Category Archives: Applications

SEMI, the global industry association representing more than 2,000 companies in the electronics manufacturing supply chain, announced that MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) will become a SEMI Strategic Association Partner effective January 1, 2017.

Through this strategic partnership, SEMI and MSIG members will benefit from stronger consolidated representation in the MEMS and sensors segments. Members will access SEMI’s global platforms, including its SEMICON expositions and International Standards program, and MSIG’s events, including MEMS & Sensors Executive Congresses, MEMS & Sensors Technical Congress and MSIG Conference Asia. MSIG also brings member-focused initiatives, such as the TSensors initiative, as well as industry Standards and community-building to the new partnership.

“SEMI members are increasingly engaged with MEMS and sensors manufacturing,” said Denny McGuirk, president and CEO of SEMI. “The convergence of IC technology, flexible hybrid electronics (FHE), and MEMS and sensors for consumer electronics and IoT applications makes this partnership a clear win for the combined membership. The synergies between our associations will result in increased member value, a unified voice for the MEMS and sensors sector, and a strong platform for global industry collaboration. Ultimately, it will accelerate our joint strategic objectives at a global level and provide greater opportunities to advance the growth and prosperity of members.”

“Our partnership with SEMI reflects our commitment to our members, who have supported us since MSIG’s inception in 2001,” notes Karen Lightman, executive director, MEMS & Sensors Industry Group. “MSIG members will benefit from this relationship with increased access to global resources and service offerings, the expertise of a complementary industry and fast-track entry to worldwide programs. Ultimately, MSIG members will gain broader reach as they pursue new business opportunities. We are delighted to have such a capable and accomplished partner and look forward to our strategic association partnership with SEMI.”

Nanoelectronics research center imec announces that Kris Myny, one of its young scientists, has been awarded an ERC Starting Grant. The grant of 1.5 million euros is earmarked to open up new research horizons in the field of thin-film transistor technology. This will allow a leap forward compared to current state-of-the-art and enable breakthrough applications in e.g. healthcare and the Internet-of-Things (IoT). ERC Starting Grants are awarded by the European Research Council to support excellent researchers at the stage at which they are starting their own independent research team after a stringent selection procedure; they are among the most prestigious of European research grants.

With his research, Kris Myny wants to realize a breakthrough in thin-film transistor technology, a technology used to create the large-area, flexible circuits that e.g. drive today’s flat-panel displays.

Specifically, he wants to introduce design innovations of unipolar n-type transistor circuits based on amorphous Indium-Gallium-Zinc-Oxide (a-IGZO) as semiconductor. These are currently acknowledged as the most promising transistors for next-generation curved, flexible, or even rollable electronic applications.

Kris Myny said, “My goal is to use these transistors to introduce a new logic family for building digital circuits that will drastically decrease the power consumption compared to current flexible circuits. And this of course without compromising the speed of the electronics. At the same time, we will also make the transistors smaller, in a way that is compatible with large-area manufacturing. In addition, I will also look at new techniques to design ultralow-power systems in the new logic style. These will allow building next-generation large-area flexible applications such as displays, IoT sensors, or wearable healthcare sensor patches.”

In a recent press release, the European Commission announced that in 2017 it would invest a record 1.8 billion in its ERC grant scheme. A sizable part of the budget is earmarked for Starting Grants, reserved for young scientists with two to seven years of post-PhD experience. Jo De Boeck, imec’s CTO says “We congratulate Kris Myny for all his valuable research culminating in this grant. Imec goes to great lengths to select and foster our young scientists and provide them with a world-class infrastructure. These ERC Starting Grants show that their work indeed meets the highest standards, comparable to any in Europe.”

BY DR. BERND DIELACHER, DR. MARTIN EIBELHUBER and DR. THOMAS UHRMANN, EV Group, St. Florian, Austria

Over the past several decades, miniaturization has significantly improved clinical diagnostics, pharmaceutical research and analytical chemistry. Modern biotechnology devices— such as biosensors, fully integrated systems for diagnostics, cell-analysis or drug discovery—are often chip-based and rely on close interaction of biological substances at the micro- and nanoscale. Thus, process technologies that enable the production of surface patterns and integration of fluidic components with small feature sizes are needed (FIGURE 1).

FIGURE 1. Biotechnology devices utilize a variety of structures at the micro- and nanoscale that interact with biological substances.

FIGURE 1. Biotechnology devices utilize a variety of structures at the micro- and nanoscale that interact with
biological substances.

Today’s miniaturized biotechnology devices can be found in numerous applications, including fields related to human health as well as environmental and industrial sciences. For example, chemical sensors and biosensors are commonly used to analyze pH values, levels of electrolytes and blood-gas. Glucose sensors are a prominent example of highly successful commercial devices used for diabetes monitoring, where miniaturization has enhanced the development of implantable chips for continuous glucose level monitoring inside the human body.Fully integrated systems, including micro- and nanopumps for accurate insulin release, have also been shown. In general, such controlled drug delivery systems offer new opportunities for the treatment of common acute and chronic diseases. Moreover, microneedle arrays, which allow minimally invasive and painless delivery of drugs through the skin, neural electrodes for stimulation or monitoring signals inside the brain, or prosthetic devices such as artificial retinas, have also been developed.

Microfluidics plays a key role in the transport and manipulation of biological fluids in biotechnology devices. For example, laminar flow behavior can be overserved, which allows a well-defined control of liquids. Capillary forces can enable fluid flow without the need of active pumps. In addition, short distances reduce diffusion times of molecules, which lead to faster biological reactions. Overall, microfluidic devices offer a high degree of parallelization while using extremely-low-volume samples. Microfluidic devices that perform complete tasks or analysis, usually done in a laboratory, are referred to as lab-on-chip (LOC) devices. Other names include bio-chips or micro-Total-Analysis- Systems (μ-TAS). These systems are used in applications such as in-vitro diagnostics, high-throughput screening, genomics and drug discovery. LOC devices are also ideally suited for point-of-care testing (POCT), where they provide rapid diagnostics at the patient site.

Nanoimprint lithography

To successfully commercialize such products in a fast growing market with stringent requirements and high regulatory hurdles, precise and cost-effective micro- structuring technologies are essential. Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) has evolved from a niche technology to a powerful high-volume manufacturing method that is able to serve today’s needs and overcome the challenges of increasing complexity of microfluidic devices in particular, and biotechnology devices in general. NIL is a patterning technique capable of producing a multitude of different sizes and shapes on a large scale by imprinting either into a biocompatible resist or directly into the bulk material with resolutions down to 20 nm. NIL can be distinguished between three types of imprint technologies: hot-embossing or thermal NIL, UV-NIL, and micro- contact printing (μ-CP).

Hot-embossing is a cost-effective and relatively simple process, well suited for the fabrication of polymer microfluidic devices with very high replication accuracy of small features down to 50 nm (FIGURE 2). A polymer sheet or spin-on-polymer is heated above its glass transition temperature, transforming the material into a viscous state. A stamp containing the negative copy of the struc- tures is then pressed into the polymer with sufficient force to conformally mold the polymer. De-embossing is done after cooling the substrate below a certain temperature where the material retains its shape when removing the stamp. During hot-embossing, the structure is trans- ferred by displacement of the viscous material. The process is characterized by short flow paths of the material, moderate flow velocities and imprinting temperatures. Residual stress is therefore low, especially when comparing the process to injection molding, which is an alternative production technique for microfluidics.

FIGURE 2: a) 200-μm wide microfluidic channels and b) 10- μm pillar arrays with high aspect ratios (7:1) fabricated by hot- embossing (Courtesy of National Research Council Canada). c) Schematic drawing of hot-embossing process flow.

FIGURE 2: a) 200-μm wide microfluidic channels and b) 10- μm pillar arrays with high aspect ratios (7:1) fabricated by hot- embossing (Courtesy of National Research Council Canada). c) Schematic drawing of hot-embossing process flow.

FIGURE 2: a) 200-μm wide microfluidic channels and b) 10- μm pillar arrays with high aspect ratios (7:1) fabricated by hot- embossing (Courtesy of National Research Council Canada). c) Schematic drawing of hot-embossing process flow.

Because of the much higher process temperatures and pressures associated with injection molding, final products produced by this process usually experience higher internal residual stress, which easily results in significant deformation, such as warpage and shrinkage. In addition, a surface solidifi- cation layer is formed at the interface of the cold mold during the injection of the high-temperature molten polymer. This effect significantly influences the replication accuracy and optical quality. Extensive effort in process development and simulation is therefore often necessary for injection molding to replicate small features in an accurate manner. In contrast, hot-embossing allows precise replication of micro- and nanostructures with less effort and is superior when replicating high-aspect ratio features or when using very-thin substrates. Structures with high-aspect ratios are often needed in microfluidic chips for filtration elements, particle separation or cell sorting.

The ability to use very thin substrates enables the patterning of spin-on-polymer layers on top of other materials or even roll-to-roll embossing using polymer foils for very-high-throughput production. Parallel wafer-based batch processing also enables fabrication of typical-sized microfluidic chips with throughputs compa- rable to or even higher than injection molding or similar techniques. Since master stamps for hot-embossing do not need to withstand the high temperatures and forces required for mold inserts for injection molding, they are less expensive to produce. Therefore, hot-embossing is also a well suited technology for R&D and allows easier design changes in volume-production. UV-NIL refers to a technique where a transparent stamp is pressed into a photo-curable resist and cross-linked by UV-light while still in contact (FIGURE 3). In biotechnology applications, the resist is usually coated onto silicon or glass substrates. Unlike hot-embossing, the UV-NIL stamp is brought in contact with the resist using minimum force to conformally join the stamp and substrate. The different mechanisms of curing and stamp attachment account for different advantages and fields of application of the respective technologies.

FIGURE 3: (a) 100-nm grating with residual layer <10 nm imprinted into 90 nm height resist on silicon substrate and (b) 350-nm photonic crystal fabricated by UV-NIL. c) Schematic drawing of UV-NIL process flow.

FIGURE 3: (a) 100-nm grating with residual layer

UV-NIL provides very-high-alignment accuracy, pattern fidelity, and throughput whereas hot-embossing is capable of imprinting higher aspect ratios and larger structures in the upper micron range as well as combinations of micro- and nanostructures. UV-NIL offers additional opportunities for biotechnology devices where features with ultra- high precision are needed. Examples include optical-based biosensors that often rely on noble metal nanostructures that influence properties of coupled light upon the binding of molecules onto the nanostructures.Regardless of what the sensing principle is based on (e.g. localized surface plasmon resonance or photonic band gaps), small changes in shape and size can significantly alter the properties of the sensing element.

In order to produce nanostructures made of metals, either additive or subtractive processes can be used. The former involves the deposition of a metal layer onto the patterned resist followed by a lift-off process, whereas the latter involves the transfer of the pattern into an underlying metal layer by etching processes. In both cases, the small residual layer must first be removed. Having a uniform residual layer is of high importance, especially for subse- quent etching processes, and can be easily achieved with current equipment over large areas. Imprinted UV-NIL resists can also be used directly as functional layers. After many years of continuous resist development, a broad portfolio of optimized resist materials is available for various bio-applications. Another interesting aspect, especially for microfluidic devices, is the potential of nanostructures to influence surface properties. For example, nanostructures can change the surface behavior from hydrophilic to hydrophobic, which can be used to locally influence the fluid flow.

While UV-NIL is ideally suited for fabricating very small features, it is not well suited for features larger than several tens of micrometers. In cases where both highly-accurate nanostructures and large microfluidic channels are needed, hot-embossing can be used to imprint the channels on a separate substrate. The two substrates can subsequently be bonded together to produce the final device.

A third NIL option is μ-CP, where a pre-inked stamp is used to transfer materials such as biomolecules onto a substrate in a distinct pattern (FIGURE 4). Local modification of surface chemistry can, for example, be used to guide the growth of neurons on a chip. On the other hand, it can be used for the precise placement of capture molecules in biosensor fabrication. This technique is applicable on all common surfaces, such as silicon, glass or polymers with micro- and nanometer resolution and offers new possibilities for functionalization of biotechnology devices.

FIGURE 4: Bio-functionalized, micro-patterned array
created by micro-contact printing for the detection of protein- protein interactions in live cells. a) Antibody-patterns induce the recruitment of two interacting proteins to micro-patterns, which is detected by fluorescence microscopy. b) Missing interaction of the two candidate proteins leads to homogenous distribution on the functionalized surface. c) Schematic drawing of micro-contact printing process flow. [Images adapted from Schwarzenbacher et al., 2008, Nature Methods; Weghuber et al., 2010, Methods in Enzymology].

FIGURE 4: Bio-functionalized, micro-patterned array
created by micro-contact printing for the detection of protein- protein interactions in live cells. a) Antibody-patterns induce the recruitment of two interacting proteins to micro-patterns, which is detected by fluorescence microscopy. b) Missing interaction of the two candidate proteins leads to homogenous distribution on the functionalized surface. c) Schematic drawing of micro-contact printing process flow. [Images adapted from Schwarzenbacher et al., 2008, Nature Methods; Weghuber et al., 2010, Methods in Enzymology].

Although most current microfluidic devices do not follow the same degree of miniaturization in terms of chip-size compared to the microelectronics industry, large-scale parallel processing has a significant advantage in terms of costs and flexibility (FIGURE 5). Alternative fabrication techniques for microfluidic chips, such as injection molding, are principally serial processes and have limita- tions in up-scaling.Using nanoimprinting,30chipsofthe size of a microscopy slide (25 x 75 mm) can easily fit on a single 300-mm substrate. This format can be considered a good reference for an average- sized microfluidic chip. In terms of throughput, wafer-based batch processing is able to reach similar or better cycle times per device compared to alternative solutions, such as injection molding. UV-NIL has even been introduced on GEN2 substrates (370 x 470 mm). In addition, roll- to-roll processing can reach even higher throughput levels but is restricted to the structuring of flexible foils.

FIGURE 5: Large-area parallel processing offers significant advantages in terms of cost and flexibility. Additional processes, such as electrode fabrication or spotting of reagents, can also be efficiently integrated.

FIGURE 5: Large-area parallel processing offers significant advantages in terms of cost and flexibility. Additional processes, such as electrode fabrication or spotting of reagents, can also be efficiently integrated.

Wafer bonding

NIL has an additional advantage in terms of post- processing. Electrode fabrication, surface treatments or spotting of bio-reagents can be efficiently integrated in a large-area batch. The same is true for sealing and encapsulation, an essential process step for all biotechnology devices. It is usually mandatory to close micro-fluidic channels, to fabricate a hermetic sealing for protection against environmental influences or even to provide packaging that is compatible for implantation into human bodies. In addition, interconnections to the outer world have to be incorporated, such as holes or fluidic connectors. Electronic connections or assembling the device together with an integrated microelectronic chip is also often necessary. Thus, bonding of different device layers, capping layers or interconnection layers is a key process that can be implemented together with NIL in a cost-effective large-area batch process. NIL has an additional advantage of providing a high surface quality that can significantly improve subsequent bonding of polymer devices. Surface roughness, total-thickness variation as well as warpage are usually lower than in devices fabricated by injection molding. In the following section, several well-suited bonding processes for sealing biotechnology devices are discussed (FIGURE 6).

FIGURE 6: Typical bonding options for biotechnology devices that are well suited in combination with NIL processes.

FIGURE 6: Typical bonding options for biotechnology devices that are well suited in combination with NIL processes.

A common requirement in biotechnology applications is optical transparency, at least from one side, since most devices rely on optical readouts. Glass is therefore often used as a capping layer for highly complex devices made of silicon. In such cases, anodic bonding can provide a high-quality hermetic seal, where bonding is achieved by high voltage and heat causing inter-diffusion of ions. Another process for joining glass or polymer devices is thermal bonding using high temperatures and pressures. Special attention has to be paid when using this technique for bonding polymer and, in particular, polymer micro-fluidic devices. Thermal bonding is performed by heating the substrate near or above the glass transition temper- ature, which softens the material. The additional pressure generates sufficient flow of polymer at the interface to achieve intimate contact and inter-diffusion of polymer chains. Pressure is removed after the substrate is cooled down to a specific value below the glass transition temperature. Un-optimized temperature and pressure can easily lead to deformation of microstructures. Plasma as well as UV and ozone treatment can be used to activate the polymer surface, which allows bonding at reduced temperatures and reduces the risk of deformation. Anodic and thermal bonding are interlayer-free processes and therefore do not introduce any additional material to the device.

Adhesive bonding is another process that found widespread use in sealing or encapsulating bio-technology devices. Many biocompatible adhesives are available today and high bond strength can be expected from this technique. Bonding with adhesives can be used to join many different materials. Often liquid adhesives are used, which can be cured thermally or by exposure to UV light. The latter offers a significant advantage that addresses another important issue in many pharmaceu- tical or diagnostic devices where bio-molecules have to be incorporated before sealing the device. UV-curing allows bonding at room-temperature whereas higher temperatures usually lead to denaturation or complete destruction of bio-molecules.

Adhesives usually have to be selectively deposited on the substrate, which can be achieved with μ-contact printing. Similar to bio-molecule printing, an adhesive can be trans- ferred onto the substrate according to the pattern of the stamp. In contrast, however, an adhesive can be spin coated onto a transfer plate, which is then brought into contact with the substrate. By releasing the transfer plate, the adhesive will remain on the heightened structures. This production process is an elegant solution for micro-fluidic devices where micro-channels stay free of adhesive without the need for alignment. With these methods the adhesive can be coated as a thin layer (typically on the order of several microns) with very good uniformity over large areas. Commercially available adhesive tapes offer another solution, which can be easily laminated onto the microfluidic chips either in the form of double-side-adhesive tapes or pressure-sensitive-tapes. By using this process, the tape covers the top of microfluidic channels and can alter chemical or physical parameters of the channels, which can then influence the fluidic behavior or biological function of the device. Due to the availability of a variety of different tapes, however, such influences can be addressed and eliminated in many applications.

Summary

Micro- and nanotechnology combined with biotechnology has the potential to revolutionize many areas of healthcare, agriculture and industrial manufacturing. The market for miniaturized bio-devices is rapidly growing with technologies becoming increasingly complex. For successful translation of these technologies into new products, the availability of fabrication tools is key. Today’s NIL equipment offers a well suited solution, where complexity in design does not necessarily add manufacturing cost. Together with sealing and bonding processes that are well aligned with these structuring techniques, limitations of current fabrication methods can be overcome to enable the production for next-generation biotechnology devices.

Further reading

T. Glinsner and G. Kreindl, “Nanoimprint Lithography,” in Lithography, M. Wang, Ed. InTech, 2010.
T. Glinsner, T. Veres, G. Kreindl, E. Roy, K. Morton, T. Wieser,
C. Thanner, D. Treiblmayr, R. Miller, and P. Lindner, “Fully automated hot embossing processes utilizing high resolution working stamps,” Microelectron. Eng., vol. 87, no. 5–8, pp. 1037–1040, May 2010.
G. Kreindl, T. Glinsner, and R. Miller, “Next-generation lithography: Making a good impression,” Nat. Photonics, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 27–28, Jan. 2010.

Global growth in the number of “things” connected to the Internet continues to significantly outpace the addition of human users to the World Wide Web. New connections to the “Internet of Things” are now increasing by more than 6x the number of people being added to the “Internet of Humans” each year. Despite the increasing number of connections, IC Insights has trimmed back its semiconductor forecast for Internet of Things system functions over the next four years by about $1.9 billion, mostly because of lower sales projections for connected cities applications (such as smart electric meters and infrastructure). Total IoT semiconductor sales are still expected to rise 19% in 2016 to $18.4 billion, as shown in Figure 1, but the updated forecast first presented in the Update to the 2016 IC Market Drivers Report reduces the market’s compound annual growth rate between 2014 and 2019 to 19.9% compared to the original CAGR of 21.1%. Semiconductor sales for IoT system functions are now expected to reach $29.6 billion in 2019 versus the previous projection of $31.1 billion in the final year of the forecast.

Figure 1

Figure 1

The most significant changes in the new outlook are that semiconductor revenues for connected cities applications are projected to grow by a CAGR of 12.9% between 2014 and 2019 (down from 15.5% in the original forecast) while the connected vehicles segment is expected to rise by a CAGR of 36.7% (up from 31.2% in the previous projection). IoT semiconductor sales for connected cities are now forecast to reach $15.7 billion in 2019 while the chip market for connected vehicle functions is expected to be $1.7 billion in 2019, up from the previous forecast of $1.4 billion.

For 2016, revenues of IoT semiconductors used in connected cities applications are expected to rise 15% to about $11.4 billion while the connected vehicle category is projected to climb 66% to $787 million this year.

Sales of IoT semiconductors for wearable systems have also increased slightly in the forecast period compared to the original projection.  Sales of semiconductors for wearable IoT systems are now expected to grow 22% to about $2.2 billion in 2016 after surging 421% in 2015 to nearly $1.8 billion following Apple’s entry into the smartwatch market in 2Q15.  The semiconductor market for wearable IoT applications is expected to be nearly $3.9 billion in 2019.  Meanwhile, the forecast for IoT semiconductors in connected homes and the Industrial Internet categories remains unchanged.  The connected homes segment is still expected to grow 26% in 2016 to about $545 million, and the Industrial Internet chip market is forecast to increase 22% to nearly $3.5 billion.  The semiconductor forecast for IoT connections in the Industrial Internet is still expected to grow by a CAGR of 25.7% to nearly $7.3 billion in 2019 from $2.3 billion in 2014.

Leading sensors and actuators companies will present the latest trends at the upcoming SEMI European MEMS Summit in Stuttgart on 15-16 September 2016.  Following 2015’s highly successful debut in Milano, the SEMI European MEMS Summit this year moves to Stuttgart. Over 250 attendees, including the industry’s global thought leaders, will discuss challenges, opportunities, and solutions.  A full capacity exhibition with representatives from the full value chain will complement the conference.

The event’s keynote presentations will feature:

  • Bosch Sensortec:  “Smart Connected MEMS Sensors – Enabler for the IoT” by Udo Gomez, CTO
  • STMicroelectronics:  “MEMS Sensors and Actuators – Opportunities and Challenges” by Benedetto Vigna, EVP and GM
  • Qorvo: “BAW and the ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ in Wireless Communication: Innovate, Ramp. Repeat” by Robert Aigner, Senior Director
  • AMKOR: “Sensor in Package – Standard Package Platform for Sensor Fusion and IoT” by Adrian Arcedera, VP

In addition to keynotes, the MEMS Summit’s exceptional speaker line-up includes presentations from ams AG, Bosch, Coventor, Fraunhofer IPMS, GLOBALFOUNDRIES, IHS, Invensas, NXP, Roland Berger, STMicroelectronics, Teledyne DALSA, and Yole Developpement.  The event’s main sessions will address Market and Business, Technology, Internet of Things, Automotive, Consumer, and Wearable Electronics. Promising start-ups Innoluce, USound, Polight and Enerbee will pitch their innovative solutions in a brand new session.

The Summit benefits from strong support from within the industry including Platinum Sponsor Bosch Sensortec; Gold Sponsors ASE Group, STMicroelectronics, and SUSS MicroTec; Silver Sponsors Applied Materials, EV Group, LAM Research, and SPTS. Other sponsors include AMKOR Technology, JSR Micro, Materion, Trymax, and VAT.

For more information and registration, please visit www.semi.org/eu/EuropeanMEMSSummit

Technavio analysts forecast the global radio frequency (RF) IC market to grow at a CAGR of nearly 12% during the forecast period, according to their latest report.

The research study covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the global RF IC market for 2016-2020. To calculate the market size, the report considers revenue generated from the shipment of RF ICs globally.

Asia-Pacific (APAC) is expected to be the major demand generating region and is expected to be the major contributor to the market during the forecast period. This is because of the growing demand for RF IC’s in the consumer electronics segment and increasing need for logic and multipoint control units (MCUs) in the automotive segment in the region. The presence of major buyers such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, and Toyota Motor led to the increasing consumption of RF ICs in this region.

Increased demand for electronics from countries such as China and India drives the market in APAC. China’s massive demand for electronics exceeds the production levels in the country. Despite the phenomenal growth, only a small share of semiconductors’ demand in China is actually produced domestically.

Technavio hardware and semiconductor analysts highlight the following four factors that are contributing to the growth of the global RF IC market:

  • Deployment of next-generation LTE wireless networks
  • Advent of carrier aggregation
  • Use of new materials for manufacture of RF devices
  • Growing traction of RF technology for remotes

Deployment of next-generation LTE wireless networks

The increase in data consumption has resulted in the adoption of next-generation LTE networks such as 3G and 4G. The growing consumption has resulted in the growth of commercial networks, making LTE the fastest developing mobile technology. Though specific bands have been designated for LTE, they vary from carrier to carrier.

Sunil Kumar Singh, one of the lead embedded systems research analysts at Technavio, says, “LTE-based computing devices allow consumers to upload and download music and photographs, play games online with minimum signal interference, and watch online TV shows uninterrupted. This has created an opportunity for manufacturers of transceiver chips to offer solutions that address the consumer needs for faster and smoother access to mobile data.”

Advent of carrier aggregation

Carrier aggregation results in an increase in RF content in smartphones and tablets. Carrier aggregation combines a wide range of the available spectrum at the same time to increase download and upload speeds. Though carrier aggregation is not a widespread concept currently, it has already been implemented in South Korea.

“The RF signals are transmitted and received using transceiver chips, which are integrated into RF modules as a component. The advent of carrier aggregation will compel transceiver chip manufacturers to improve and upgrade their offerings according to the requirements of the OEMs,” adds Sunil.

Use of new materials for manufacture of RF devices

The manufacture of RF devices such as power amplifiers incurs huge costs for vendors because of the high cost of raw materials. This has resulted in vendors searching for new materials that can reduce the expenditure incurred in the manufacturing process of RF devices. The development of new materials such as GaAs and indium phosphide (InP) will ramp up the production of RF power amplifiers. GaAs-RF power amplifiers use high saturated electron velocity and electron mobility to function, especially at high frequencies.

The new materials display a superior level of integration with other electronic components such as switches being fabricated in silicon on sapphire or other silicon on insulator processes. While, SAW filters and duplexers are being fabricated with piezo-effective materials such as lithium tantalate and lithium niobate. Therefore, companies such as Murata and TriQuint are trying to use cost-effective and superior-performing materials to manufacture RF power amplifiers.

Growing traction of RF technology for remotes

RF remotes accounted for 13% of the global remote market in 2015 and are expected to witness increased adoption during the forecast period, accounting for a little more than 20% by 2020. One of the major factors contributing to it is the decrease in the development cost of RF technology-based products. Moreover, RF remotes are expected to gain traction in the market because of advantages compared with IR remotes. RF remotes have lower power consumption, longer range, and do not need line-of-sight to control the device.

The RF remotes segment will witness high demand considering the demand for advanced TVs such as 3D smart TVs and 4k UHD smart TVs. Consumers demand visually aesthetic TVs that deliver a unique experience in terms of picture quality, viewing angle, and internet connectivity. With such advanced features, remote manufacturers are also manufacturing advanced and sophisticated RF remotes. RF has benefits such as out-of-line and sight communication and control, two-way communication, incorporation of gesture recognition and voice controls, and enhanced bandwidth compared to IR.

The key vendors are:

  • Infineon Technologies
  • Qualcomm
  • Avago Technologies
  • Qorvo
  • Skywork Solutions
  • NXP Semiconductors
  • STMicroelectronics
  • Renesas Electronics

The researchers in Jonathan Claussen’s lab at Iowa State University (who like to call themselves nanoengineers) have been looking for ways to use graphene and its amazing properties in their sensors and other technologies.

Iowa State engineers are developing real-world, low-cost applications for graphene. CREDIT: Photos by Christopher Gannon/Iowa State University.

Iowa State engineers are developing real-world, low-cost applications for graphene. Credit: Photos by Christopher Gannon/Iowa State University.

Graphene is a wonder material: The carbon honeycomb is just an atom thick. It’s great at conducting electricity and heat; it’s strong and stable. But researchers have struggled to move beyond tiny lab samples for studying its material properties to larger pieces for real-world applications.

Recent projects that used inkjet printers to print multi-layer graphene circuits and electrodes had the engineers thinking about using it for flexible, wearable and low-cost electronics. For example, “Could we make graphene at scales large enough for glucose sensors?” asked Suprem Das, an Iowa State postdoctoral research associate in mechanical engineering and an associate of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory.

But there were problems with the existing technology. Once printed, the graphene had to be treated to improve electrical conductivity and device performance. That usually meant high temperatures or chemicals – both could degrade flexible or disposable printing surfaces such as plastic films or even paper.

Das and Claussen came up with the idea of using lasers to treat the graphene. Claussen, an Iowa State assistant professor of mechanical engineering and an Ames Laboratory associate, worked with Gary Cheng, an associate professor at Purdue University’s School of Industrial Engineering, to develop and test the idea.

And it worked: They found treating inkjet-printed, multi-layer graphene electric circuits and electrodes with a pulsed-laser process improves electrical conductivity without damaging paper, polymers or other fragile printing surfaces.

“This creates a way to commercialize and scale-up the manufacturing of graphene,” Claussen said.

The findings are featured on the front cover of the journal Nanoscale‘s issue 35. Claussen and Cheng are lead authors and Das is first author. Additional Iowa State co-authors are Allison Cargill, John Hondred and Shaowei Ding, graduate students in mechanical engineering. Additional Purdue co-authors are Qiong Nian and Mojib Saei, graduate students in industrial engineering.

Two major grants are supporting the project and related research: a three-year grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 11901762 and a three-year grant from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust. Iowa State’s College of Engineering and department of mechanical engineering are also supporting the research.

The Iowa State Research Foundation Inc. has filed for a patent on the technology.

“The breakthrough of this project is transforming the inkjet-printed graphene into a conductive material capable of being used in new applications,” Claussen said.

Those applications could include sensors with biological applications, energy storage systems, electrical conducting components and even paper-based electronics.

To make all that possible, the engineers developed computer-controlled laser technology that selectively irradiates inkjet-printed graphene oxide. The treatment removes ink binders and reduces graphene oxide to graphene – physically stitching together millions of tiny graphene flakes. The process makes electrical conductivity more than a thousand times better.

“The laser works with a rapid pulse of high-energy photons that do not destroy the graphene or the substrate,” Das said. “They heat locally. They bombard locally. They process locally.”

That localized, laser processing also changes the shape and structure of the printed graphene from a flat surface to one with raised, 3-D nanostructures. The engineers say the 3-D structures are like tiny petals rising from the surface. The rough and ridged structure increases the electrochemical reactivity of the graphene, making it useful for chemical and biological sensors.

All of that, according to Claussen’s team of nanoengineers, could move graphene to commercial applications.

“This work paves the way for not only paper-based electronics with graphene circuits,” the researchers wrote in their paper, “it enables the creation of low-cost and disposable graphene-based electrochemical electrodes for myriad applications including sensors, biosensors, fuel cells and (medical) devices.”

Last March, the artificial intelligence (AI) program AlphaGo beat Korean Go champion LEE Se-Dol at the Asian board game.

“The game was quite tight, but AlphaGo used 1200 CPUs and 56,000 watts per hour, while Lee used only 20 watts. If a hardware that mimics the human brain structure is developed, we can operate artificial intelligence with less power,” points out Professor YU Woo Jong.

In the junctions (synapses) between neurons, signals are transmitted from one neuron to the next. TRAM is made by a stack of different layers: A semiconductor molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) layer with two electrodes (drain and source), an insulating hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) layer and graphene layer. This two-terminal architecture simulates the two neurons that made up to the synaptic structure. When the difference in the voltage of the drain and the source is sufficiently high, electrons from the drain electrode tunnel through the insulating h-BN and reach the graphene layer. Memory is written when electrons are stored in the graphene layer, and it is erased by the introduction of positive charges in the graphene layer. CREDIT: IBS

In the junctions (synapses) between neurons, signals are transmitted from one neuron to the next. TRAM is made by a stack of different layers: A semiconductor molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) layer with two electrodes (drain and source), an insulating hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) layer and graphene layer. This two-terminal architecture simulates the two neurons that made up to the synaptic structure. When the difference in the voltage of the drain and the source is sufficiently high, electrons from the drain electrode tunnel through the insulating h-BN and reach the graphene layer. Memory is written when electrons are stored in the graphene layer, and it is erased by the introduction of positive charges in the graphene layer. CREDIT: IBS

In collaboration with Sungkyunkwan University, researchers from the Center for Integrated Nanostructure Physics within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), have devised a new memory device inspired by the neuron connections of the human brain. The research, published in Nature Communications, highlights the devise’s highly reliable performance, long retention time and endurance. Moreover, its stretchability and flexibility makes it a promising tool for the next-generation soft electronics attached to clothes or body.

The brain is able to learn and memorize thanks to a huge number of connections between neurons. The information you memorize is transmitted through synapses from one neuron to the next as an electro-chemical signal. Inspired by these connections, IBS scientists constructed a memory called two-terminal tunnelling random access memory (TRAM), where two electrodes, referred to as drain and source, resemble the two communicating neurons of the synapse. While mainstream mobile electronics, like digital cameras and mobile phones use the so-called three-terminal flash memory, the advantage of two-terminal memories like TRAM is that two-terminal memories do not need a thick and rigid oxide layer. “Flash memory is still more reliable and has better performance, but TRAM is more flexible and can be scalable,” explains Professor Yu.

TRAM is made up of a stack of one-atom-thick or a few atom-thick 2D crystal layers: One layer of the semiconductor molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) with two electrodes (drain and source), an insulating layer of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and a graphene layer. In simple terms, memory is created (logical-0), read and erased (logical-1) by the flowing of charges through these layers. TRAM stores data by keeping electrons on its graphene layer. By applying different voltages between the electrodes, electrons flow from the drain to the graphene layer tunnelling through the insulating h-BN layer. The graphene layer becomes negatively charged and memory is written and stored and vice versa, when positive charges are introduced in the graphene layer, memory is erased.

IBS scientists carefully selected the thickness of the insulating h-BN layer as they found that a thickness of 7.5 nanometers allows the electrons to tunnel from the drain electrode to the graphene layer without leakages and without losing flexibility.

Flexibility and stretchability are indeed two key features of TRAM. When TRAM was fabricated on flexible plastic (PET) and stretachable silicone materials (PDMS), it could be strained up to 0.5% and 20%, respectively. In the future, TRAM can be useful to save data from flexible or wearable smartphones, eye cameras, smart surgical gloves, and body-attachable biomedical devices.

Last but not least, TRAM has better performance than other types of two-terminal memories known as phase-change random-access memory (PRAM) and resistive random-access memory (RRAM).

According to the latest market study released by Technavio, the global micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) market is expected to reach USD 20.26 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of nearly 12%.

This research report titled ‘Global MEMS Market 2016-2020’ provides an in-depth analysis of the market in terms of revenue and emerging market trends. To calculate the market size, the report considers revenue generated from the sales of MEMS. The report also presents the vendor landscape and a corresponding detailed analysis of top vendors in the market, as well as other prominent vendors.

MEMS are miniaturized devices and structures that are made using the techniques of microfabrication. These combine mechanical, optical, and fluidic elements with electronics. The size of the devices can range from less than one micron up to a number of millimeters. These devices are integrated with a number of devices such as smartphones, tablets, wearables, vehicles, medical devices, and industrial devices for carrying out different types of automated functions. Consumer electronics is the largest market for MEMS. IoT will boost up the MEMS demand, as a large number of MEMS would be required for smart homes, building and industrial automation, and smart grid applications.

Technavio’s hardware and semiconductor analysts categorize the market into three major segments by end user. They are:

  • Automotive
  • Consumer electronics
  • Industrial

Global MEMS market for consumer electronic segment

The consumer electronic segment was valued at USD 5.83 billion in 2015 and will reach USD 10.84 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of over 13% during the forecast period. MEMS are integrated into consumer electronics such as smartphones, tablets, cameras, gaming consoles, and wearables. The features such as display control, motion control, navigation, and gesture recognition are enabled by MEMS. Therefore, consumer electronics are integrated with MEMS. The global MEMS market for consumer electronics will primarily be driven by the increase in demand for smartphones. This is due to the decreasing cost of smartphones, which, in turn, boosts the market for MEMS.

According to Sunil Kumar Singh, a lead sensors research analyst from Technavio, “With the declining ASPs and increasing benefits such as low space and high accuracy, the demand for MEMS is increasing. MEMS are small enough to be soldered directly onto the circuit boards. This provides technology with a price advantage.”

Global MEMS market for automotive segment

The automotive segment was valued at USD 3.3 billion in 2015 and will reach USD 5.22 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of almost 10% during the forecast period. Government regulations and consumer awareness campaigns such as the Global New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) are driving the demand for MEMS in the automotive segment. Global NCAP demands the integration of minimum vehicle safety standards for both crash protection and crash avoidance in all new cars sold worldwide by 2020. This requires the installation of different types of MEMS in vehicles. MEMS provide safety features such as airbag systems, vehicle security systems, inertial brake lights, headlight levelling, rollover detection, automatic door locks, and active suspension.

“The UN Road Safety Collaboration has introduced a global plan for the decade 2011-2020. The plan focuses on road safety activities such as improving the safety of road infrastructure and broader transport networks; building road safety management capacity; enhancing the behavior of road users; further developing the safety of vehicles; and improving post-crash care,” says Sunil.

MEMS microphones are mainly used in the automotive segment for speech or voice recognition in automobile audio systems. This will enable the passengers to stay connected and be entertained in a safe environment, as they can communicate with the audio system verbally. This has the possibility to reduce road accidents, as people are often distracted by factors such as adjusting the car audio system or speaking on mobile phones.

Global MEMS market for industrial segment

The industrial segment was valued at USD 1.2 billion in 2015 and will reach USD 1.95 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of above 10% during the forecast period. MEMS are used in many industrial applications such as construction equipment, agricultural machinery or platform leveling, and for testing applications. MEMS accelerometers are used for vibration sensing conditions such as automotive testing or monitoring the pitch and roll of an aircraft.

MEMS are also used with IoT for industrial automation. MEMS technology is helpful for industrial robots, as it can be applied to tactile sensors, navigation, or proximity sensors. MEMS are used for condition monitoring of transportation and industrial equipment, vibration and rotational speed monitoring, asset and parcel tracking and monitoring, shock detection and logging, building and structure monitoring, and vibration and tilt monitoring.

By Yann Guillou, SEMI Europe

Leading companies will present the latest and most impactful trends at the upcoming SEMI European MEMS Summit in Stuttgart on 15-16 September, 2016.  Over 200 attendees, including the industry’s most influential executives and decision makers, are expected to discuss challenges, solutions, and critical trends impacting the sector.  The full program line-up for SEMI’s MEMS flagship event is available online.  Have a look and register now.

The event’s keynote presentation will be delivered by Udo Gomez, CTO of Bosch Sensortec, headquartered just a few kilometers away from the conference venue.  During his talk titled, “Smart Connected MEMS Sensors – Enabler for the IoT,” with the perspective of a sensor systems integrator, Gomez will discuss how different application domains overlap, the key drivers of connectivity and digitalization, and what is missing with respect to bridging future technologies.

One of the MEMS “Titans,” Benedetto Vigna, EVP and GM of STMicroelectronics, will deliver a keynote about “MEMS Sensors and Actuators – Opportunities and Challenges” and review their implication on ST focus areas such as Smart Driving and the Internet of Things.  It will be exciting to see what Vigna will share with the audience and what details might support what Peter Clarke recently called the “ST resurgence”.

Representing one of the largest growing companies of 2015, Robert Aigner, senior director from Qorvo, will keynote and present the success story behind BAW filters in his talk called “BAW and the “Edge of Tomorrow” in Wireless Communication: Innovate, Ramp. Repeat.” BAW filters had been termed “niche play,” but are now identified as key enablers for smartphones with multibillions of units expected to ship in 2016.

Addressing a key aspect of the quadriptych “power, performance, area and cost” equation, Adrian Arcedera, VP, AMKOR, will in his keynote talk discuss “Sensor in Package – Standard Package Platform for Sensor Fusion and IoT”. To offer cost competitive solutions without compromising performance, he will explain what standardization efforts are needed in packaging, assembly, test, and detail the solution proposed by AMKOR. He may also take the opportunity to provide additional info about the brand new MEMS plant of AMKOR in China.

In addition to these keynote talks, a top notch speaker line-up will be presented to attendees. Market analysts will share the results of their latest reports featuring IHS, Yole Developpement, and Roland Berger. Foundries such as GLOBALFOUNDRIES and Teledyne DALSA will present their strategies. The hyper active company in M&A, ams AG, will talk about MEMS and optical sensor in consumer and wearable electronics.

Intel will join the stage, addressing wearables in addition to providing a review of the key enabling technologies impacting MEMS today. NXP and Bosch will discuss sensors for automotive.  MEMS and CMOS integration, from a process and design perspective, will be addressed by Fraunhofer IPMS and Coventor and Invensas will deliver a presentation from a technological aspect.  Last, but not least, we are very excited to introduce great and promising start-ups Innoluce, USound, Polight and Enerbee. Attendees can look forward to hearing their pitches and learning about their innovative ideas.

Exhibitor space has sold out, but you can visit our website to see who will be exhibiting at the European MEMS Summit in Stuttgart.  Connect to the leaders and industry professionals that will help “Make Every Market Smarter” in the MEMS and Sensor value chain.  Register now, and be part of this exciting event in Stuttgart!

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