Mems              

Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)  MOEMS Micro Optical Electronic Machines 

Basic Terminology   Companies   Links

Picture an incredibly  tiny machine so small that it is not visible to the human eye. Imagine machines no bigger than a grain of sand. Imagine hundreds of these machines aligned on a single silicon chip. . Imagine a world where gravity and inertia carry no importance, only atomic forces and surface structures dominate. A silicon chip with hundreds or thousands of microscopic mirrors adjusting in unison, enabling the all optical network and removing the bottlenecks from the global telecommunications infrastructure. Imagine how different the world would be if miniaturized sensors, and computers could be embedded within materials, coated on surfaces, and spread throughout the environment, essentially making matter programmable You are imagining the microdomain, dominated by an incredible technology known as MEMS.

A MEMS device contains micro-circuitry on a tiny silicon chip into which a mechanical device such as a mirror or a sensor has been installeded.  Potentially, such chips can be built in large quantities at low cost, making them cost-effective for numerous applications.

It is a technology that integrates complex electromechanical elements and processing circuitry on a chip,  using a combination of fabrication techniques that handles the electronics, similar to the way integrated circuits are made, and processes called “micromachining,” .  The end result is a unique and self-contained system that not only detects its environment but also has the capability of actively changing it. For this reason MEMS is also sometimes referred to as SMART MATTER.

Among the presently available uses of MEMS or those under study are:

Global position system sensors that can be included with courier parcels for continual tracking
Sensors built into the fabric of an airplane wing so that it can sense and react to air flow
Optical switching devices that can switch light signals over different paths at 20-nanosecond switching speeds
Sensor-driven heating and cooling systems that would improve energy savings

Basic Definitions/Terminology

Lab on a Chip technology is of interest in many areas. This technology can be utilized to synthesize chemicals efficiently and cost effectively as well as to carry out biological /clinical analyses, to perform combinatorial chemistry, all on a single, miniaturized device.

Micromaching is basically a self explanatory term. Referring to maching and fabrication at the micro & Nano levels.

Plasma Etching A process utilized in micromachining


Microfluidics a multidisciplinary field comprising physics, chemistry, engineering and biotechnology that studies the behavior of fluids at the microscale and mesoscale. Fluids at volumes thousands of times smaller than a single drop . In addition it concerns the design of systems in which such small volumes of fluids will be used.

Fluid behavior at the micro/nano scale differs from the behavior the we normally obeserve in "macrofluids" Factors such as electrokinetics, surface tension, energy dissipation, begin to dominate reactons.

Microfluidics is used in in micro-thermal and micro-propulsion technologies and gene chip technology.

Optical Switches optical switches are an opto-mechanical switch matrix system.

 

 

 

 

Nano- and Micro-Electromechanical Systems: Fundamentals of Nano- and Microengineering

 

Micro electro mechanical systems : an investigation of micro structures, sensors, actuators, machines, and systems : proceedings

 

Microsystem Engineering of Lab-on-a-Chip Devices
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get Top Investing Tips for Download at Audible.com.

 

 
Mems Companies

The following is a very basic list of Companies, for a more extensive data base go to Our Companies Index

 
  1. Advanced Micro Sensors Thin Film manufacturing solutions related to MEMS/MOEMS, sensors and data recording products
  2. Advanced Optical MEMS, Inc {TransOptix} optical switches
  3. Advanced Custom Sensors Inc. Supplier of thin-film and micromachined force and pressure sensors to the medical, chemical, oil, and gas industries. Services include strain gauge installation, MEMS packaging, and sensor module design and manufacturing.
  4. Advent Optronics   optical MEMS Test systems
  5. Agilent Technologies Lab on a Chip technology & Support are one of this companies many facets
  6. Alcatel Micro Machining Systems Division of ALCATEL VACUUM TECHNOLOGY developing, manufacturing, and marketing Deep Plasma Etching System equiped with a ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) reactor and capable to process wafers up to 8" size
  7. Akustica designs mems based sound solutions that improve the way sound is captured
  8. Amkor Technology   world's leader in micro electronic packaging technologies and the world's largest outsource provider of Micro-Electronic Machines (MEMs) and Micro Optical Electronic Machines (MOEMs). NasdaqNM:AMKR
  9. Analog Devices pioneer in the micromachined IC industry, Analog Devices sampled the first fully-integrated, single chip MEMS-based accelerometers  NYSE:ADI
  10. Applied MEMS Inc.  Subsidiary of Input/Output Inc.  mems  based products and services. Applied MEMS currently offers micro-g accelerometers for various seismic, strong motion, test/vibration measurement and control, and inertial guidance applications. Also offers a family of micro-mirror technologies suitable for beam positioning
  11. Bartels Mikrotechnik Production of microstructures utilizing different microstructure technologies.
    Benchmark Technologies   supplier of reticles (photomasks) for the semiconductor, MEMS, and photonics industries .
  12. BlueBird Optical MEMS Ltd. - Manufacturer of optical MEMS and fiber optic devices.
  13. Blu-Si, Inc. - Silicon micromachining, microfabrication company providing custom product development and process development for the microtechnology market: MEMS, MOEMS, and BioMEMS.
  14. Boston Micromachines Corporation - Supplies and develops optical and fluidic devices for biomedical, telecommunication, and gas flow control systems. Includes product information, relevant publications and contact details.
  15. Boxin Optical Instrument Co.  "  Now China has entered WTO, we also want to enlarge the sales of overseas, we are very glad to cooperate sincerely with all agents, we guarantee the high quality products, very low price, most quickly delivery and perfect service.What we promises is : what we do is to meet what you need. "
  16. bsac  optical test facilities available for MEMS characterization. {National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center }
  17. Caliper Life Sciences  Leader in Lab on a Chip technologies  NasdaqNM:CALP
  18. CardioMems Inc.  Microelectromechanical Systems  technology to create breakthrough devices for the diagnosis, treatment and management of disease.
  19. Coventor - RF MEMS, optical MEMS, microfluidics - software, design, and manufacturing support.
  20. CSEM: Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology - Provider of customized microsystems, microelectronics design, and specialized coatings. Can provide biochemical, magnetic, microfluidic, microrobotic, and optical technologies and consulting.
  21. C2V Designer and manufacturer of MEMS and professional design & simulation software for integrated optics. Not Publicly Traded
  22. D4 Technology Ltd - Consultants offering services from feasibility studies to sensor design to manufacturing.
  23. Emag Technologies Inc.  Designs and fabricates a variety of three-dimensional structures on high resistivity silicon wafers. Wet anisotropic etching and dry DRIE etching can be utilized to form highly compact multilevel interconnects for developing small light-weight wafer scale systems.
  24. Etec Inc., Automated mems testing systems
  25. EV Group Designs and manufactures multi-functional processing equipment for the MEMS and semiconductor markets including the latest mask aligner, wafer bonder, resist coater, cleaning and developing technology.
  26. FEI Company  microstereolithography for silicon MEMS.  NasdaqNM:FEIC
  27. Honeywell - MEMS Services - Offers MEMS services from single process steps to full product development, from design concept through volume production, test and packaging.
  28. htmicro - Uses a LIGA-like technology for precision manufacturing of microfluidic and micromechanical devices.
  29. Innovative Micro Technology (IMT) - IMT offers strategic partnership, providing 6 inch MEMS wafer fabrication service with experience and resource for design, prototyping, process development, and high volume manufacturing.
  30. Integrated Micromachines - Design, analysis, and fabrication facilities. Current products include MEMS-based optical switches.
  31. IntelliSense - Design and fabrication of MEMS for the telecommunication, life science and microinstrumentation industries. Supplier of CAD tools, product development, and manufacturing.
  32. Irvine Sensors Susidiary Micro Sensors Inc. designing, developing and producing micromachined sensors and sensor readout circuits for MEMS applications. inventor of three-dimensional (3D) semiconductors NasdaqSC:IRSN
  33. Jobst Technologies Biosensors ,Microsystems ,chemical Sensors
  34. J.P. Sercel Associates - Provides excimer laser services and industrial ultraviolet laser technology for microfabrication.
  35. Kionix    Products such as inertial sensors, microswitches, microfluidic systems, micromirror arrays and ultra-high density data storage devices. MEMS based products being evaluated and applied in industry sectors as diverse as automotive, consumer products, data storage, and biotechnology.
  36. Lamerholm Electronics Ltd  Manufacturer of sensors. Product line includes micro-machined silicon accelerometers designed for DC applications.
  37. Lightconnect  Designs and manufactures MEMS  components for next generation, dynamically configurable optical networks. Private equity funded.
  38. MEMS Design and Product Realization - Start-up company dedicated to bringing MEMS commercial devices to market. Useful reference material and image and movie galleries.
  39. MEMSCAP - provider of semiconductor Intellectual Property solutions for high performance integrated designs incorporating Micro Electro Mechanical Systems technology.
  40. MEMS Optical Inc. a leading supplier and manufacturer of both refractive (microlens arrays) and diffractive (beam shapers, beam splitters, etc.) micro optics and of MEMS devices such as scanning tilt micro mirrors and deformable mirrors. Not Publicly Traded
  41. MEMSTECH   Independent Asian MEMS Foundry and Packaging company that offers MEMS wafer fabrication technology platforms and process technology
  42. Merit Sensor Systems {Formerly Sentir} manufactures state-of-the-art silicon micromachined sensors for OEM measurement and control applications. These sensors include piezoresistive pressure sensor integrated circuits, custom micromachined microstructures, and ceramic hybrid pressure sensor assemblies.
  43. MicroFluidics  a division of MFIC Corporation, pioneered the Microfluidizer® Material Processors
  44. Microsaic Systems Ltd  They claim their scanner technology is smaller and tougher than mirror based laser scanners. Microsiac’s technology integrates optics with robust cantilevers to produce a tough laser scanner on a silicon chip that is extremely thin and flexible.
  45. MEMX Inc. Broad-based MEMS company pursuing a variety of commercial and government products. Focuses on design, fabrication, packaging, test and qualification of MEMS-based devices.
  46. microFAB Bremen GmbH - Offers services and manufacturing capacities for the production of microsystems and MEMS, such as sensors and actuators
  47. Micralyne Inc. Is a manufacturer of microfabricated and MEMS-based products for leading instrumentation companies worldwide. Micralyne's MEMS solutions include sensors, lab-on-a-chip devices, and optical switch systems, one of the few profitable MEMS companies operating in the world today
  48. MicroElectroMechanical Systems Developing and providing domestic industry with MEMS test structures, test methods, measurement standards, and standard manufacturing practices
  49. Micronics - Specializing in fluid miniaturization solutions that integrate and automate laboratory processes on a disposable lab chip.
  50. MicroSurfaces, Inc. - MSI provides surface coating technology to overcome stiction problem in MEMS industry. MSI also provides functional glass slides to biotechnology industry.
  51. Microvision
  52. Nano Chip Inc.  design of MEMS silicon memory. Nanochip devices feature compact flash compatible interfaces in single and multiple gigabyte memory. Investor inquiries gknight@nanochip.com
  53. NanoGen Core technology is their  NanoChip® Electronic Microarray. A "Lab on a chip" system for identification and analysis of biological molecules, including DNA and RNA,
  54. NanoMEMS Research, LLC - Radio-frequency MEMS and nanotechnology research, consulting and education.
  55. Neolytics Inc. - Neolytics is an innovative microsystem Design, Consulting & Technology solutions provider.
  56. Nano Structures Inc. Custom Fabrication of Thin Film and mems Micro machined Devices.
  57. Nantero Corp. Nantero is developing NRAM™, a high-density
    nonvolatile random access memory chip, using nanotechnology. The company's objective is to deliver a product that will replace all existing forms of memory, such as DRAM, SRAM and flash memory, with NRAM serving as universal memory. Venture Capital Funding
  58. Onix Micro Systems  designs, develops and supplies mems -based all-optical switching engines for telecommunications equipment suppliers . venture capital Funding
  59. Norsam Technologies  Nano technology solutions. We offer development, prototyping and manufacturing of MEMS & micromachining devices and systems based on surface, bulk and/or focused ion beam micromachining processes. Financed through private investors
  60. PHS MEMS - Develops and produces passive radio-frequency and optical devices with MEMS technology for communication markets. A private equity start-up Company
  61. Protron Mikrotechnik develops MEMS. expertise in particular in microfluidics and fiber-optics, outstanding development service. After successfull prototyping, they provide a customer specific manufacturing concept assistance.
  62. Schiller Engineering - Design, analysis, and prototypes of MEMS devices, MEMS packaging, and electro-optic packaging. Includes services and publications.
  63. Sci Wave Inc. Venture backed firm that designs, manufactures, and delivers products and services based on mems microfabrication, precision metrology and packaging technology.
  64. Sensant Corp Development of MEMS capacitive microfabricated ultrasonic transducers (cMUT) for medical imaging and medical device applications. Private equity funded.
  65. Silex MicroSystems AB Supplier of MEMS components to the life science and telecommunications sectors
  66. Solarius Development Inc. {formerly NanoFocus Inc.} is a global leader for non-contact surface measurement solutions. Manufactures profilometers and confocal microscopes based on laser and optical inspection technology for 3D non-contact surface measurement.
  67. Sporian Technologies - Provides MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems) design and packaging services.
  68. Surface Technology Systems  provider of specialist plasma etch and deposition systems to customers in the MEMS, Optoelectronic, Compound Semiconductor, Wafer Level Packaging and Thin Film Head industries. STS is the market-leading supplier of deep silicon etch technology for MEMS micromachining.  London Stock Exchange:SRTS.L
  69. Suss MicroTec Spin Coaters and Probe Systems for the MEMS, advanced packaging and semiconductor markets  Other OTC:SESMF.PK  Munich:SMHG.MU
  70. Tanner Research  Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software for ICs, multi-chip modules (MCMs) and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Not Publicly Traded
  71. Tegal Corp. Manufacturer of plasma etch systems. systems and process design to provide the semiconductor, telecommunications, mems, data storage, and related industries. NasdaqSC:TGAL
  72. TRONIC'S Microsystems SA - Designs and manufactures customer-specific MEMS and Optical MEMS components using both SOI surface micromachining and bulk micromachining.
  73. Ultratech   Manufactures photolithography steppers for the fabrication of semiconductors, thin film heads for disk drives and micromachined components. NasdaqNM:UTEK
  74. Umech Technologies Provider of advanced MEMS motion analysis instrumentation and services. The MEMS Motion Analyzer - Generation 2(MMA G2) provides real time 3D characterization of complex MEMS motions. The MMA G2 also provides sophisticated interferometric surface profiling of dynamic and static structures. Umech pioneered advanced MEMS motion analysis
  75. Xactix - MEMS device and equipment development and manufacturing company. Verimetra subsidiary develops bioMEMS devices. >Investors<
  76. Xerox  Well known Multi National Conglomerate -Optical MEMS Division  NYSE:XRX_pc  NYSE:XRX
  77. Yujin Robotics Company Optical MEMS  KOSDAQ:023410.KQ
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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