Microsystems

Microelectronics has been around for some time now. On the drawing boards are experiments to put sensors and actuators on the same chip. Novel sensors and actuators will enable whole new application domains that are not possible based on the conventional technology solutions.

Microsystems and nanotechnology are the next frontiers. It is very important for India to establish a leadership role in this emerging area. A National Programme on Micro and Smart Systems will specifically look at three application areas – automobile, aerospace and bio-sensors.

“At the micro level, physics of the material will not change,” said Dr Atre. However, at the nano level the physics changes. As you are assembling nano devices atom by atom, simple things like color change. Gold, for instance will have a different color at the nano level. Physical properties will also change.