ABSTRACT
Jargon from different science disciplines and various application fields often makes interdisciplinary microelectromechanical system (MEMS) and nanoelectromechanical system (NEMS) discussions challenging. A useful scheme for standardizing the classification of miniaturized sensors and actuators would make communication between researchers from different disciplines (manufacturers, immunologists, mechanical engineers, market researchers, etc.) easier. Several such attempts have been made in that direction. We state our favored approach here. White1 describes a classification scheme derived from
a Hitachi Research Laboratory communication. He distinguishes ten different domains or fields:
1. Acoustic 2. Biological 3. Chemical 4. Electrical 5. Magnetic 6. Mechanical 7. Optical 8. Radiant 9. Thermal 10. Other
Middlehoek and Audet2 follow Lion3 and contract this list to six domains:
1. Radiant 2. Mechanical 3. Thermal 4. Electrical 5. Magnetic 6. Chemical
For simplicity, we adopt the latter list here. Based on Gopel et al.4 and Habekotte,5 Table 8.2 exemplifies sensing/actuating principles in these six signal domains. Since the listed energy domains can be energy input as well as energy output, a 6 × 6 matrix results. The table also presents an example device in each field. We may have a mechanical sensor/actuator converting mechanical energy into thermal energy (i.e., a thermomechanical device such as a friction calorimeter), but also a thermal sensor/actuator converting thermal energy into mechanical energy (e.g., a mechanothermal sensor such as a bimetallic strip).
