(June 25, 2008) MUNICH, Germany — Microelectronics is a driving force behind innovation for industries such as automotive, biomedical technology, telecommunications, automation technology, environmental engineering and building technology. Micro-nano systems have become so important that electronica 2008 will dedicate a focus area to sub-miniature electronics. Exhibitors will display micro-nano products for automotive, consumer, medical and environmental applications.
According to the German Association for Electrical, Electronic and Information Technologies (VDE), 2007 worldwide sales of miniature electronic components and systems rose by 3.2% to $255.6 billion. Due to the strong demand for discrete components, opto-semiconductors, and sensors, the industry will reportedly improve the forecast with a 7% increase for a total worldwide market volume of $275 billion in 2008.
In response to this growing trend, organizers of electronica 2008 plan to include a micro-nano systems focus area in Hall A2. Within this focus area, experts will present the latest developments and technologies in lectures and podium discussions. Additonally electronica 2008 will showcase recent developments in microsystems and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) by key exhibitors.
Texas Instruments’ work in the field of digital light processing (DLP ) has enabled pico-projector technology using miniaturized micromirror arrays for beamers and video projectors that can be used for displays used in mobile phones, digital cameras or portable media players.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems will present miniaturized projection displays utilizing LASER light sources and two-dimensional microscanner mirrors for light deflection. These systems are small enough to be integrated in mobile phones.
STMicroelectronics will feature innovative miniature accelerometers that warn users of portable infotainment devices or mobile medical monitoring systems damage caused if the device has been dropped. The sensors are so fast that hard disks can lock themselves in split seconds to save the stored data.
Omron Electronic Components , a MEMS pioneering company, will display “donut” design blood pressure sensors that allow up to 50% of their area to be used for sensing, compared to 10% for conventional MEMS sensors. Their air current MEMS sensors detect flows from 1-mm-per-second, and radio frequency (RF) MEMS sensors can switch 10 times faster than conventional semiconductor-based switches.
Kyocera Corporation has developed a possibly record-breaking, high-speed ink-jet MEMS print head. Kyocera Fineceramics Division (Germany) will attend electronica 2008 as a specialist for microelectronic components and small-format ceramic housings for sensors and MEMS.
Microdriven, silicon-based sensors, micro-optics and bioMEMS devices are the main fields of activity of the electronica exhibitor Leister Process Technologies . The company’s latest gas sensors are based on laser diodes and are used, for instance, for permanent monitoring of gases in medicine, e.g. for monitoring of blood gas values in patients.
Tronics Microsystems manufactures and integrates customer-specific MEMS components. Their sensors are often used as seismophones to localize oil reserves. Its bioMEMS can be used to analyze cell properties.
Epcos , a leading designer and manufacturer of RF filters, recently took over the RF MEMS designs started by NXP. These designs can potentially reduce mobile radio power consumption by as much as 25% and increase the stability of radio links. According to industry insiders, this MEMS technology has a potential market volume amounting to several hundreds of millions of Euros.
More information about micro-nano systems and the focus area is available at