Microfluid mechanics: progress and opportunities

The application of microfabrication techniques to problems involving fluids is reviewed. A number of scientific issues have been addressed using micro structures designed to confine and manipulate fluids. These problems includ e studies of fluid motion in percolative structures. chemical applications involving small volumes of reactants and products, biologically inspired ex periments involving the manipulation of individual molecules, and studies o f fundamental properties of liquids in extremely small geometries. Represen tative work is described, slang with the ingenious fabrication methods whic h have been developed. We believe that there are many opportunities for interesting basic physics and also interdisciplinary work in this area. The primary goal of this arti cle is to bring this message to the general physics community.