May 25, 2011 — STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM), consumer and portable MEMS supplier, will bump up its micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) production capacity to more than 3 million sensors a day by year’s end.
The capacity ramp is being supported by a "beefed-up manufacturing machine," said Benedetto Vigna, group VP and GM of ST’s MEMS, Sensors and High Performance Analog Division, citing the company’s high-volume fab capability and repeatable, consistent test procedure. ST Micro makes MEMS in Agrate and Catania, Italy (sensor fabrication), Rousset and Crolles, France (logic die production), and Kirkop, Malta and Calamba, Philippines (assembly and testing).
The company’s THELMA (Thick Epi-Poly Layer for Microactuators and Accelerometers) surface micro-machining process combines variably thick and thin poly-silicon layers for structures and interconnections (used in accelerometer and gyroscope MEMS fab). The complementary VENSENS (Venice Sensor) process allows STM to integrate a cavity into mono-crystalline silicon, producing an ultra-compact pressure sensor.
STMicroelectronics plans to sell these MEMS into high-growth markets as healthcare, industrial and automotive. STM began producing MEMS on 8" wafers in 2006, reducing its unit costs and accelerating development of new MEMS markets and expansion in established ones. STM’s MEMS sensors are used in smart phones, tablets, personal media players, game consoles, digital still cameras and remotes, as well as laptop computers, car airbags, and enhanced navigation systems.
STMicroelectronics provides semiconductors for multimedia convergence and power applications. Further information on ST can be found at www.st.com.
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