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Microelectromechanical systems refer to microdevices or systems that can be produced in batches and integrate micromechanisms, microsensors, microactuators, signal processing and control circuits, interfaces, communications and power supplies.
Micro-Electro-Mechanic System (MEMS, Micro-Electro-Mechanic System) is an advanced manufacturing technology platform. It is developed based on semiconductor manufacturing technology. MEMS technology uses a series of existing technologies and materials such as photolithography, etching, and thin films in semiconductor technology. Therefore, in terms of the manufacturing technology itself, the basic manufacturing technology in MEMS is mature. But MEMS focuses more on ultra-precision machining and involves many disciplines such as microelectronics, materials, mechanics, chemistry, and mechanics. Its subject area has also expanded to various branches of physics such as force, electricity, light, magnetism, sound, and surfaces at the microscale.

Microelectromechanical systems are the integration of microcircuits and micromachines on chips according to functional requirements. The size is usually in the millimeter or micron level. It has developed extremely rapidly since its rise in the mid-to-late 1980s. It is considered to be another important factor in the national economy after microelectronics. Technical fields that have a major impact on the military and military will become a new growth point for the national economy in the 21st century and an important technical way to improve military capabilities.

The advantages of microelectromechanical systems are: small size, light weight, low power consumption, good durability, low price, and stable performance. The emergence and development of MEMS are the result of scientific and innovative thinking, which has led to the evolution and revolution of micro-scale manufacturing technology. Microelectromechanical systems are currently an important interdisciplinary research field, involving electronic engineering, materials engineering, mechanical engineering, information engineering and many other scientific and technological projects. It will be a new growth point in the future national economy and military scientific research fields.

MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) was initially widely used in automobile airbags, and then was widely used in various fields of automobiles in the form of MEMS sensors. With the further development of MEMS technology, and the application terminals becoming "light, thin, short, and small" Characteristics, the demand for small-sized and high-performance MEMS products is growing rapidly, and a large number of MEMS products have appeared in consumer electronics, medical and other fields.

The characteristics of MEMS are:

1) Miniaturization: MEMS devices are small in size, light in weight, low in energy consumption, small inertia, high in resonant frequency and short in response time.

2) Using silicon as the main material, it has excellent mechanical and electrical properties: the strength, hardness and Young's modulus of silicon are equivalent to iron, the density is similar to aluminum, and the thermal conductivity is close to molybdenum and tungsten.

3) Mass production: Using silicon micromachining technology, hundreds or even thousands of micro-electromechanical devices or complete MEMS can be manufactured simultaneously on a single silicon wafer. Mass production can significantly reduce production costs.

4) Integration: Multiple sensors or actuators with different functions, different sensitive directions or actuation directions can be integrated into one, or a micro-sensor array, a micro-actuator array can be formed, or even multiple functional devices can be integrated together. Form complex microsystems. The integration of microsensors, microactuators and microelectronic devices can create MEMS with high reliability and stability.

5) Multi-disciplinary interdisciplinary: MEMS involves many disciplines such as electronics, machinery, materials, manufacturing, information and automatic control, physics, chemistry and biology, and integrates many cutting-edge achievements in the development of today's science and technology.

The goal of MEMS development is to explore new principles and new functional components and systems through miniaturization and integration, and to open up a new technology field and industry. MEMS can complete tasks that cannot be accomplished by large-scale electromechanical systems, and can also be embedded in large-scale systems, raising the level of automation, intelligence, and reliability to a new level. In the 21st century, MEMS will gradually move from laboratories to practical applications, having a major impact on industry and agriculture, information, environment, bioengineering, medical care, space technology, national defense and scientific development.