realization of complete systems-on-a-chip. MEMS is an
enabling technology allowing the development of smart products, augmenting
the computational ability of microelectronics with the perception and
control capabilities of microsensors and microactuators and expanding the
space of possible designs and applications.
Microelectronic integrated circuits can be thought of as the "brains" of a
system and MEMS augments this decision-making capability with "eyes" and
"arms", to allow microsystems to sense and control the environment. Sensors
gather information from the environment through measuring mechanical,
thermal, biological, chemical, optical, and magnetic phenomena. The
electronics then process the information derived from the sensors and
through some decision making capability direct the actuators to respond by
moving, positioning, regulating, pumping, and filtering, thereby
controlling the environment for some desired outcome or purpose. Because
MEMS devices are manufactured using batch fabrication techniques similar to
those used for integrated circuits, unprecedented levels of functionality,
reliability, and sophistication can be placed on a small silicon chip at a
relatively low cost.