Actuators and their mechanisms in microengineering

The subject of actuation in microengineering is an expanding area of study. Many aspects need to be considered - the actuation mechanism, how well it scales to the micro level, the materials involved, process compatibility, reliability, and comparison with alternative techniques - are all criteria in reaching a final judgement. There are many different types of actuation mechanisms used in microengineering including: electrostatic, electromagnetic, piezoelectric, magnetostriction, electrostriction, thermal, and shape memory alloy mechanisms. None has dominance over any other, and the choice of mechanism is a balance between many different factors.