Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems

Abtract

Many visions came into biomedical sciences by improvments in microengineeringtechnologies which can defeat conventional techniques. An organ-on-a-chip is a multi-channel 3-D microfluidiccell culture chip that has The potential to mimic the way real organs work, so that scientists and engineers can model the effects of therapies more precisely.Such organs on chips can be used to model how human organs function and modernizing the way drugs are tested and cancer is treated. Also they have the potential to eliminate the use of animals in drug testing and lower the cost of developing new pharmaceuticals.

Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems

Introduction

Microengineering can be defined as the science and art to design, build and calibrate microscopic devices, another definition is described as the engineering related to the application of the techniques developed in the electronics sector. The world has grown up using the chip of Si, that tiny heart of most electronic devices, this Si is used to develop small components mechanics and its applications increase by hundreds. The Si can be molded into the required device, using traditional processes in the IC production as photolithography, diffusion and ion implantation, deposition of fine films, anisotropic etching, anodizing selective (includes pore formation of Si). The If molding can be used as a template for the formation of microstructures in other materials such as metals, ceramics, plastics, etc (Allegrini, 2001).

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are usually integrated device made on a semiconductor (usually - Si) substrate and containing mechanical elements, sensors, actuators and electronic components. Typical sizes of micromechanical elements (component systems) are in the range from 1 micrometer to 100 micrometers, whereas the size of the chip MEMS chips reach values of 20 micrometers to one millimeter. Microelectromechanical systems are made of semiconductor processing technologies such as CMOS, BiCMOS, and others, including a standard thin-film deposition process steps of layers, the formation of lithographic drawing, etching, etc., to form the mechanical and electromechanical components used in the manufacture of MEMS-compatible process "micro" allowing selectively etches silicon substrate elements or add new structural layers.

Device Fabrication

Microelectromechanical systems or MEMS for short - is a set of microdevices wide variety of designs and purposes, made by similar methods using the modified group process techniques in microelectronics. They are united by two features. The first - the size, the second - the presence of moving parts and purpose to mechanical action. In the world they are known by the acronym MEMS - MicroElectroMechanical Systems. Implantable bioMEMS can be equipped with wireless communication with external devices. Developed the device with an integrated optical system (such as a tablet (video pill)), capable of transmitting images of the gastrointestinal tract in real time, to do a biopsy of tissue and release drugs in response to the radio. Applications bioMEMS - molecular diagnosis and treatment of diseases, orthotics, environmental monitoring, biosecurity (Bhushan, 1998).

Combining elements of semiconductor microelectronics and mechanical items created by micromachining, MEMS make it possible to create a complete system-on-chip. In such solutions to the computing power of microprocessors are added features of ...