MEMS

Micro Electro Mechanical Systems -- the technology of the very small, yet not in the realm of Molecular nanotechnology.

Micro Electro Mechanical Systems or MEMS refers to micro devices. These micro devices generally range in size from a micron (a millionth of a meter) to a millimeter (a thousandth of a meter). They are fabricated using modified silicon fabrication technology (used to make electronics) and molding and plating and electro discharge machining (EDM) and other technologies that can manufacture very small devices. Common applications are the ink jet printer on your desk which uses a MEMS actuator to push the ink towards the paper, an accelerometer in your car used to deploy your air bag in an accident, pressure sensors and many other devices. Also called micromechanics, micro machines, micro system technology and mst.

Nano devices generally refer to devices ranging in size from a nanometer (a billionth of a meter) to a micron. The nano and MEMS field can overlap.

Tutorials on MEMS are at http://home.earthlink.net/~trimmerw/mems/tutorials.html .

Links to MEMS pages are at: http://home.earthlink.net/~trimmerw/mems/linkstolinks.html .

Many other sources of books and conferences and companies is at www.trimmer.net.