Micro-electromechanical systems, or MEMS, are making a big impact on many industries. MEMS are created by combining several other technologies — including sensors, actuators, mechanical elements, and electronics. The components are fabricated on a chip using “micro-machining” processes that etch away parts of the silicon wafer. Another approach is to add new structural layers to form the mechanical and electromechanical devices.

Either way, MEMS are on the way to revolutionizing nearly every product category by bringing together silicon-based microelectronics with micro-machining technology. This will allow engineers to realize their vision of complete systems-on-a-chip. As such, MEMS are an enabling technology that will allow the development of smart products.

If integrated circuits allow a micro-system to “think,” then the other MEMS components allow it to “see” and “feel” the environment. Micro-sensors gather information from the environment by taking mechanical, thermal, biological, chemical, optical, and magnetic measurements. The electronics then process that data and tell the actuators to respond by moving, positioning, regulating, pumping, and filtering. In this way, the system can control the environment.

Because MEMS devices are manufactured using batch semiconductor fabrication techniques similar to those used for integrated circuits, they can be made cheaply, yet they are durable and can be used for many purposes.

For example, in biotechnology, MEMS are enabling new discoveries such as micro-systems for DNA amplification and identification. MEMS are also essential to the creation of micro-machined Scanning Tunneling Microscopes, biochips for detection of hazardous chemical chemicals and biological agents, and micro-systems for drug screening and selection.

In communications, MEMS are boosting the performance of electrical components, including inductors and tunable capacitors. These components will, in turn, boost the performance of communication circuits, while taking less space, using less power, and costing less money. Already, MEMS are transforming the market for projection TVs, where digital light processing chips are taking the place of CRT and LCD technology.

MEMS are also already being used in inkjet printers, at-home blood pressure monitoring systems, and in automobiles. ...