ABSTRACT
Microelectromechanical systems ( M E M S ) technologies have matured dramatically over the last decade. While they began as an offspring of silicon microelectronics technology, initially capitalizing on the microelectronics infrastructure, it has grown to be much broader, expanding to include additional materials and manufacturing processes. As such, M E M S abound with applications that require rich and direct connections between system performance and materials behavior issues. To date these connections are perhaps less open to design freedom than traditional mechanical systems because of a limited palette of material choices and limited microfabrication techniques that derive from compatibility with C M O S technology (see Spearing (2000) and Ehrfeld et al. (1999) for reviews on materials issues in M E M S and Madou (1997) for a review of microfabrication technologies). The simultaneous application of new materials and development of new fabrication techniques is growing rapidly; the result is and will continue to be increased flexibility for designers who are looking toward M E M S technologies for innovative solutions to more and more complex problems.
