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Introduction 1-3

understand why I’m fascinated by the question of making small machines with movable and controllable
parts.” Despite Feynman’s demurring regarding the usefulness of small machines, MEMS are finding
increased applications in a variety of industrial and medical fields with a potential worldwide market in
the billions of dollars.
Accelerometers for automobile airbags, keyless entry systems, dense arrays of micromirrors for high-
definition optical displays, scanning electron microscope tips to image single atoms, micro heat exchang-
ers for cooling of electronic circuits, reactors for separating biological cells, blood analyzers, and pressure
sensors for catheter tips are but a few of the current usages. Microducts are used in infrared detectors,
diode lasers, miniature gas chromatographs, and high-frequency fluidic control systems. Micropumps are
used for ink jet printing, environmental testing, and electronic cooling. Potential medical applications for
small pumps include controlled delivery and monitoring of minute amount of medication, manufactur-
ing of nanoliters of chemicals, and development of artificial pancreas. The much sought-after lab-on-
a-chip is promising to automate biology and chemistry to the same extent the integrated circuit has
allowed large-scale automation of computation. Global funding for micro- and nanotechnology research
and development quintupled from $432 million in 1997 to $2.2 billion in 2002. In 2004, the U.S. National
Nanotechnology Initiative had a budget of close to $1 billion, and the worldwide investment in nano-
technology exceeded $3.5 billion. In 10 to 15 years, it is estimated that micro- and nanotechnology mar-
kets will represent $340 billion per year in materials, $300 billion per year in electronics, and $180 billion
per year in pharmaceuticals.
The multidisciplinary field has witnessed explosive growth during the past decade. Several new jour-
nals are dedicated to the science and technology of MEMS; for example Journal of Microelectromechanical
Systems, Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, Microscale Thermophysical Engineering,
Microfluidics and Nanofluidics Journal, Nanotechnology Journal, and Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotech-
nology.Numerous professional meetings are devoted to micromachines; for example Solid-State Sensor
and Actuator Workshop, International Conference on Solid-State Sensors and Actuators (Transducers),
Micro Electro Mechanical Systems Workshop, Micro Total Analysis Systems, and Eurosensors. Several
web portals are dedicated to micro- and nanotechnology; for example, http://www.smalltimes.com ,
http://www.emicronano.com , http://www.nanotechweb.org/ , and http://www.peterindia.net/
NanoTechnologyResources.html .
The three-book MEMS set covers several aspects of microelectromechanical systems, or more broadly, the
art and science of electromechanical miniaturization. MEMS design, fabrication, and application as well as
the physical modeling of their materials, transport phenomena, and operations are all discussed. Chapters
on the electrical, structural, fluidic, transport and control aspects of MEMS are included in the books. Other
chapters cover existing and potential applications of microdevices in a variety of fields, including instru-
mentation and distributed control. Up-to-date new chapters in the areas of microscale hydrodynamics, lat-
tice Boltzmann simulations, polymeric-based sensors and actuators, diagnostic tools, microactuators,
nonlinear electrokinetic devices, and molecular self-assembly are included in the three books constituting
the second edition of The MEMS Handbook. The 16 chapters in MEMS: Introduction and Fundamentals pro-
vide background and physical considerations, the 14 chapters in MEMS: Design and Fabrication discuss the
design and fabrication of microdevices, and the 15 chapters in MEMS: Applications review some of the
applications of microsensors and microactuators.
There are a total of 45 chapters written by the world’s foremost authorities in this multidisciplinary
subject. The 71 contributing authors come from Canada, China (Hong Kong), India, Israel, Italy, Korea,
Sweden, Taiwan, and the United States, and are affiliated with academia, government, and industry.
Without compromising rigorousness, the present text is designed for maximum readability by a broad
audience having engineering or science background. As expected when several authors are involved, and
despite the editor’s best effort, the chapters of each book vary in length, depth, breadth, and writing style.
The nature of the books — being handbooks and not encyclopedias — and the size limitation dictate the
noninclusion of several important topics in the MEMS area of research and development.
Our objective is to provide a current overview of the fledgling discipline and its future developments
for the benefit of working professionals and researchers. The three books will be useful guides and references

© 2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC