This is a manufacturing process through which microscopic structures, products or devices are created. These structures are of micrometer scales or even smaller, which means that they range from the size of a human cell to the width of a hair strand.

What is microfabrication?

This is a manufacturing process through which microscopic structures, products or devices are created. These structures are of micrometer scales or even smaller, which means that they range from the size of a human cell to the width of a hair strand. This technology has resulted in several advancements in the fields of green energy, medical technology, consumer electronics and cutting edge CPU development among many others. The technique involved in the process greatly depends on what device or structure is being fabricated.

The semiconductor industry pioneered the use of microfabrication. The creation of integrated circuits and transistors during the 1940s saw an increasing interest in miniaturized electronics. Over the years, micro-fabrication techniques have improved exponentially, resulting in the formation of ever more complex and smaller integrated circuits. As the technology and manufacturing processes became more widespread, so too did the number of commercial adopters as more applications for the technology were developed. Micro-electro-mechanical systems are commonly found in several devices such as solar panels and smartphones. These technologies are presently being used in the fields of medicine and biology for various research applications.

Microfabrication and its uses in medicine

The technology behind microfabrication has certainly resulted in the advancement of various fields, including medicine. Most of today’s sensor-type devices are heavily dependent on micro-fabrication techniques to develop their components. These are very similar to semiconductor products and are used extensively in medicine. Clinical practices often use microscopic blood pressure sensors, which have become increasingly popular tools. These devices have changed the course of clinical medicine and led to the success of several research studies and trials.

Microfabricated systems have also been used in biomedical applications. Microscopic silicone chips have been created which house microelectrodes that can sense signals sent and received by the peripheral nerves in our body. This has helped neural science researchers study cell growth and interactions, which could possibly result in the repair of damaged nerves in the human body bringing new hope to millions of people who have paralyzed limbs. Micro-fabrication has also played a major role in bio engineering, particularly in the field of protein synthesis and genetic analysis. Commercial products have not been released yet, but they are being actively researched.

Micro-fabrication and its use in biology

The field of biology is vast like an ocean and is made of several smaller subjects or fields such as biochemistry or molecular biology. Over the last decade, microfabricated devices have been successfully used to study and manipulate biomolecules. These devices have been used in genomics and genome sequencing, which has resulted in widespread attention since they could have potential use in studying human diseases and clinical diagnostics. These applications are slowly entering the commercial market, and combined with bioinformatics, they are set to significantly change the lives of people everywhere.

Apart from bio-molecules, these devices have also been used to manipulate cells. This has aided in subcellular examination, giving us the opportunity to conduct multicellular analysis.

Regardless of the field, microfabrication has several unique challenges that we need to counter before to advance manufacturing techniques, a classic example of this is in CPU manufacturing where the transistor count has risen to the point where the space between the transistor 'gates' are not effective as electrons display 'quantum tunneling' effects due to how thin the gate walls are, essentially requiring a shift from silicone to more exotic materials like germanium to compensate. Thanks to constant research and study, that day might come sooner than expected.