Many of rhe components used in modern products are getting smaller. Feature sizes in integrated circuit (IC) tec hnology have been red uce d by approximately two orders of magnitude over the last three decades.
Micromotors the size of a human hair have been fabricated with IC tech nology. Implantable medical devices such as pacemakers arc shrinking to ever smaller dimensions. Catheters with miniature wires, fibers, probes, and sensors are increasingly lIsed for minimally invasive surgical and diagnostic procedures. Tiny computers and wireless communicators are entering the commercial marketplace, along with miniature sensors in automotive. DCJ1und for micromechanical structures is accompanied by demand for new microfabrication tools.
