Current and Future trends in Microelectromechnical Systems Case Study

Current and Future trends in Microelectromechnical Systems - Case Study Example cessing, and data acquisition features."[2] The term MEMS refer to the devices that are on a millimetre scale with micro-resolution. It is the integration of mechanical elements, sensors, actuators and electronics on common silicon substrate through the utilization of microfabrication technology [8]. There are several broad categories of MEMS fabrication technologies. They are Bulk micromachining, Surface micromachining, LIGA, Deep reactive ion etching and the integrated MEMS technologies. The brief [9] of each of the technologies is given below Bulk micromachining is a fabrication technique which builds mechanical elements by starting with a silicon wafer, and then etching away unwanted parts, and being left with useful mechanical devices [9].'The advantages are less cost high reliability, manufacturability, and good repeatability [9]. Surface Micromachining builds devices up from the wafer layer-by-layer [9]. Surface Micromachining requires more fabrication steps than Bulk Micromachining, and hence is more expensive.' It is able to create much more complicated devices, capable of sophisticated functionality. LIGA is a technology which creates small, but relatively high aspect ratio devices using x-ray lithography [9]. Unlike traditional Bulk Micromachining, which uses a wet chemical etch, Deep Reactive Ion Etching micromachining uses'a plasma etch to create features allowing greater flexibility in the etch profiles, enabling a wider array of mechanical elements [9]. Since MEMS devices are created with the same tools used to create integrated circuits, in some cases it is also possible to fabricate Micro-machines and Microelectronics on the same piece of silicon [9].' LITERATURE REVIEW MEMS has a very wide range of applications, particularly of its sensors which are used many of the automotive, medical and other consumer products. The technology development is immense and there are several in the literature to quote from in evidence of this fact. The MEMS related technology and literature work is very huge and hence effort has been made only to cover the key developments from random authors. One technique developed in the United States at the University of Wisconsin uses thin film polysilicon for the sensor diaphragm [3]. The polysilicon devices are correspondingly smaller and hence they cost less. Another technique, result in much smaller sensor dies than standard bulk micromachining techniques NovaSensor in the United States, employs high temperature fusion bonding of silicon wafers to form inward tapering cavities under single crystal silicon diaphragms [4]. These devices are used in medical catheters. An improvement in low pressure measurement has also been suggested as by using advanced MEMS micromachining

Financial Crisis Essay Example for Free

Financial Crisis Essay Dear Grandchildren, The last two decades have seen important milestones being achieved, not only for America, but which also have global impact and implications. These milestones are in the technological, political, and financial arenas. They are also profound in the sense that life as was known before these changes would never be the same again. Below are some of the things I believe are the most significant, simply because they are a sign of the times and which have direct impact on our lives in America. Technologically, there has been a digital revolution, with the advent of the Internet on the world scene. The home computer is now a ubiquitous item, and easily replaces the television and radio as furniture, feature display, and entertainment console. It also provides business solutions, home office setups, a vast knowledge and information database, and connectivity with the rest of the world. There is virtually no chance for anyone to be a hermit anymore. Even we old folks have mastered the basic skills of emailing, skype-ing, googling, and Facebooking. What more can we ask for? These will keep us entertained for many more years to come. There will not be time and lack of interaction for us to grow senile. The array of gadgets is simply gorgeous! Mobile phones, netbooks, iPads, and LED TV screens are now the must-have items. They increase our productivity, schedule our lives, and keep us updated on the go. Social media has given us social convergence and brought us closer as a result; ironically, sometimes, they also cause us to be indifferent and insensitive to those physically closest to us. Politically, the United States has broken through the invisible ceiling and has installed for the first time in its history, an African American president. This is simply unthinkable, and had it not been for this moment in time, would not have happened at all. That said, it may herald the possibility for other minority races in the United States to reach the top spot. Barack Obama, at one stroke, has finally achieved that which had eluded activists all along. He has achieved the realization of emancipation for all African Americans. In his becoming President, he has been able to appease both the Democrats and the Republicans and thus far, he has been even-handed and circumspect. Financially, there has been a tremendous upheaval in both the American and global economies. There was the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997 which channeled much of the wealth then to the United States and Europe. This was however, reversed in 2008 when Wall Street literally collapsed, with brokerages, banks, and state institutions falling like dominoes. This has caused untold misery to millions of homeowners in America who had their houses foreclosed. This situation should be seen as completely unique to our time, for the financial equations may no longer work so effectively as before. Coupled with fraud, lack of transparency, and the sheer number of complex financial instruments that flooded the market, the whole financial sector is way overdue for a bypass and cleanup. This is the darkest period since the Great Depression in the 1930s. How will these events influence the future? I believe that these milestones represent yet another great development in the history of America and humanity in general. Technology will only continue to be improved with ever-increasing speeds and frightful ingenuity. The political climate will continue to evolve and result in hopefully a fairer system of governance that will represent the peoples of America. And financially, let us hope that the scares we went through are enough to jolt the wheelers and dealers to the fact that long-term stability is much more desirable than short-term gains and profiteering.

Captain Ahab of Moby Dick :: essays papers

Captain Ahab of Moby Dick Captain Ahab in the novel Moby Dick is quite a character. He is the Captain of the whaling ship the Pequod and is out on a voyage to kill the great white whale named Moby Dick. Throughout his journey on sea, Ahab maintains focus on one thing, and only one thing, killing Moby Dick. It comes to show throughout the story that a close-minded man is blind to his surroundings. On a whaling mission before, Ahab's leg was bitten off by the white whale, and ever since then, Ahab has focused only on the revenge he will get when he kills the whale. The captain's prosthetic leg is then made out of the jawbone of Moby Dick. Ahab's leg becomes a constant reminder of the whale, and a constant motivation for his revenge. Some might describe that character of Ahab to be insane and at times evil. I do not believe he is insane. In a section of the movie, Ahab is seen speaking with Starbuck calmly, and actually sharing his feelings with the crewmember. These are not actions of an insane man. Ahab shows true feeling for Starbuck and his mates. I also do not believe the captain is an evil character. I do believe he became obsessed and in a way infatuated with Moby Dick. He seems to me to be a very ambitious man; there is nothing wrong with wanting and desiring to achieve a goal. On the other hand, being ambitious, and focusing so much on one thing in life that you become blind, are two different things. Ahab is guilty of this. He lets Moby Dick run his life; he desires revenge so badly that it becomes all he thinks about, all he cares about, all of him. Ahab even becomes restless at night because of the whale. It seems to me that Ahab needs Moby Dick to survive, yet in return, Ahab wants to kill him. A lesson is to be learned from Ahab. Keep your eyes open to those around you, and other things that are in your life. If you dwell on the negatives, and of revenge, you're life becomes a waste.

Caring for individuals with additonal needs

The medical model of disability views disability as a ‘problem’ that belongs to the disabled individual. It is not seen as an issue to concern anyone other than the individual affected. For example, if a wheelchair using student is unable to get into a building because of some steps, the medical model would suggest that this is because of the wheelchair, rather than the steps. However the social model of disability would see the steps as the disabling barrier. This model has the idea that it is society that disables people, through designing everything to meet the needs of the majority of people who are not disabled.There is a realization within the social model that there is a great deal that society can do to reduce, and ultimately remove, some of these disabling barriers, and that this task is the responsibility of society, rather than the disabled person. The social model of disability focuses on people’s attitudes towards disability. These attitudes are many and varied, ranging from prejudice and stereotyping, to unnecessary inflexible organisational practices and procedures.An example of a medical model approach would be a course leader who refuses to produce a hand-out in a larger font for a visually impaired student. The student cannot therefore participate in the class discussion impacting on the students learning development and also could make that student feel isolated and alone. The medical model of disability also affects the way disabled people think about themselves. Many disabled people internalise the negative message that all disabled people’s problems stem from not having ‘normal' bodies.Disabled people too can be led to believe that their impairments automatically prevent them from participating in social activities. This attitude can make disabled people less likely to challenge their exclusion from mainstream society. Regarding the social model, society is shown to disable people who have impairments becau se the way it has been set up prevents disabled people from taking part in everyday life. It follows that if disabled people are to be able to join in mainstream society, the way society is organised must be changed.Removing the barriers which exclude disabled people who have impairments can bring about this  change. An example of this would be a course leader meeting with a visually impaired member of the group before the beginning of a course to find out how hand-outs can be adapted so that the student can read them.Positive working practice allows health and social care workers to meet the specific needs of clients. Every area of work needs to make sure that it meets the needs of all individuals with additional needs. Positive working practice becomes a great addition when considering how it can be applied to help those with additional needs. Before this was brought in, it was a common for individuals with additional needs to be expected to fit in with the rest of society meani ng that their needs were not being met. In recent years, this has been changed.Services provide a more patient orientated examination resulting in the patient being directly involved in every decision made. This left all decisive action down to them, ensuring they got the treatment they needed and felt comfortable with.

Porsche Swot Essay

Strengths One of the company’s strength is the simplicity of their product. Each year Porsche’s sports cars look similar to the previous year with slight modifications that separate them and make them better. With this car, the company’s image is of luxury, high quality, and style that do not change drastically from year to year so that costumers will always know what they are getting and never be disappointed. They only have 7 different types of cars, 2 SUVs, 4 sports car styles, and a luxury sedan. Another strength is how they are so close to Volkswagen. Volkswagen now owns them but this solidifies their existence because VW is such a big company that it will never let Porsche go belly up even through toughest of times. They also have been around for a very long time and have a very recognizable name across the world. Porsche also has a very strong influence and presence in the motor racing world. In fact, almost all cars that Porsche built are basically purpose-built ra cing machines. They have been victorious in almost all races they took part since the very beginning, especially in the Le Mans 24-hour races. Also the model called 911 is the only car that has been on sale for the past 4 decades and more. It may be a slow evolution of the model, but that is exactly what makes it a timeless machine, perfected in every minute detail with each generation. Porsche loyalists love and respect the brands purity in design, and unique character. This can be clearly seen with the slow and steady evolution of the 911 from the very beginning Overall Porsche’s strengths include strong brand image, high quality products for comparatively low prices, advanced technology, brands history and sports car recognition. Weaknesses The biggest weakness of Porsche is that it’s strictly a luxury car company. Since they are strictly a luxury car manufacturers they do not sell that many cars compared to companies like Ford, Toyota and Honda. This is still not that big of a weakness compared to other groups because of the fact that they have the highest profit per unit sold of any car company in the world. Overall though Porsche’s weaknesses include, premium only gas, price sensitivity, sensitive to the world economy (victim of financial crisis 2008), small compared to other car companies, and pollution-environmental issues.

The Steps to Our America essays

The Steps to Our America essays The Declaration of Independence is a historical document that stated the colonies wanted and would gain freedom from Britain. It eloquently expresses the reasons the colonies wanted freedom. It also blamed Britain for many abuses that King George forced and inflected upon the colonies. The Declaration of Independence includes the peoples right to change or overthrow their government if it tries to deny them their rights. This document has inspired freedom loving people throughout the world. On July 2, 1776, the delegates started reviewing, revising, and debating Thomas Jeffersons 1st draft. They removed a few statements that condemned King George for encouraging slave trade. The rest dealt with style. On July 4 it was adopted by the Congress and signed by John Hancock, the president of the Congress, and Charles Thomson, the secretary. On July 19 it was ordered to be written in nicer writing on parchment and all 56 delegates signed it. Thus we declared our freedom from Britain and were able to stand on our feet, unsteadily but on our feet, even though other countries doubted us. The Declaration is very important to us today. The World Book Encyclopedia states, Drawing upon the writings of the English Philosopher John Locke and other English thinkers, it states two universal principles that have been important to developing democracies ever since. The first principle is that governments exist for the benefit of the people and not their rulers, and that when a government turns to tyranny (unjust use of power), the people of that country have a right to resist and overturn the government. The second principle, that all men are created equal, has served as a powerful reminder that all members of a society are entitled to the full protection of the law and to the right to participate in public affairs. (76) ...

What Are SAT Subject Tests Why Should You Take Them

What Are SAT Subject Tests Why Should You Take Them SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Between the SAT, teacher recommendations, and your personal essay, there are lots of ingredients that go into crafting your applications. The SAT Subject Tests add one more layer to the complex recipe of applying to college. This article is meant to clear up any confusion you have about the Subject Tests.By understanding exactly what these tests are testing, you'll be able to approach them with ease and confidence - because only the cake should end up in tiers. What Are SAT Subject Tests? While the general SAT is meant to assess your reasoning skills and readiness for college, the SAT Subject Tests test your knowledge in specific subject areas. They are content-based and allow you to choose the subject(s) in which you excel and best demonstrate subject mastery. All of the Subject Tests are multiple choice and are one hour long. The Subject Tests align with classes you are required or have elected to take in high school, like Biology, Literature, Math, and languages. Not only should your choice of Subject Test line up with your academic strengths, you also may want to choose a subject in which you're interested. As with all the other parts of your application, your Subject Tests give insight into who you are and what you like to study. Click here for a more in-depth look at what SAT Subject Tests you should take and the most important considerations in making this decision. [link to PS article] How Many SAT Subject Tests Are There? There are 21 SAT Subject Tests, if you count Biology Ecological and Biology Molecular as two separate tests. They cover literature, math, science, history, and 9 languages. Some options within these core subjects include the following: History could be World History or U.S. History. Science includes Physics, Chemistry, and Biology with an Ecological focus or Biology with a Molecular focus. Math has a Level 1 and Level 2 test. Language Subject Tests may or may not have a Listening component. Here's the complete list: English Literature Math Level 1 Math Level 2 U.S. History World History Biology Ecological Biology Molecular Physics Chemistry French French with Listening Spanish Spanish with Listening Italian Modern Hebrew Latin German German with Listening Chinese with Listening Korean with Listening Japanese with Listening Let's look at a brief overview of some of the differences in format: Biology E and Biology M share 60 core questions. Biology E has an additional 20 questions with an ecological emphasis. Biology M has 20 extra questions with a molecular focus. Math Level 1 requires at least two years of algebra and one year of geometry. Math Level 2 requires those same classes plus some trigonometry and pre-calculus. The French, Spanish, and German Subject Tests have both Listening and non-Listening options. Chinese, Korean, and Japanese have only Listening options, and the remaining have only non-Listening options. Now that you have a sense of the differences among the subject tests, let's move onto the next important question. Should you take them to apply to college? Why Take SAT Subject Tests? Are you wondering, "Should I take SAT Subject Tests?" To answer your question, you should take Subject Tests if your college requires or recommends them as part of your application. Make sure you know not only how many Subject Tests your college wants, but also if they have a requirement or suggestion for which subjects you should take. Technology-oriented colleges, for example, may prefer to see that you've taken math and science tests. MIT and CalTech actually require one math and one science Subject Test. MIT lets you take Math Level 1 or Level 2, while CalTech requires Level 2. Selective liberal arts colleges often want to see a range of knowledge across academic domains, such as a math test paired with a literature or history test. Some colleges may allow Subject Test scores to make up for a low general SAT score. Still others may use these tests for placement purposes, such as into a more advanced level of a language, once you arrive on campus. At Harvard, for example, 700 or better on a language test will waive its language requirement and allow you to choose among more advanced language courses. You may also be applying to a school that has adopted a test flexible policy, like Colby College, Colorado College, Middlebury, and NYU. The school may let you send SAT Subject Test scores in place of the general SAT or ACT, if you feel these tests better represent your strengths and abilities. Check out the full list of test optional and flexible schools here. Subject Tests can really strengthen your application, as they allow you to feature a particular strength, knowledge of a subject, and academic interest. If you speak another language, the language tests are a great way to showcase your skills. As colleges are increasingly seeking to establish a multicultural class of students with global competencies, they will consider your ability to communicate in another language to be a strong and desirable asset to your candidacy. How Do You Know If Subject Tests Are Required? We've gathered a list of all the colleges that require SAT Subject Tests. A small group of colleges, like Amherst, Brown, Duke, and Vassar, among others, will waive the SAT Subject Test requirement if you opt for the ACT. Since policies are continually changing, especially as schools become more and more flexible, make sure to double check your colleges' standardized testing requirements by researching their admissions website or speaking to an admissions officer directly. Finally, you may elect to take the Subject Tests even if they're not required, if you want to demonstrate a particular strength to the admissions committee. This may especially be the case if the Subject Test connects to your future academic and/or professional goals. If you're excited to study Engineering, for example, you may be eager to showcase your math and science skills. The list of colleges mentioned above indicates if a college does not require, but will consider SAT Subject Tests are part of your application. Ithaca, Smith, Wesleyan, to name a few, consider, but don't require, the SAT Subject Tests. When Are the Subject Tests Offered? The Subject Tests are offered on all the same dates as the general SAT except for March - in January, May, June, October, November, and December. The science, math, literature, and math Subject Tests are offered on all these dates. The language tests are offered on some, but not all, of the dates. Some have more options, but Listening tests - German, French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean - are only offered in November. Check out this chart of the exact dates of all the Subject Tests. It will also help you figure out your best schedule for taking the Subject Tests in and around the general SAT or ACT and all your other activities and obligations. You can take up to 3 Subject Tests in one day (with some conditions), so you can take them all together or choose to spread them out over different dates. The best time to take a Subject Test is often near the end of the school year in which you've been studying that subject and may also be studying for a final or AP exam. You don't have to wait until junior year, but instead should take the Subject Tests whenever you are ready and the content is fresh in your mind. Hopefully this overview of the what, how, why, and when of SAT Subject Tests makes it easier for you to add this extra component into the college application mix. By following the links provided, you'll become an expert in everything you need to know to conquer the SAT Subject Tests. What's Next? Perhaps you've studied lots of the subjects covered by the Subject Tests and aren't sure how to choose. This article helps you answer that important question: which SAT Subject Test should you take? Are you also taking the general SAT and ACT? In order to prepare, first you need to know when you have time to study. This article helps you figure out your study plan and when you should start preparing. Need a little extra help prepping for your Subject Tests? We have the industry's leading SAT Subject Test prep programs (for all non-language Subject Tests). Built by Harvard grads and SAT Subject Test full or 99th %ile scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so that you get the most effective prep possible. Learn more about our Subject Test products below: