The goal of MEMS technology is to explore components and systems with new principles and functions through system miniaturization and integration.MEMS technology is a typical multidisciplinary cross-cutting cutting-edge research field, which involves almost all fields of natural and engineering sciences, such as electronics, mechanics, physics, chemistry, biomedicine, materials science, energy science and so on. Its research content can be generally summarized as the following three basic aspects:
1. Theoretical foundation:
In the current MEMS can reach the scale, the basic physical laws of the macroscopic world is still playing a role, but due to the size of the reduced brought about by the impact of the impact of the (Scaling Effects), many physical phenomena and the macroscopic world has a great deal of difference, so many of the original theoretical basis will be changed. The basis of many original theories will change, such as the size effect of force, the surface effect of microstructure, microscopic friction mechanism, and so on, so it is necessary to microdynamics, microhydrodynamics, microthermodynamics, microtribology, micro-optics and microstructures to carry out in-depth research. This aspect of the research, although valued, is difficult and often requires basic research by scholars from multiple disciplines.
2. Technical basis:
The technical basis of MEMS can be categorized into the following aspects: (1) design and simulation technology; (2) materials and processing technology (3) packaging and assembly technology; (4) measurement and testing technology; (5) integration and system technology and so on.
3. Application research:
People not only want to develop various technologies for manufacturing MEMS, but more importantly, how to combine MEMS technology with aerospace, information and communication, biochemistry, medical, automation, consumer electronics, and weaponry and other application fields to produce MEMS devices and systems such as microsensors, microactuators, microstructures and other MEMS devices which are in line with the requirements of the various fields.
MEMS TECHNOLOGY AND BIOMEDICINE:
MEMS technology has already been used in the biomedical field, and some companies have already commercialized their products.
From the sorceries of ancient wizards to the quantum technologies of modern biology, mankind is constantly seeking ways to extend and improve the quality of life.
While most of the scientific research on longevity falls within the realm of the life sciences, other contributing technological fields have also made promising developments, such as microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), a technology that even the most imaginative doctor, scientist, or technician would not have dreamed of a few years ago.
MEMS is a manufacturing method that basically uses microelectronic materials and processes to produce mechanical components that integrate sensors, actuators and microelectronics.
Biomedical MEMS technology has grown tremendously, even if it is still in its infancy.
For example, the rise in obesity and the aging of the world's population has led to an increase in cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and the use of MEMS technology could lead to the creation of new surgical implants capable of monitoring a person's health from inside the human body.
CardioMEMS has used MEMS to make cardiovascular microsensors to measure the pressure of the arteries, which act like EZPass devices (a type of highway entrance device) for the car, but with the ability to measure the pressure of the arteries. The sensor works like an EZPass device in a car (an automated sensor that allows you to pay at freeway entrances without stopping the car), but it doesn't need any power, so you can get all the relevant data about a person's arteries by activating the sensor with a sensing stick on the outside when you're reading the information.
Using MEMS can also create smart surgical instruments that reduce surgical risk and time, shorten patient recovery time, and lower the cost of treatment. verimetra is using MEMS to convert existing surgical instruments into smart surgical instruments that can be used in a variety of settings, including minor surgery, oncology, neurology, dentistry, and fetal heart surgery.
Drug injection is another area of biomedical MEMS that could have huge growth potential, and MicroChipd is developing a drug-injection system that utilizes silicon or polymer microchips with thousands of miniature reservoir bladders filled with drugs, reagents and other pharmaceuticals. These microchips are capable of injecting drugs into the body, revolutionizing the way painkillers, hormones, and steroids are injected. New biomedical advances like these will also give rise to new types of devices, such as portable handheld dialysis machines.
In the future, people will be able to equip their bodies with MEMS sensors and actuators that measure the body's functions, ensuring optimal health, helping to maintain an active lifestyle, and providing automated preventive care.
While it is clear that these achievements will revolutionize the way we treat disease and live our lives, the use of MEMS technology in the biomedical field may also create some ethical and commercial headaches for society. How do we house these sensors that report on our activities and lifestyles in order to monitor our health, and are MEMS products affordable for rich and poor alike? And what will it mean for humanity as transplants become more common and possible, and account for a significant portion of our bodies?
MEMS is a rich, diverse and dynamic technology for biomedical applications, and the challenge for MEMS in biomedical applications is not only to develop the right technology, but also to become a major player.
Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) is a new field of research and development that must simultaneously take into account the role of a mixture of multiple physical fields, which are smaller in size relative to traditional machinery, the largest no more than a centimeter, or even just a few microns, and their thickness is even more minute. Excellent electrical properties are achieved by using materials based on silicon, which has strength, hardness and Young's modulus comparable to that of iron, density similar to that of aluminum, and thermal conductivity close to that of molybdenum and tungsten. The use of integrated circuits (IC) similar to the generation of technology, can be a large number of IC production in the use of mature technologies, processes, high-volume, low-cost production, so that the cost-effective relative to the traditional "mechanical" manufacturing technology has increased dramatically.
The complete MEMS is an integrated miniature device system consisting of microsensors, microactuators, signal processing and control circuits, communication interfaces and power supply components. The goal is to integrate information acquisition, processing and execution together to form a miniature system with multi-functionality that can be integrated into a large-size system, thus dramatically increasing the level of automation, intelligence and reliability of the system.
Along the development direction of system and product miniaturization, intelligence and integration, it can be predicted that: MEMS will bring another technological revolution to the human society, which will have a far-reaching impact on the science and technology of the 21st century, the mode of production and the quality of human production, and it is a key technology related to the country's scientific and technological development, national defense security and economic prosperity.
Manufacturers are continually refining handheld devices, offering products that are smaller in size and more versatile. But the paradox is that as technology improves, prices tend to skyrocket, so that leads to a problem: Manufacturers are forced to deal with conflicting demands -- to make their products superbly functional while keeping their costs down.
One solution to this dilemma is the use of microelectromechanical systems, more popularly known as MEMS, which allow manufacturers to integrate all of the functionality of a product onto a single chip. the ultimate impact of MEMS on consumer electronics will be not only in terms of cost reductions but also in terms of the size and weight that can be achieved without sacrificing performance. In fact, the performance of MEMS components used in most consumer electronics products is significantly better than comparable technologies that are already available. Although MEMS has been limited to automotive, industrial and medical applications in the past, research firms estimate that "MEMS consumer electronics sales will reach $1.5 billion by 2005."
Handheld device manufacturers are increasingly realizing the value of MEMS and the benefits the technology offers -- high volume, low cost, small size -- and are beginning to turn to successful MEMS companies, with the magnitude of cost reductions achieved affecting the entire consumer electronics world, not just high-end devices. .
MEMS features
Miniaturization: MEMS devices are small in size, light in weight, low in energy consumption, low inertia, high resonance frequency, and short in response time;
Integration: Multiple sensors or actuators with different functions, different sensitization directions, and different actuation directions can be integrated to form microsensor arrays or microactuator arrays, and even multiple devices can be integrated to form more complex devices. Can even integrate a variety of devices together to form more complex microsystems. The integration of microsensors, microactuators and ICs together can produce highly reliable and stable intelligent MEMS;
Multi-disciplinary: MEMS manufacturing involves a variety of disciplines, such as electronics, mechanics, materials, information and automatic control, physics, chemistry and biology, etc., and at the same time, MEMS also provides a powerful tool for the further research and development of the above disciplines.
Wide range of MEMS applications
Keeping up with developments
An increasingly popular MEMS application is the pacing meter, which is used to measure a person's speed or distance as they walk. Converting mechanical translational motion in the z-axis direction into electrical pulses is where MEMS devices come in. These pulses feed into a peak detector circuit that then triggers a count for each pulse. Careful design of the peak detection algorithm optimizes the measurement for the accelerometer chosen.
If a pacing meter is mounted to a person's foot, the meter is periodically subjected to extreme shock when the person runs. If the product uses an accelerometer, such a high shock index can significantly limit the product's performance. For example, some accelerometers are designed to experience a phenomenon known as "sticking" when overloaded beyond a certain point, where the accelerometer saturates when subjected to a large shock and maintains a saturated output even after the large overload is removed. To get it out of this state, it may be necessary to reverse the polarity of the power supply.MEMSIC's accelerometers detect acceleration on a thermally sensitive principle, so they don't have the problems that other accelerometers have with large loads, such as sticking dead, because they don't have a sensitive mass at all.
Making GPS more reliable
Whether you're touring a remote trail or simply navigating your car, a handheld Global Positioning System (GPS) is a safe, convenient, and ideal piece of gear to have on hand.
Person and vehicle location systems supported by GPS receivers can determine location and provide guidance on routes. With GPS systems, signal reception is not always 100% reliable, but with accelerometers based on MEMS technology, signal loss can be compensated for by a navigation solution that can extrapolate the distance traveled. In addition, accelerometers are useful in correcting the magnetic declination of the 3-axis electronic compasses used in these systems. Accelerometers can track information about angular displacements away from the zero reference in the direction of gravity, and once this information is obtained, the magnetic declination can be corrected so that accurate orientation readings can be derived even when the device is not horizontal.
One of the problems manufacturers of handheld GPS have to deal with is how to ensure the performance of the units in harsh weather conditions. These systems must be reliable in extreme temperature conditions and able to withstand strong shocks. Current accelerometers in many cases are not yet able to withstand the strong impacts that exist in harsh environments, and new products designed by MEMSIC have achieved high impact resistance - 50,000g - making them virtually impossible to fail. Most MEMS accelerometers, on the other hand, have shock overload tolerance ranging from 500g to 2,000g, and often fail because the devices are not able to remain intact in more severe environments.
Providing better control for gaming applications
In terms of improving the experience of video games, MEMS accelerometers can also provide motion and tilt detection. These games can run on a wide range of platforms - including consoles such as Microsoft Xbox, Sony's Playstation, Nintendo GameCube, and handhelds such as Nintendo GameBoy, Palm or Pocket PC PDAs devices, as well as other laptops and desktops, with improved tilt and motion-sensitive features for control panels and joysticks.
This feature allows users to immerse themselves in the game and experience the fun. This is especially true for flight simulation games, where users need to tilt the control panel or joystick to turn an airplane - whether it's a propeller plane or a jet fighter, most users tilt their entire body when completing a large angled turn, making it more immersive for them.
Handheld devices like Nintendo's Gameboy offer a game called "Kirby Tilt and Flip," which is controlled by tilting and swaying. In the game, Kirby, the spherical protagonist, has to roll according to the tilt of a floating platform that is constantly rolling and swinging, and shaking the Gameboy can help Kirby jump to the next floating platform. Similar maze games can be added to handheld or portable PC PDA devices that utilize MotionSense's software and hardware.
Sports games can also utilize the benefits of MEMS accelerometers. A baseball or golf bat equipped with MEMS accelerometers and gyroscopes can provide full rotational information that can be used to accurately reproduce the action of a hit.
As the value of MEMS is proven, more and more consumer electronics manufacturers are adopting the technology. Manufacturers of cellular devices have also realized its importance as has the gaming industry, especially those developing wireless products. As the handheld market continues to experience explosive growth, low cost will be a driving factor in its success, and that growth can be obtained through the utilization of MEMS technology.