1. Introduction to Microsystems – the first class

2. Macro Micro Nano Meso (100 nm to 1 um)
Microsystem or MEMS has the overall size of a device less than 100 um.
Meso scale: 100 um to mm.
Macro scale: larger than 1 mm.
1 nm = 1000 um.
To any system, our concern lies in:
Fabrication (make or construct).
Architecture, structure and behavior.
Principles.
Both marco-device and micro-device share the same governing principles in physics and chemistry and biology.
But nano-devices have different governing principles from the macro-devices or micro-devices.
Macro
Micro
Nano
Meso (100 nm to 1 um)

3. Microsystems change the architecture of a device (micro-device), as opposed to the architecture of a macro-device, due to the limitation of the fabrication technology for macro-devices.
The nature of fabrication means for macro-system is: (1) making components and (2) assemble components into a product.
The macro-fabrication technology is not suitable to operating on the component in less than 100 um.
The micro-fabrication technology has its distinct feature, and this distinct feature causes the change of the device architecture.

4. The feature of micro-fabrication technology is: (1) making a 2D entity and (2) grow on the 2D entity.
Deposition
In-plane
Out-plane
Suspending structure is made by material removal after deposition.
Suspending structure or hollow structure may also be made by molding and bonding

5. Making a 2D device (in the x-y plane).
Making a 3D device in the Z-axis.
Making a 2D device in the micro-meter scale  microelectronic products fabrication  lithography-based fabrication technique
The scope of materials suitable for lithography process
The scope of materials suitable for making electronic elements
Semi-conductor material
Beam-sensitive material (beam: light beam, electrons beam, etc.)

6. Remark
Microsystems may not be based on mechanical and electrical elements only, though MEMS does imply this point.
Mechanical system: motion, which then involves inertia, damping, and stiffness.
Motion can be made by having an articulate joint for two components or producing a deformation of a component.
Mechanical work (Joint motion and deformation motion along with force or moment) are generated by another form of energy which can be: electrical energy, thermal energy, light energy, etc. This means that Microsystems go beyond MEMS.

7. Heating  deformation: thermal mechanical system: an example