Nanomechanical systems: progress, challenges, and ultimate limits

Microelectronics technology is now pushing deep into the submicron regime, yet, for the most part, work on micromachines still remains back at the few micron scale, or larger. The time is ripe to embark upon a concerted exploration of mechanical systems at the nanoscale. This talk highlights the promise and intrigue of the nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) domain.