Fabrication:
– Devices fabricated using surface micromachining and bulk micromachining techniques
– Bulk micromachining involves highly doping a region with boron and etching unwanted silicon in liquid silicon etches
– Technique termed etchstop due to boron doping producing an unetchable layer/pattern
Transducers:
– Micromachines often function as transducers, acting as sensors or actuators
– Sensors convert environmental information into electrical signals
– Example: resonant chemical sensor detects specific molecules by altering resonance frequency
– Actuators convert electrical signals into motion
– Common types: electrostatic, thermal, and magnetic actuators
See also:
– Related topics include Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)
– Microfactory and Nano guitar are also relevant
– Microscanner is another area of interest
References:
– “Etch Stop Application” archived on 2017-06-28, retrieved on 2006-11-01
Micromachines are mechanical objects that are fabricated in the same general manner as integrated circuits. They are generally considered to be between 100 nanometres to 100 micrometres in size, though that is debatable. The applications of micromachines include accelerometers that detect when a car has hit an object and trigger an airbag. Complex systems of gears and levers are another application.
