Society for Experimental Mechanics

MEMS and Nanotechnology

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and nanotechnology are revolutionary enabling technologies (ET). These technologies merge the functions of sensing, actuation, and controls with computation and communication to affect the way people and machines interact with the physical world. This is done by integrating advances in various multidisciplinary fields to produce very small devices that use very low power and operate in many different environments. Today, developments in MEMS and nanotechnology are being made at an unprecedented rate, driven by both technology and user requirements. These developments depend on micromechanical and nanomechanical analyses, and characterization of structures comprising nanophase materials.

The objective of the MEMS and Nanotechnology TD is to provide a forum for an up-to-date account of the advances in the field of MEMS and nanotechnology and to promote an alliance of governmental, industrial, and academic practitioners of ET.

Officers
Chair	Rich Pryputniewicz Worchester Polytechnic Institute rjp@wpi.edu
Co-Chair	Cosme Furlong Worcester Polytechnic Institute cfurlong@wpi.edu
Secretary	Gordon Shaw NIST gordon.shaw@nist.gov

Some Selected Papers from the 8th ISMAN - June 2007

"The Future of MEMS" - T.F. Marinis

"MEMS an Optoelectronics Integration for Physical Sensors" - D. W. Carr

"The Science of Self Assembly" - J.A. Pelesko

"Preliminary Analyses of Tympanic-Membrane Motion from Holographic Measurements" - C. Furlong, J.J. Rosowski, N. Hulli and M.E. Ravicz

"Bringing Nano to the Public Through Informal Science Education" - W.C. Crone

MEMS and Nanotechnology Technical Division-Updated May 2007

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and nanotechnology are revolutionary enabling technologies (ET). These technologies merge the functions of sensing, actuation, and controls with computation and communication to affect the way people and machines interact with the physical world. This is done by integrating advances in various multidisciplinary fields to produce very small devices that use very low power and operate in many different environments. Today, developments in MEMS and nanotechnology are being made at an unprecedented rate, driven by both technology and user requirements. These developments depend on micromechanical and nanomechanical analyses as well as characterization of structures comprising nanophase materials.

The objective of the MEMS and Nanotechnology TD is to provide a forum for an up-to-date account of the advances in the field of MEMS and nanotechnology and to promote an alliance of governmental, industrial, and academic practitioners of the ET. During the year 2006, MEMS and Nanotechnology TD organized and sponsored The 7th International Symposium on MEMS and Nanotechnology (7th-ISMAN) in St. Louis, MO.

In order to provide a forum for an up-to-date account of the advances in the field of MEMS and nanotechnology, which are the emerging technologies, and to promote an alliance of governmental, industrial, and academic practitioners of the emerging technologies, SEM has initiated an International Symposium Series on MEMS and Nanotechnology (ISMAN).

The 2006 Symposium was the seventh in the series and addressed pertinent issues relating to design, analysis, fabrication, testing, optimization, applications, and education of MEMS and nanotechnology, especially as these issues relate to experimental mechanics of the microscale and nanoscale structures. The keynote addresses, invited papers, and contributed presentations were organized into 13 technical sessions (including a Poster Session) of the 7th International Symposium on MEMS and Nanotechnology (7th-ISMAN). The sessions of the 7th-ISMAN related to: Novel Applications; Small Force Metrology; Computational Methods; Fabrication of MEMS/NEMS; Optical Methods for MEMS/NEMS; Characterization of Materials for MEMS; MEMS Materials and Structures Exposed to Dynamic Loading; Testing of MEMS/Packages; Nanotechnology Science and Education; Microstrain Analysis; as well as Characterization of Nanoscale Materials. The papers were published in a bound volume of the 7th-ISMAN Proceedings and distributed on site. A panel of judges evaluated papers and posters and outstanding presentations were recognized by Awards.

The ISMAN Symposium Series will be continued and preparations are being made for the 8th Symposium on MEMS and Nanotechnology (i.e., 8th-ISMAN) to be held in Springfield, MA, June 2007. The following individuals, in collaboration with the TD officers, volunteered to lead the 2007 organizational activities:

1) Education in MEMS and Nanotechnology, Organizers: Wendy Crone, U. of Wisconsin, and Azad Siahmakoun, Rose-Hulman I.T.;

2) Inverse problems in MEMS and Nanotechnology, Jaime Cardenas-Garcia, UTB;

3) Optical methods in MEMS and Nanotechnology, Ramon Rodriguez, CIO-Mexico, and Cosme Furlong, WPI;

4) Hybrid systems for MEMS and Nanotechnology, Gordon Shaw, NIST;

5) Reliability and failure analysis, Phillip Reu, Sandia Labs.

The organizers of the 8th ISMAN would like to thank all authors, session chairs, invited and keynote speakers for their participation.

In addition, planning was initiated for the 9th Symposium on MEMS and Nanotechnology (i.e., 9th-ISMAN) to be held in Orlando, FL, June 2008.