Introduction to Microsystems

Module Overview

Introduction to Microsystems presents a broad overview of micro-opto-electromechanical systems (MOEMS), a fast-growing field driven by increasing industrial maturity and steadily decreasing manufacturing costs. The course discusses how MEMS technologies are enabling a wide range of applications, from biochemical analysis to fiber-optic telecommunications, and why market forecasts predict continued growth of mechanical microsensors.

Building on materials, fabrication processes, and design methodologies originally developed for microelectronics, the lecture explains how silicon-based microsystems are evolving into new classes of microengineered devices that often outperform conventional solutions in size, integration potential, and functionality. While silicon's electrical behavior has long been well known, the course emphasizes how its mechanical properties are key to many MEMS implementations.

The main goal is to introduce MEMS transducers. To achieve this, the lecture defines essential terminology, and illustrates both commercial products and research-grade MEMS devices to connect core concepts with real-world implementations.