Terahertz (THz) part of the electromagnetic spectrum (0.1–10 THz) holds the key for next-generation high-speed wireless communication, non-destructive biosensing, fingerprint chemical detection and imaging for astronomy and security surveillance. The limited THz response of naturally occurring materials had left a technological gap in the THz region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Artificially engineered materials termed as ‘metamaterials’, have shown great potential in THz wave interaction and its active counterpart termed as ‘metadevices’ have been widely reported for on-demand manipulation of THz waves. One of the most efficient means of realizing metadevices is to reconfigure the shape of unit cells and hence the corresponding THz response. The 50+ years of development in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and the wide array of microactuator designs provide a perfect platform to achieve structural reconfiguration of microscale metamaterial unit cells in both in-plane and out-of-plane directions. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of various MEMS approaches adopted for the demonstration of THz metadevices, their advantages and limitations. The future research directions of THz MEMS metadevices are also discussed. The seamless integration of matured MEMS technology with incipient THz metamaterials provides significant advantages in terms of enhanced performances, advanced functionalities and large scale manufacturability, that is critical for the development of future THz technologies.

电磁频谱（0.1-10 THz）的太赫兹 (THz) 部分是下一代高速无线通信、无损生物传感、指纹化学检测和天文学和安全监视成像的关键。天然材料的有限太赫兹响应在电磁频谱的太赫兹区域留下了技术空白。被称为“超材料”的人工工程材料在太赫兹波相互作用中显示出巨大的潜力，其被称为“超设备”的活跃对应物已被广泛报道用于按需操纵太赫兹波。实现元设备的最有效方法之一是重新配置单元的形状，从而重新配置相应的太赫兹响应。微机电系统 (MEMS) 50 多年的发展和广泛的微致动器设计提供了一个完美的平台，可以在面内和面外两个方向实现微型超材料单元的结构重构。在这篇综述中，我们全面概述了用于演示太赫兹元器件的各种 MEMS 方法及其优点和局限性。还讨论了 THz MEMS 元器件的未来研究方向。成熟的 MEMS 技术与初期太赫兹超材料的无缝集成在增强性能、先进功能和大规模可制造性方面提供了显着优势，这对于未来太赫兹技术的发展至关重要。