Program overview
Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems Engineering, simply put, is about learning how to design and manufacture those tiny mechanical and electronic systems that are invisible to the naked eye. For example, the accelerometer in your phone, the crash sensor in a car's airbag, and the miniature pressure chip used in medical devices are all products of this field. Core courses include microelectronics, micromachining technology, sensor principles, microsystem design, and mechanics of materials. You'll get hands-on with semiconductor processes like photolithography, etching, and thin-film deposition, and learn how to simulate the performance of micro-devices using computers. Chinese universities have strong capabilities in this area—Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University all have dedicated MEMS labs with advanced equipment and close ties to industry. This major is ideal for students who enjoy hands-on work, have an interest in precision manufacturing and electronic circuits, and have a solid foundation in math and physics, as you'll need to tackle many mechanical and electrical problems at the microscopic scale.