Surface micromachining is characterized by the fabrication of micromechanical structures from deposited thin films. Originally employed for integrated circuits, films composed of materials such as low-pressure chemical-vapor-deposition polycrystalline silicon, silicon nitride, and silicon dioxides can be sequentially deposited and selectively removed to build or "machine" three-dimensional structures whose functionality typically requires that they be freed from the planar substrate. Although the process to accomplish this fabrication dates from the 1960's, its rapid extension over the past few years and its application to batch fabrication of micromechanisms and of monolithic microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) make a thorough review of surface micromachining appropriate at this time. Four central issues of consequence to the MEMS technologist are: (i) the understanding and control of the material properties of microstructural films, such as polycrystalline silicon, (ii) the release of the microstructure, for example, by wet etching silicon dioxide sacrificial films, followed by its drying and surface passivation, (iii) the constraints defined by the combination of micromachining and integrated-circuit technologies when fabricating monolithic sensor devices, and (iv) the methods, materials, and practices used when packaging the completed device. Last, recent developments of hinged structures for postrelease assembly, high-aspect-ratio fabrication of molded parts from deposited thin films, and the advent of deep anisotropic silicon etching hold promise to extend markedly the capabilities of surface-micromachining technologies.