This whimsical image is a colorized Scanning Electron Micrograph (SEM) of mechanical gear which is smaller than a human hair. The gear was made polycrystalline silicon using surface micromachining techniques and is no longer attached to the substrate. However, the gear did eventually lodge onto an electrical bond pad (shown in green) due to surface forces. This image illustrates the extraordinary capability of MEMS technology to enable the realization of extremely small mechanical elements. This device was made through the MEMS and Nanotechnology Exchange fabrication network.
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