EECS Area IV Engineering Physics topic: Power Area IV Engineering Physics: Microsystems

Research in Microsystems, MicroElectroMechanical systems, or MEMS, in the EECS Department at MIT is very diverse. At its core, microsystems continues to focus on the traditional areas of fabrication process development, materials and metrology, modeling and diagnostics, sensors and actuators, packaging, and systems. However, each of these areas continues to broaden its scope. For example, the materials now under common study and use as device foundations include not only silicon and its relatives, but also compound semiconductors, metals, soft organics, crystals, and carbon nanotubes.

MEMS are often an enabling component in larger systems that might formally be categorized under differing disciplines. MEMS research in the EECS Department reflects this through its ever widening range of applications. This diversity of applications has in turn led to growing research diversity beyond the traditional areas. MEMS are now studied in the EECS Department, and broadly across MIT, in the context of biology (BioMEMS), chemistry and chemical engineering (ChemoMEMS), electron devices, electromechanical energy conversion (PowerMEMS), optics (OptoMEMS) and turbomachinery, for example. As a consequence, students often find it valuable to study, and take classes in disciplines outside those traditionally associated with MEMS.

Finally, MEMS research in the EECS Department, and again across MIT as a whole, continues to evolve towards smaller size scales and the use of nano-fabricated materials. This has given rise to the more general study of NanoElectroMechanical systems, or NEMS, expanding our true focus to MEMS/NEMS.

Additionally, check the EECS section of MIT’s Open Course Ware (OCW) or for the EECS Classes on the MIT Catalogue for Course 6. For your convenience, a short list of undergraduate and graduate subjects that address Microsystems are highlighted below.

Undergraduate Subjects:
6.007 Fall, Spring Applied Electromagnetics: from Motors to Lasers
6.07J Spring Projects in Microscale Engineering for the Life Sciences
6.122J Fall, Spring Instrumentation and Measurement for Biological Systems
6.152J Fall, Spring Micro/Nanoscale Processing Technology
6.161 Fall Modern Optics Project Laboratory (meets with 6.637)
6.701 Spring Introduction to Nanoelectronics (meets with 6.719)

First Year and Introductory Graduate Subjects:
6.434J Fall Statstics for Engineers and Scientists
6.637 Fall Modern Optics Project Laboratory (meets with 6.161)
6.524J Spring Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Biomechanics
6.719 Spring Nanoelectronics (meets with 6.701)
6.728 Fall Applied Quantum Statistical Physics
6.732 Fall, alt even yrs Physics of Solids
6.772 Spring, alt odd yrs Compound Semiconductor and Heterostructure Devices

More Advanced Graduate Subjects:
6.631 Fall Optics and Photonics
6.729 Fall Molecular Electronics
6.774 Fall Physics of Microfabrication: Front End Processing
6.777J Spring Design and Fabrication of MEMS
6.778J Spring Materials and Processes for Microelectromechanical Devices and Systems
6.780J Spring Control of Manufacturing Processes
6.781J Spring Nanostructure Fabrication
6.789 Fall, alt odd yrs Organic Optoelectronics
6.976 Fall Science, Technology and Applications of Carbon Nanomaterials


The following seminars cover material relevant to the topic of Microsystems in Area IV Engineering Physics:

Microsystems Technology Laboratory VLSI Seminar
Tuesdays, 4pm, room 34-101

Optics and Quantum Electronic Seminar
Wednesdays, 11 am, room 36-428, Haus Room

Small Talks
Wednesdays, 4pm, room 36-428 (Allen Room)

Micro/Nano-Technology Seminar Series
Thursdays, 3pm, RLE Conference Center, room 36-462/428

Center for Integrated Photonic Systems (CIPS) Brown Bag Seminar Series

NanoStructures Lab (NSL) Group Meeting
Fridays, 3pm, room 36-428

The following laboratories contribute to advance research in Microsystems:

Microsystems Technology Laboratories (MTL)
Scanning Electron Beam Lithography Laboratory (SEBL)
Nanostructures Laboratory (NSL)
Nanoprecision Deposition Laboratory (NDL)
Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies (ISN)
Laboratory of Organic Optics and Electronics (LOOE)
Center for Materials Science and Engineering (CMSE)