MEMS stands for Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems
MEMS consist of components with sizes between 1 and 100 micrometers (i.e., 0.001 to 0.1 mm), and MEMS devices generally range from 20 micrometers to one millimeter (i.e., 0.02 to 1.0 mm). However, components arranged in arrays (e.g., digital micromirror devices) can reach an area of more than 1,000 mm².
Typically, MEMS consist of a central unit for data processing (the microprocessor) as well as several components that interact with the environment, such as microsensors.[1] Due to the high surface-to-volume ratio, forces from environmental influences—such as electromagnetic effects (e.g., electrostatic charges and magnetic moments) as well as fluid mechanical effects (e.g., surface tension and viscosity)—play a significantly larger role in MEMS than in macroscopic mechanical systems.
MEMS technology differs from molecular nanotechnology or molecular electronics in that the latter must also take surface chemistry into account.
