Category Archives: MEMS

December 13, 2011 – PRWEB — DelfMEMS SA named Tronics as its micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) foundry partner. Tronics will manufacture RF MEMS switches for DelfMEMS, with high-capacity runs starting in 2012.

DelfMEMS considered global — US, European, and Asian — foundry partners, tapping Tronics in Dallas, TX, for its ability to meet process requirements and the supply chain needs of DelfMEMS’ customers. Dr. Olivier Millet, CEO of DelfMEMS, enumerates the foundry’s qualifications: an established wafer fab that has processed hundreds of millions of MEMS chips and special expertise in metal bonding and wafer level packaging (WLP).

The companies have completed several key process transfer milestones, enabling Tronics to deliver samples in early 2012, with volume production following late in the year. Within a few years, Tronics will produce 20k+ wafers/year for DelfMEMS. The high-volume potential comes from the cellular handset market, as well as other possible sectors that could take advantage of conductivity, linearity, and reliability of DelftMEMS’ RFMEMS, said Brian Stephenson, president of Tronics Dallas.

Also read: Tronics expands MEMS manufacturing, HQ and RF MEMS packaging collab between DelfMEMS and KFM

Tronics is an international, full-service MEMS manufacturer with wafer fabs in France and the US, and representation in Asia. Tronics’ services range from MEMS design to high-volume MEMS manufacturing. The company builds supply chains for delivery of MEMS ranging from wafers to integrated custom components. Visit http://www.tronicsgroup.com for more information.

DelfMEMS develops and markets radio-frequency switches based on MEMS technology. Visit http://www.delfmems.com for more information.

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December 12, 2011 – Marketwire — Teledyne DALSA manufactured the CCD sensors — designed by NASA — on the NASA mission to Mars. The Curiosity Rover launched on Saturday, November 26, 2011. The sensors are embedded in its Engineering Cameras — 4 Navcams and 8 Hazcams — located on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Rover to help it navigate the surface of the planet.

Also read: NASA technologist talks CNTs, nanowires, PCMs…

Navcams (Navigation Cameras) are mounted on a pan/tilt mast 2 meters above the ground. They use visible light to gather black-and-white panoramic, three-dimensional images. The navigation camera unit is a stereo pair of cameras, each with a 45° field of view that will support ground navigation planning by scientists and engineers. They will work in cooperation with the hazard avoidance cameras by providing a complementary view of the terrain.

Hazcams (Hazard Avoidance Cameras) are mounted on the lower portion of the front and rear of the rover, these black-and-white cameras will use visible light to capture three-dimensional images used to keep the rover from getting lost or inadvertently crashing into unexpected obstacles. Working with the rover’s software, Hazcams allow the rover to make its own safety choices. The cameras each have a wide field of view of about 120°. The rover uses pairs of Hazcam images to map out the shape of the terrain as far as 3 meters (10 feet) in front of it, in a "wedge" shape that is over 4 meters wide (13 feet) at the farthest distance. The cameras need to see far on either side because unlike human eyes, the Hazcam cameras cannot move independently; they are mounted directly on the rover body.

Teledyne DALSA’s semiconductor wafer foundry has supported NASA’s missions to Mars since 1997. The CCD sensors in the MSL Rovers’ Engineering Cameras are custom devices, designed by NASA and manufactured by Teledyne DALSA. "With this type of mission, failure is not an option," said Donald Robert, VP of sales at Teledyne DALSA’s Foundry Business, noting that the company’s harsh-environment sensors have performed to or above NASA’s requirements in the past.

Teledyne DALSA’s pure-play semiconductor wafer foundry builds MEMS, CCDs, and high-voltage CMOS devices. Visit www.teledynedalsa.com/semi for more information.

Teledyne DALSA, a Teledyne Technologies company, makes high-performance digital imaging and semiconductors. For more information, visit Teledyne DALSA’s website at www.teledynedalsa.com.

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December 12, 2011 – BUSINESS WIRE — Micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) are increasingly driving consumer electronics applications, particularly in mobile devices — rotating the display on a screen, "turning" a page on an e-reader, capturing motion for gaming, etc. MEMS Industry Group (MIG) shares the MEMS-related exhibits and discusses at the 2012 International CES, which covers consumer electronics, January 10-13 in Las Vegas.

Karen Lightman, managing director of MEMS Industry Group, says that consumers are increasingly blurring the line between technology and entertainment. "Consumers cannot seem to get enough features on mobile handsets, tablets, game controllers, television remotes or e-readers." She also notes that MEMS enable quality-of-life applications for healthier, more independent living.

MIG is sponsoring MEMS TechZone, a new area of the 2012 International CES exhibition showcasing companies that are driving the adoption of MEMS in consumer products. MIG’s co-exhibitors include:
— Akustica, Inc., a Bosch Group company providing the world’s smallest single-chip MEMS microphones for improved voice capture in laptops, tablets, mobile handsets, headsets and other electronic products;
— Bosch Sensortec GmbH, a Bosch Group company delivering geomagnetic sensors, triaxial accelerometers, barometric pressure sensors and a comprehensive software portfolio for consumer, automotive and industrial applications;
— Freescale Semiconductor, a global provider of intelligent sensors, logic and customizable software for smart portable electronics, quality of life/biomedical systems, computer peripherals, wireless devices and automotive electronics;
— VTI Technologies, a leading supplier of acceleration, inclination, angular rate and pressure sensor solutions for automotive, medical, instrument and consumer applications; and
— WiSpry, Inc., a fabless semiconductor company that brings significant performance improvements, size and cost reduction benefits to mobile handset manufacturers and network operators through its dynamically tunable radio frequency (RF) MEMS devices.
MEMS TechZone is located at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) South Hall 2, Ground Level, Booth #25218.

MIG’s Karen Lightman will moderate a conference session, "Connecting the Real World with the Digital World: Harnessing the Power of MEMS," featuring industry executives whose companies are changing the very nature of consumer products. Featured panelists will be:
— Jeff Hilbert, President & Founder, WiSpry;
— Frank Melzer, PhD, General Manager and CEO of Bosch Sensortec;
— Seyed Paransun, Vice President and General Manager, Sensor and Actuator Solutions Division, Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.; and
— Scott Smyser, Vice President & General Manager North America & Co-Founder, Timing Devices, VTI Technologies, Inc.
The MEMS conference session, "Harnessing the Power of MEMS," will take place January 11, 2012, 10:30-11:30 a.m., LVCC, North Hall, Room N254.

MEMS Industry Group (MIG) is the trade association advancing MEMS across global markets. For more information, visit www.memsindustrygroup.org.

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Read MIG’s blogs on our MEMS page:

MEMS sensor technology used to train competitive rowers

MEMS motion sensors’ continuing evolution in commercial markets

MEMS in 2011 and beyond: POVs from the MEMS Executive Congress

December 12, 2011 — SEMI is looking for presenters for technical sessions and other opportunities at SEMICON West 2012, July 10-12 in San Francisco, CA.

SEMICON West 2012 will feature more than 40 hours of technical sessions and presentations across three show floor technology stages — the TechXPOTs — focused on critical industry topics shaping design and manufacturing of semiconductors, high-brightness (HB) LEDs, MEMS, printed and flexible electronics, and other related technologies.

SEMI is soliciting technical presentations in topic areas including:

Wafer Processing:

  • Emerging Architectures for Logic and Memory
  • Advanced Materials and Productivity Solutions
  • Advanced Lithography

Test:

  • Probe Card/Handlers
  • Semiconductor Test Strategies
  • ATE
  • Adaptive Test

Packaging:

  • Contemporary Packaging Technology and Productivity Solutions
  • New Packaging Solutions
  • Packaging Materials
  • Trends and Opportunities in 3D-IC
  • Testability and Thermal Management of 3D-IC
  • Interposer Solutions for Packaging

"Extreme" Electronics:

  • Opportunities in MEMS
  • High-brightness LED Manufacturing
  • OLED Manufacturing
  • Printed and Flexible Electronics

Submit an abstract (maximum 500 words) focused on the latest developments and innovations in these technology areas, inclusive of supporting data. The deadline for abstract submission is March 15, 2012. Submissions may be made online from the SEMICON West 2012 website at:  www.semiconwest.org/Participate/SPCFP.

On-line submission for abstracts is now available at: www.semiconwest.org/node/8311. Contact Agnes Cobar at [email protected] with questions.

SEMICON West is an event for the display of new products and technologies for microelectronics design and manufacturing, featuring technologies from across the microelectronics supply chain, from electronic design automation, to device fabrication (wafer processing), to final manufacturing (assembly, packaging, and test), as well as emerging technologies. For more information on SEMICON West 2012, please visit: www.semiconwest.org  

SEMI is the global industry association serving the nano- and micro-electronics manufacturing supply chains. For more information, visit www.semi.org.

December 8, 2011 — Imec and Holst Centre micromachined a vibration-energy harvester with 489µW output power, using piezoelectric material in a MEMS cantilever. The team presented results at IEEE’s International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) this week in Washington DC.

Also read: imec’s IEDM papers reach "record number"

Shock-induced energy, as well as vibration, is harvested by the micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS). One application is energy harvesting in car tires, where the device could power built-in sensors. At 70km/h, the energy harvesters were shown to deliver a constant 42µW.

The harvester design sandwiches a piezoelectric (aluminum nitride) layer between metallic electrodes in a cantilever structure, forming a capacitor. A mass is attached to the cantilever tip, translating the macroscopic vibration into a vertical movement and straining the piezoelectric layer. This generates a voltage across the capacitor.

The harvesters are packaged with a 6" wafer-scale vacuum packaging process. The micromachining production process is compatible with low-cost mass-production fabrication.

The harvester has a record output power of 489µW when the vibrations closely match the MEMS’ resonance vibration, which in this case is 1011Hz. An automotive partner joined with imec to validate the harvester for use in car tires. Depending on car speed and road conditions, the tires — and energy harvesters — receive regular shocks, diplacing the mass. When the mass rings down at its natural resonance frequency, part of the mechanical energy is harvested.

MEMS that harvest machine or vehicle vibration can be used to power miniaturized autonomous sensor nodes, in situations where battery replacement is not sustainable or practical. Harvesters will allow sustainable monitoring on a massive scale. One example is Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) and its successors: a car tire with built-in sensors that monitor e.g. the tire integrity and pressure, the road condition, or the driving style.

Imec performs world-leading research in nanoelectronics. Learn more at www.imec.be.

Holst Centre is an independent open-innovation R&D centre that develops generic technologies for Wireless Autonomous Transducer Solutions and for Systems-in-Foil. Visit www.holstcentre.com.

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December 8, 2011 — JPK Instruments introduced additional quantitative imaging capabilities for the recently launched NanoWizard3 atomic force microscopy (AFM) analytical system. QI, or quantitative imaging mode, enables full control of tip-sample force at every pixel.

The force curve-based imaging mode avoids setpoint or gain adjustment while scanning. Applying JPK’s ForceWatch technology, QI can be used on challenging samples, such as MEMS structures with steep edges, soft or sticky sample, or nanotubes. QI targets high resolution and force sensitivity, obtaining quantitative data.

Measuring a real and complete force distance curve at every pixel of the image gives all information about the local tip-sample interaction with high spatial resolution.

The QI-Advanced software package is an extension of the standard QI version enabling quantitative measurement of nano-scale material properties such as stiffness, adhesion, dissipation and more.

JPK makes nanoanalytic instrumentation for the bio and nano sciences. Learn more at www.jpk.com.

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December 7, 2011 — Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), university-research consortium for semiconductors and related technologies, is working with Cornell University researchers to develop on-chip silicon technologies for mobile devices. The aim is a micro-mechanical resonator for RF MEMS.

The novel micro-mechanical resonator achieves low loss and high quality factor at radio frequencies (RF). Interconnecting the resonators with surrounding circuitry would create on-chip channel-select filters and oscillators.

The design highlighted in this research is a single-crystal silicon micro-mechanical resonator acoustically coupled to junction field effect transistor (JFET) built on a SOI substrate. The high quality factor and low loss can be attributed to the use of single-crystal silicon and an efficient high frequency transduction technique, also developed at Cornell, which circumvents the need for a separate transducer material. This transduction method also results in significantly improved temperature stability for silicon resonators, one of the main challenges to using such devices as frequency references for communication systems. The use of a JFET as the amplifying element will prove beneficial for use in low phase noise oscillators due to its low flicker noise. See more coverage from IEDM here.

While Moore’s Law has enabled exponential increases in the number of transistors and functionality on a single chip with every technology generation, there are still a few critical functions that cannot be realized by using transistors alone. Narrowband RF filtering and the generation of stable clocks are important examples.

“Currently, such functions are implemented using off-chip quartz or acoustic-wave devices, and they limit the system size,” said Sunil Bhave, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Cornell, who led the research team. “The most straightforward and feasible solution to this problem is to implement these functions using integrated silicon devices, which would allow us to make use of conventional semiconductor fabrication methods to reduce the size with minimal tradeoff in performance.”

The research is funded from SRC’s Global Research Collaboration and Focus Center Research Program Center for Materials, Structures and Devices. It builds on previous developments in resonant transistors (at Cornell, MIT, EPFL and CNRS) to demonstrate a transconductance-to-bias current ratio greater than 1 Volt-1, which is important for low-power RF design.

Kwok Ng, Senior Director of Device Sciences at SRC, notes that the research could have a wide impact, including the development of a RF frequency source fully integrated into a foundry CMOS process along with other surrounding circuitry.

More information about the research is published in the paper titled, “Platform for JFET-based Sensing of RF MEMS Resonators in CMOS Technology,” presented at IEEE’s 2011 International Electron Devices Meeting in Washington D.C. The paper is co-authored by Eugene Hwang, Andrew Driscoll and Sunil Bhave of Cornell.

SRC defines industry needs, invests in and manages the research that gives its members a competitive advantage in the dynamic global marketplace. For more information, please visit www.src.org.

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December 6, 2011 – JCN Newswire — Singapore’s A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics (IME) and 3D IC developer Tezzaron Semiconductor signed a research collaboration agreement to develop and exploit advanced through silicon interposer (TSI) technology.

This includes improving and optimizing silicon interposers and creating standardized process, slows, and process design kits (PDKs). In the near term, the partners will look to develop TSI for MEMS and silicon photonics, based on the 3D IC experience.

Early production devices use IME’s TSI technology with 3D ICs from Tezzaron. The team will fabricate devices in IME’s state-of-the-art 300mm R&D fab.

Once a technology is established, IME will drive the TSI Consortium for further optimization and functional demonstrations, to be launched in early 2012. "To build momentum in customer adoption and technology, IME will launch a TSI Consortium in early 2012, to facilitate greater cooperation between foundry, outsourced semiconductor assembly and test providers (OSATs), equipment vendors and supply chain partners to expedite the integration of the supply chain," commented Professor Dim-Lee Kwong, executive director of IME.

Silicon interposers — often considered a bridge technology to true 3D IC — are a "vital component for heterogeneous system integration," asserts Robert Patti, CTO of Tezzaron.

Also read: 3D IC needed? Making a case for 2.5D with Xilinx FPGA launch

IME and Tezzaron have cooperated on research since 2001. Tezzaron used IME’s copper line technologies wafer stacking development. IME researches TSVs, 3D IC cooling, vertical interconnects and interposers; Tezzaron focuses on designing and building wafer-stacked 3D-ICs in its FaStack process.

Tezzaron Semiconductor specializes in 3D wafer stacking and TSV processes, cutting-edge memory products, and wide-ranging collaborations. Information about Tezzaron is available at http://www.tezzaron.com/.

The Institute of Microelectronics (IME) is a research institute of the Science and Engineering Research Council of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). For more information, visit IME on the Internet: http://www.ime.a-star.edu.sg or go to A*STAR’s website: www.a-star.edu.sg.

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