The field of "microelectromechanical systems," or "MEMS," has gradually evolved from a "discipline" populated by a small group of researchers to an "enabling technology" supporting a variety of products in such diverse areas as mechanical and inertial sensors, optical projection displays, telecommunications equipment, and biology and medicine. Critical to the success of these products is the ability to design them, and this invariably involves detailed modeling of proposed designs. Over the past twenty years, such modeling has become increasingly sophisticated, with full suites of...

The field of "microelectromechanical systems," or "MEMS," has gradually evolved from a "discipline" populated by a small group of researchers to an "enabling technology" supporting a variety of products in such diverse areas as mechanical and inertial sensors, optical projection displays, telecommunications equipment, and biology and medicine. Critical to the success of these products is the ability to design them, and this invariably involves detailed modeling of proposed designs. Over the past twenty years, such modeling has become increasingly sophisticated, with full suites of...