MEMS technology is a class of microelectromechanical systems that are having a profound impact on our lives, from sensors in smartphones to innovations in healthcare. In this article, we’ll cover what MEMS technology is, where it’s used, and where it’s headed, with the goal of educating the public about its importance.
Mechanical engineering has had a profound impact on human life. From the cars, bridges, and smartphones we use every day to the airplanes that allow us to travel abroad, mechanical engineering has been applied to a wide variety of products to make our lives easier. However, in addition to these traditional fields of mechanical engineering, a new field has recently emerged that is making a huge difference in our lives. This is MEMS technology. In this article, we’ll take a look at what MEMS technology is, how it’s impacting our lives, and how it’s going to evolve in the future.
MEMS stands for Microelectromechanical systems, which in Korean means microelectromechanical systems. As the name suggests, MEMS is a combination of electronics and mechanical elements that are very small in size. The components of these systems are typically 0.0010.1 millimeters in size, and the entire product is 0.021.0 millimeters in size. Considering that a human hair is about 0.1 millimeters thick, the average MEMS product is about the same size or smaller than a human hair.
Traditional mechanical engineering design and manufacturing techniques have been used to create products of all sizes, from microscopic parts in watches to massive structures in bridges. While these techniques have evolved for precision machining, it was thought to be physically impossible to achieve precision machining below a certain level. MEMS manufacturing, on the other hand, utilizes semiconductor micromachining technology to create ultra-small objects that are much smaller than conventional machines. This technology enables low-cost mass production of MEMS elements that are similar in size to semiconductor circuits, and is highly productive due to its high density integration. MEMS manufacturing technology is the next generation of traditional mechanical engineering design and manufacturing techniques.
MEMS technology began to be developed in the United States in the early 1960s and was commercialized in the 1980s when it was used in inkjet printer nozzles. In the United States, companies such as Honeywell, Motorola, and Ford are developing MEMS technology, and in Korea, companies such as LG and Samsung began developing the technology in the 1990s, and in 1997, MEMS technology was selected as a G7 task and national-level research began. Currently, MEMS technology is applied to various fields such as microstructures, sensors, actuators, machines, and robots.
The closest example of MEMS technology to our daily lives is our smartphones. Smartphones are equipped with accelerometer and gyro sensors to detect posture and acceleration. These two sensors are classic examples of MEMS technology that allow us to electrically measure the physical properties of an object. They compensate for hand shake when taking photos in the dark, or enable virtual reality features that connect a smartphone to the real world in real time. Silicon pressure sensors are also used for pressure sensing in automobiles. For example, shock sensing for airbag deployment and measuring tire pressure. These two factors are directly related to occupant safety, and silicon pressure sensors with MEMS technology play an important role in ensuring the safety of car occupants by enabling miniaturization while providing high precision and reliability. In addition, MEMS technology plays a key role in inkjet printers, optical communications, computer hard disks, and many other fields.
How will MEMS technology change human life in the future? One of the most active areas of research in MEMS is the medical field. Researchers are using MEMS technology to develop miniaturized diagnostic analyzers that do not cause rejection in the human body. There is also a lot of research in the field of lab-on-a-chip, which uses a variety of biosensors to perform multiple analyzes on a simple chip. It has already been developed to the stage where health indicators such as blood sugar and DNA can be easily analyzed, and recently, biochips that can capture cancer cells and detect various substances secreted by cancer cells are being developed. MEMS technology is expected to help diagnose human health conditions quickly and precisely in the future. In addition, miniaturized MEMS sensors are likely to be applied to home appliances as the Internet of Things technology advances. In addition, MEMS technology can be applied to various other fields such as factory automation equipment and security equipment.
As you can see, MEMS technology is closely related to real life, and it is a technology that can enrich human life. However, despite this close connection to real life, MEMS technology is not as well known to the public as other advanced technologies. We hope that this article will help readers realize that MEMS technology will play an important role in making human life safer and more convenient in the future, and that it will spark their interest.
