An industrial and applied review of new MEMS devices features

Silicon-based micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) devices have a high potential of making a new field of applications for mobile equipment. Currently, MEMS cavities in Ink Jet Printer or MEMS sensors in automobiles are most well known applications. At the same time, there are many competing conventional technologies in many existing applications. In this paper, one example of sensor network system was shown. And how the basic properties of the electro mechanical device such as Si-MEMS, quartz-MEMS, piezoelectric devices affect to the total system performances, was shown from the technical point of views and also consumer point of views. A demonstration of a blur correction system in digital camera or video caused by hand jitter was shown. Furthermore, sensor assisted navigation system was tested. All materials of sensors had excellent performances for camera and video in short-term operation. But in a long-term operation such as navigation system or tracking system of a moving object, Si-MEMS sensor had a large signal drifts during the operation term. Also power consumption of various sensors was compared in sensor input and communication unit. It will be proposed that system designer has to take account of feature of each technology and has to apply MEMS technologies to their appropriate usage. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.