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Microscopic Motor Created with MEMS Technology
MEMS stands for MicroElectroMechanical
Systems. MEMS are also called Micromachines. MEMS are microscopic
mechanical systems. They have feature sizes as small as one
micron.
They are built using the same techniques used to create integrated
circuits, or computer chips. They are built on silicon wafers in
microelectronic manufacturing facilities. The devices are created by
depositing thin films on the wafer, using photolithography to pattern
the films, and then reactive ion etching to etch the pattern into the
films. By repeating these steps many different times, complex,
functioning machines can be built. MEMS are used in a variety of
applications in industry. They are used to detect that your car has
crashed, and then fire the airbag. They are used in ink jet printers to
create the small droplets of ink that are sprayed onto the paper. MEMS is an emerging
technology, which is finding new applications each day. MEMS devices are
an important component of Nanotechnology.
MEMS Image Gallery
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