Transduction in M/NEMS—Actuation and Sensing: A Review

This article covers rigorous overview of diverse transduction principles that have enabled successful development of micro/nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS/ NEMS) devices widely used for sensing and actuation. The review begins by classifying various transduction techniques, understanding cross-domain couplings, and discussing underlying working principles that drive these transducer operations. Both actuation and sensing modes of each transduction method are presented along with deeper discussion on the real issues and/or technological challenges that have been/are currently being addressed. The article presents pros and cons of different transduction techniques, presents comparative performance of one over another (in terms of transduction efficiency, force and displacement, nonlinearity, energy requirements, reliability, etc.), and provides scientific insights.