The field of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), particularly micromachined
mechanical transducers, has been expanding over recent years, and the production
costs of these devices continue to fall. Using materials, fabrication processes, and
design tools originally developed for the microelectronic circuits industry, new
types of microengineered device are evolving all the time—many offering numerous
advantages over their traditional counterparts. The electrical properties of silicon
have been well understood for many years, but it is the mechanical properties that
have been exploited in many examples of MEMS. This book may seem slightly
unusual in that it has four editors. However, since we all work together in this field
within the School of Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton,
it seemed natural to work together on a project like this. MEMS are now
appearing as part of the syllabus for both undergraduate and postgraduate courses
at many universities, and we hope that this book will complement the teaching that
is taking place in this area.