Micro and Nano Technologies – MEMS components
Micro and Nano technology starts to play a key role in the on-going miniaturisation of electronic modules and systems in ESA: AOCS modules, payload for earth observation (S3 MEMS rate sensor and AEOLUS O2 Laser cleaning system MEMS Pressure Sensors), also scientific payload (JWST and GAIA micro-propulsion)
What is the MEMS Component domain?
Micro and nano-technologies (MNT’s) allow the creation of functional devices with extremely small dimensions; up to less than one-hundredth of the width of a human hair for nano-technologies. Microtechnologies or MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) are usually fabricated using batch processing techniques derived from the silicon-chip industry, offering immense and diverse capabilities in very small packages.
Microsystems technology can combine electronics, mechanics and optics at significantly reduced dimensions to achieve high performance and high complexity in a very small volume, e.g. a few cubic millimetres, with correspondingly low power consumption and weight. Microsystem technology enables unique products to be made, which would be either too expensive or impossible to manufacture with conventional macro-engineering techniques.
Why are MEMS Components important?
Miniaturization is essential for space missions to decrease launch costs and shorten development and production times. The incorporation of MNT’s into spacecraft design has a number of benefits including possible reduction in mass, low power consumption, low volume, high reliability and low cost and it is anticipated that these technologies will form an integral part of space systems.
MEMS component are often technology enablers due to the possible integration of optical, electrical and mechanical elements in a single component with a very high degree of flexibility. The extremely highly accurate flow senor of GAIA, enabling very accurate positioning is an example of the potential of MEMS for space application. Development of configurable optical slits for earth observation or RF-MEMS switches for telecommunication shows the multitude of applications covered by this technology.
