This book on mechanical microsensors is based on a course organized by the Swiss Foundation for Research in Microtechnology (FSRM) in Neuchatel, Swit zerland, and developed and taught by the authors. Support by FSRM is herewith gratefully acknowledged. This book attempts to serve two purposes. First it gives an overview on me chanical microsensors (sensors for pressure, force, acceleration, angular rate and fluid flow, realized by silicon micromachining). Second, it serves as a textbook for engineers to give them a comprehensive introduction on the basic design issues of these sensors. Engineers active in sensor design are usually educated either in electrical engineering or mechanical engineering. These classical educa tional pro grams do not prepare the engineer for the challenging task of sensor design since sensors are instruments typically bridging the disciplines: one needs a rather deep understanding of both mechanics and electronics. Accordingly, the book contains discussion of the basic engineering sciences relevant to mechanical sensors, hopefully in a way that it is accessible for all colours of engineers. Engi rd th neering students in their 3 or 4 year should have enough knowledge to be able to follow the arguments presented in this book. In this sense, this book should be useful as textbook for students in courses on mechanical microsensors (as is CUf rently being done at the University ofTwente)."

This book provides a comprehensive description of microsensors for mechanical quantities (flow, pressure, force, inertia) fabricated by silicon micromachining. Since the design of such sensors requires interdisciplinary teamwork, the presentation is made accessible to engineers trained in electrical and mechanical engineering, physics and chemistry. The reader is guided through the micromachining fabrication process. A chapter on microsensor packaging completes the discussion of technological problems. The description of the basic physics required for sensor design includes the mechanics of deformation and the piezoresistive transduction to electrical signals. There is also a comprehensive discussion of resonant sensors, the hydrodynamics and heat transfer relevant for flow sensors, and, finally, electronic interfacing and readout circuitry. Numerous up-to-date case studies are presented, together with the working, fabrication and design of the sensors.