MEMS

MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems) — miniature mechanical devices (sensors, actuators, resonators) fabricated using semiconductor manufacturing techniques, bridging the physical and digital worlds.

What MEMS Are

• Tiny mechanicalgical structures (1–100 μm) built on silicon chips
• They sense physical quantities (acceleration, pressure, rotation) or create physical motion (mirrors, valves, speakers)
• Fabricated using modified IC processes: deposition, lithography, etching, plus special steps (deep RIE, wafer bonding, release etch)

Common MEMS Devices

• Accelerometer: Measures acceleration/tilt. In every smartphone (screen rotation, step counting)
• Gyroscope: Measures rotation rate. Navigation, image stabilization
• Pressure Sensor: Measures barometric pressure. Altitude, weather, automotive
• Microphone: MEMS diaphragm + ASIC. In phones, smart speakers, hearing aids
• Digital Mirror (DMD): Texas Instruments DLP — millions of tiny mirrors for projectors
• RF MEMS: Switches, filters, resonators for 5G

Market & Scale

• ~30 billion MEMS devices shipped per year
• Every smartphone has 10+ MEMS sensors
• Key manufacturers: STMicroelectronics, Bosch, TDK/InvenSense, Analog Devices

MEMS are the interface between the physical world and digital electronics — they give chips the ability to sense and interact with their environment.