MEMS: Quo vadis in century XXI?

Abstract

Exciting developments in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) have been brought about by applying know-how gained through the IC revolution to the task of building both micromechanical and microelectronic elements into engineering microsystems. Some of the commercial areas in which MEMS has taken root, and in which growth seems clear and healthy are: the automotive industry, where MEMS are in production for sensing applications, particularly for pressure and acceleration, and also for fuel-injection systems; printers, where ink-jet technology is revolutionizing a booming field ($3B worldwide market growing at nearly 20% per year); optical systems where new actuated mirror- and lens- systems are being exploited for display and for fiberoptic communication systems; information storage in which much increased density (expected are 100-fold and greater storage-capacity increases) at increased speed and reduced cost; and bio- and medical applications where MEMS promise truly revolutionary systems. The challenges to MEMS progress are many, extending all the way from needs for more knowledge of fundamentals to learning a great deal more about materials, processes, and system design as well as about compatibility, reliability, and interfacing. To reach a state when MEMS design is as mature as today's IC design, substantial advances in modeling, simulation and computer-aided design must be made. However, with the IC past as prologue, MEMS clearly beckons towards a fabulous future.