Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) are tiny machines that integrate "mechanical elements, sensors, actuators, and electronics…through the utilization of microfabrication technology." This site provides a good introduction to MEMS, how they are built, and how they operate. The most descriptive section is The Beginner’s Guide to MEMS Processing, which explains the processes of deposition,...
The Rogers research group at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign studies "soft materials for flexible 'macroelectronic' circuits, nanophotonic structures, microfluidic devices, and microelectromechanical systems." Researchers can learn the details about the group's four current research projects: plastic and molecular electronics, microfluidics and liquid crystals for photonics,...