Microfabrication and micromachining are technologies used to create microscopic structures and devices, ranging from the width of a human hair to smaller than a human cell. The semiconductor industry introduced microfabricated parts, leading to miniaturization of electronics and powerful microchips. Many industries rely on microfabrication, including smartphones, car airbag sensors, fuel cells, and solar panels. Techniques used depend on the industry and desired result, with top-down and bottom-up approaches used. Microfabrication presents unique challenges due to the small size, requiring specialized labs and protective clothing.
Microfabrication and micromachining are terms that describe the technologies and processes used in making microscopic structures or devices. These structures can range in size from the width of a human hair down to smaller than a single human cell. The ability to build such small devices has spurred technological advances in computers, consumer electronics, green energy technology, and many other fields. Microfabrication techniques vary widely depending on the device being built.
In the field of microfabrication, dimensions are measured in micrometres. A micrometer, often known as a micron, is one-thousandth of a millimeter. There are 25,400 microns in one inch. Nanotechnology is a similar field, but deals with even smaller components.
The use of microfabricated parts was introduced by the semiconductor industry. The inventions of the transistor and the integrated circuit in the 1940s and 1950s started a trend towards miniaturization of electronics. As microfabrication techniques improved, smaller and more complex integrated circuits were built, enabling the construction of powerful microchips.
An increasing number of industries rely on microfabrication. Tiny machines known as microelectromechanical systems can be found in many devices, including smartphones and car airbag sensors. Fuel cells and solar panels also use microfabricated parts. Microfabrication techniques and technologies have been used in research applications in fields from microbiology to particle physics.
The techniques used in a microfabrication process depend on the industry and the desired result. Most techniques are top-down approaches, meaning they start with a larger component, such as a silicon wafer, and work their way away from it until the final structure is created. Examples of top-down techniques used at a microscopic level include cutting, polishing and etching.
Bottom-up manufacturing in this field is a largely experimental field. In the bottom-up approach, the smallest elements such as atoms or molecules are used to create a larger system or device. Bottom-up techniques are used in applications aimed at mimicking biological structures or functions.
Many of the techniques used in microfabrication are borrowed from other disciplines. The fields of photography, optics, and physics have all contributed to microtechnology. Some traditional manufacturing techniques, such as injection molding, have been miniaturized and used in microfabrication.
Regardless of the technique used, manufacturing at the microscopic level presents unique challenges. The small size means that a single piece of dust can render a device useless. Microfabrication labs are rooms designed to control airborne particles such as dust and microbes. Workers must wear protective clothing within these rooms in order to prevent contamination of the microscopic parts that are created.
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