micromachine

noun

mi·​cro·​ma·​chine ˌmī-krō-mə-ˈshēn How to pronounce micromachine (audio)
: a device or machine constructed on a microscopic scale
The hardest material, and one of the most chemically inert, diamond is extremely difficult to fabricate into electronic devices or micromachines.Physics Today
especially : such a device constructed using the techniques of lithography
Unlike the way Swiss watches are made, silicon micromachines are built in one piece and ready to go. Their three-dimensional structures are created by stacking up a series of very thin, carefully detailed layers of silicon, each one deposited directly on the layer before. As a final step, acid etches away the in-between "sacrificial" layers to free the moving parts. Doug Stewart

Examples of micromachine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Self-replicating micromachines (not discussed by Feynman) would unleash the magic of exponential growth, opening a new epoch in engineering. Frank Wilczek, WSJ, 25 Apr. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1971, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of micromachine was in 1971

Dictionary Entries Near micromachine

Cite this Entry

“Micromachine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/micromachine. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

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