Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS): Technology for the 21st century

Abstract

Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) are miniaturized devices that can sense the environment, process and analyze information, and respond with a variety of mechanical and electrical actuators. MEMS consist 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.

Mikro-elektro-mehanički sistemi (MEMS) pripadaju minijaturnim elektromehaničkim sistemima (uređaji i strukture) koji mogu da registruju promene u okolini, da ih analiziraju i procesiraju pomoću mikroelektronike. MEMS čine mehanički elementi, senzori, pojačivači, električni i elektronski uređaji koji su smešteni na silicijumov supstrat (čip). MEMS uređaji su minijaturni (dimenzije), optimalni (energetski i ekonomski), adaptabilni (lako se integrišu u druge sisteme i lako se modifikuju), niskog koeficijenata toplotnog širenja, velike otpornosti na vibracije, udar i zračenje. Tehnologije koje se primenjuju za proizvodnju MEMS i MEMS prodiru u svakodnevni život, na sličan način kao mikroelektronika. Mogućnost šaržne proizvodnje u velikim serijama otvorila je široku, komercijalnu primenu MEMS uređaja u biomedicini, telekomunikacijama, bezbednosti i zabavi. MEMS povezuje oblasti koje nisu imale dodirne tačke kao što su biologija, mikroelektronika i nanotehnologija. MEMS se razvija u pravcima koji nadrastaju trenutna saznanja i otkrića tako da se smatra da je MEMS osnova za uređaje i tehnologije 21. veka.