Progress in MEMS/NEMS Devices

Dear Colleagues,

Ever since they first emerged as a spinoff from integrated circuit technology, MEMS/NEMS devices have experienced progress that has not only been remarkable but is still rapidly progressing. This progress has been and continues to be accelerated by several “killer applications”, starting with automotive applications such as airbag accelerometers and later on with consumer applications such as navigation sensors in mobile phones and smart watches. What is more, cost has been plummeting all the while performance has dramatically increased. This progress is steadily opening up new applications, like home appliances, increasing the market volume further both in the number of devices and in market size. MEMS/NEMS microsensors have been the dominant feature, but MEMS/NEMS microactuators like inkjet printer nozzles and micro mirrors for optical applications like digital projectors are also progressing steadily. Silicon is the dominantly used material exploiting silicon micromachining; at first with bulk micromachining but increasingly also with surface micromachined devices, driven mainly by the advantage of their low cost. Other material platforms are also used in niche applications, for instance, RF-MEMS switches made in gallium arsenide used for microwave applications. Front-end electronics for MEMS/NEMS devices are increasingly integrated into packaged micro- and nanosystems, mostly in hybrid configuration with a separate IC chip, but more and more as monolithic chips containing both the MEMS/NEMS device and the electronics. Monolithic chip integration is technologically challenging, with a high nonrecurring engineering (NRE) cost, and mostly used for high volume production where the high NRE cost can be recaptured, or high-end applications where it gives an advantageous performance. Worldwide, excellent research activities on MEMS/NEMS devices are steadily contributing to the progress of the state-of-the-art, and in this Special Issue, we will highlight work of excellence in the field.

Prof. Dr. Per Ohlckers
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Electronics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.