microfabrication

Microfabrication is a science that involves creating extremely small structures and devices, typically on the scale of micrometers or nanometers. It utilizes processes similar to those used in integrated circuit manufacturing, such as photolithography, where light is used to pattern materials on a surface.12

This technology is fundamental to microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), which combine microscopic mechanical parts with electronic circuits on a semiconductor chip. MEMS devices, ranging from about 1 micrometer to a few millimeters, are used in applications like sensors, actuators, and airbag controllers.3

While top-down approaches, like lithography, are common, they face challenges at nanoscale dimensions. Research is also exploring nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) at even smaller scales.13