Background: Boston From Across The Charles River

Microsystems & MEMS

Fraunhofer Center for Manufacturing Innovation

Vacuum Positioning System for Mass Spectrometry Measurement
© 2004 Fraunhofer CMI.

Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems, or MEMS, promise to revolutionize nearly every product category by merging silicon-based microelectronics with micromachining technology. This combination will make the realization of complete systems-on-a-chip possible.

Fraunhofer CMI has also cultivated significant experience in the related field of "smart" product development, where the computational ability of microelectronics are augmented with microsensors and microactuators to add measurement and control features. These enhanced microsystems have potential applications in biotechnology, drug discovery, telecommunication, and infrared imaging.