Advances in MEMS Technology: An In-Depth Analysis of Evolution, Applications, and Future Directions

Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) have fundamentally transformed technology by combining microelectronics with mechanical systems to create miniature devices capable of diverse functionalities. This review article provides a thorough exploration of MEMS, tracing its evolution from early developments to the latest advancements. It begins by outlining the fundamental principles behind MEMS design and fabrication, detailing processes such as lithography, deposition, and etching. The paper covers a wide array of MEMS devices, including sensors, actuators, resonators, and microfluidic systems, while focusing on essential design considerations, fabrication techniques, and performance parameters. The versatility of MEMS across sectors like healthcare, automotive, aerospace, consumer electronics, and telecommunications is highlighted, illustrating their role in advancing applications such as medical diagnostics, environmental sensing, and autonomous technologies. Unlike previous reviews, this paper provides a unique synthesis linking fabrication mechanisms with device performance metrics, offering an updated comparative analysis across MEMS subcategories (RF MEMS, microfluidics, and optical MEMS). It also integrates the latest market data (2024–2025) and contextualizes how MEMS devices underpin IoT and Industry 5.0 applications. Furthermore, it emphasizes emerging research directions such as energy harvesting MEMS, bio-inspired microsystems, and security-aware MEMS integration in connected environments. These additions make this review both comprehensive and forward-looking, serving as a reference for researchers and practitioners.