Understanding Smart Sensors - Nomads.usp

9MEMS Beyond Sensors“And these other instruments, the use of which I cannot guess?”“Here, Professor, I ought to give you some explanations. Will you be kindenough to listen to me?”—Jules Verne, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea9.1 IntroductionThe micromachining technology that has enabled semiconductor sensors isbeing applied to control systems for numerous mechanical applications. Insome cases, the microstructures that are being developed have no direct relationshipto sensors. However, many of those devices enhance the performanceof the total system or allow system design that was not previously possible.Because micromachining is fundamental to manufacturing those structures,future developments in that area will improve both micromachining technologyand the systems that utilize them.The microscale design and fabrication of mechanical and electrical structuresis called microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). The terms microsystemsand microsystems technology (MST) are also used to describe the structuresformed using micromachining, especially in Europe. The term intelligentMEMS (IMEMS) describes a monolithic MEMS and IC combination. Theextent to which micromachining is utilized to produce components that are notsensors is demonstrated by the list of developed silicon structures shown inTable 9.1 [1]. The batch processing of mechanical components has thesame potential for mechanical engineering (and other disciplines) that201