Abstract
This paper surveys recent advances in the field of IC-processed actuators and distributed microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). IC-processed actuators are expected to open a wide range of industrial applications on the near term. The most promising investigations deal with high-aspect ratio electrostatic microactuators suitable for use in numerous technical fields such as super-compact computer peripheral devices and integrated watch mechanisms. Because the silicon micromachining technology have the potential to integrate both mechanical components and control circuits, MEMS-based active control of microscopic and macroscopic structures appears to be one of the most promising challenges for the next decade. As a first step towards new generations of MEMS-based smart structures, recent investigations dealing with IC-processed distributed systems are briefly introduced in the second part of the paper.
