MINIATURE SENSORS BASED ON MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS

Miniature sensors have undergone rapid development recently as a resul t of the extensive design and fabrication infrastructure that exists i n the semiconductor industry. These devices are known as microelectrom echanical systems and can be used not only to gather information (sens ors), but also to process information (microelectronics) and control t he local environment (actuators). The Applied Physics Laboratory has i nitiated a program in this area and is designing, fabricating, and tes ting devices for selected applications such as measuring magnetic fiel ds, thermal energy, and biological species.