A significant challenge facing MEMS designers and manufacturers is bringing devices to market quickly and at competitive prices. To do so, many manufacturers and designers are looking at the test process for potential efficiency gains. Typically, MEMS are tested only after packaging, a lengthy and expensive process. If a device is bad, it must be scrapped including the package. This results in significant costs since many MEMS devices require expensive, hermetically-sealed packages to function properly. Additionally, most test stimuli and measurements are purely electrical, ignoring the unique non-electrical characteristics of MEMS such as pressure, motion, and temperature.

(February 1, 2008) PORTLAND — Electro Scientific Industries Inc., a provider of photonic and laser systems for micro-engineering applications, regrets to announce the passing of former senior VP Edward J. Swenson on January 28. He began his tenure with ESI in 1961, and worked his way up the chain of command throughout the years from applications engineer, earning numerous patents along the way.