Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), also known as micro-electromechanical systems (or microelectronic and microelectromechanical systems), as well as related micromechatronics and microsystems, are a type of technology used in microscopic devices, particularly those with moving parts. At the nanoscale, they combine to form nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) and nanotechnology. In Japan, MEMS are known as micromachines, while in Europe, MEMS are known as microsystem technology (MST).
The potential of very small machines was recognised long before the technology to manufacture them existed (Richard Feynman's famous 1959 lecture There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom). Medical Micro-electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) became practical after they could be manufactured using modified semiconductor device fabrication technologies, which are typically used in the production of electronics.
