Fabrication of Micro and Nano Electro Mechanical Systems Technology for Next Generation Sensors

Abstract

The so called advanced sensing capability results from the common extensions of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) and very large scale integration (VLSI) technologies. This integration is paving the way for next generation sensors which are smaller, smarter and more powerful compared to their previous versions. So, in the coming time, we will see how all these technologies, when brought together, are becoming a sort of a industry that is disrupting various industries, and at the same time opening new avenues for innovation.This sensor technology breakthrough is a MEMS/NEMS based VLSI fusion technology. By combining the small size and precision of MEMS/NEMS together with the process power and functionality of a CMOS VLSI circuit, engineers and researchers design sensors that detect their environment and with very high sensitivity and accuracy. This is not incremental improvement; this is a paradigm shift, and it is making not just the sensing and data collection in this one domain, but many others.In this article as we go ahead we have a look to some fundamental principles of MEMS/NEMS technology and how VLSI helps to brings synergy in the MEMS/NEMS technology and the wide variety of anticipated application from MEMS/NEMS technology. They have profound and pervasive impact from healthcare to environmental monitoring, from automotive systems to consumer electronics.