s still lie ahead in nanowire research, such as configuring the wires for optimal performance and applying the wires over more diverse surfaces and larger areas. Lieber recently helped start a company, NanoSys, that is now developing nanowire technology and other nanotechnology products. 2.13 MEMS A key technology that will impact all sorts of telecom products in the years ahead are micro-electro-mechanical Systems (MEMS). MEMS is the integra- tion of mechanical elements, sensors, actuators, and electronics on a common silicon chip through microfabrication technology. MEMS promises to revolu- tionize nearly every telecom product category by bringing together silicon- based microelectronics with micromachining technology, making possible the realization of complete systems-on-a-chip. MEMS is an enabling technology, allowing the development of smart products, augmenting the computational ability of microelectronics with the perception and control capabilities of microsensors and microactuators, and expanding the space of possible designs and applications. 2.13.1 Low-Loss, Wide-Bandwidth MEMS Microelectronics researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a low-loss, wide-bandwidth microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switch that can be integrated with existing technologies for high-speed electronics. The new low-voltage switch could be used in switching networks for phased- array radars, multibeam satellite communications systems, and wireless appli- cations. "The switch has a tiny metal pad that can move up or down in less than 25 microseconds," says Milton Feng, a professor of electrical and com- puter engineering at the University of Illinois. "This simple configuration pro- vides a very low insertion loss of less than 0.1 dB, and the metal-to-metal contact has the inherently wide-band response of a larger, more typical mechanical switch." The switches are fabricated at the University of Illinois' Micro and Nano- technology Laboratory using standard MEMS processing techniques. To create the unique met