The relationship between microsystem technology and metrology

Microsystem technology (MST) has enabled silicon sensors to evolve from simple transduction elements to microsystems (micro-instruments) that include readout circuits, self-test, and auto-zeroing facilities. This paper discusses the impact of MST in the instrumentation and measurement (I&M) field. In metrology, in particular, the development of electrical reference standards by using microtechnology has opened a wide variety of potential applications, such as the Josephson junction array (dc voltage reference) and thin-film multijunction thermal converters (ac voltage and ac current reference). It is shown that MST has even more to offer to the I&M field. Two devices that have highly benefited from MST: thermal and capacitive rms-to-dc converters are discussed in historical perspective. Subsequently, a recently developed microdevice, the pull-in voltage reference, which may have a huge impact in I&M applications, is outlined. Finally, it is demonstrated that recent developments in electrical and nonelectrical metrology system concepts offer special opportunities for on-chip cointegrated silicon microsystem realizations.