Symposium on Microelectromechanical Systems: Materials and Devices, MRS Fall 2007

From the Call for Papers: 

Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) represent the integration of miniaturized mechanical, chemical, fluidic, and optical devices with microelectronics. MEMS have a broad range of applications in optical- and radio-frequency communications, physical/chemical/biosensing, display technology, drug delivery, and the manipulation and isolation of cells.

Accompanying this rapid growth of applications is a corresponding diversification in the range of materials used in MEMS. It is now common to find examples of ceramics, metals and alloys, polymers and elastomers, and composite materials used as structural and functional materials for MEMS. There is also growing interest in incorporating multifunctional nanomaterials (carbon nanotubes, and nanocrystalline ceramics and metals), smart materials (piezoelectric and ferroelectric materials, shape memory alloys, and specialized coatings), and biomaterials (polymers, titanium alloys, and zirconia) within MEMS devices.

This symposium will provide a common forum for materials researchers and device engineers to explore themes of common interest across these classes of materials, devices, and applications. Topics include: novel approaches to MEMS fabrication; novel device concepts; materials selection in design, testing and characterization; process integration; and scale-dependent process-structure-property relationships.

 Abstracts are solicited in the following areas:

• Microfluidics and nanofluidics
• In vivo drug/gene/protein delivery
• Novel Actuators
• Cell-based systems
• Neural interfaces
• Sensors
• Microengines and microfuel cells

Deadline for Abstracts: 20 June 2007