Category Archives: MEMS

March 2, 2011 – A two-day seminar later this month in San Jose will offer insights into testing of MEMS inertial sensors, and seek to develop a "strategic plan" to decrease cost and increase efficiency of MEMS device testing.

The two-day MEMS Testing Standards Workshop and M2M Forum, hosted by the MEMS Industry Group (MIG) on March 16-17, will first offer a testing standards workshop, looking at current practices, needs, and opportunities for qualifying and testing inertial sensors. Speakers include Analog Devices, Acutronic, MEMSCAP, and NIST. Keynoting an evening reception will be Gary O’Brien, director of corporate research in Robert Bosch’s advanced MEMS design group, reviewing the company’s MEMS fabrication techniques and the importance of test procedures.

The second day will encompass a "M2M Forum" (née MEMS Technology Roadmap and Industry Congress, or METRIC), with the goal of laying out an industry plan for reducing cost of MEMS devices through testing strategies. Working groups will focus on system-level testing (moderated by TI and Silex Microsystems), innovations in testing (moderated by Acuity and AM Fitzgerald), and MEMS testing protocols and standards (moderated by NIST and the Science Technology Policy Institute).

The event is being held March 16-17 at the Doubletree San Jose hotel. Go to the MEMS Industry Group’s Web site for information on registering. And take the MIG’s (anonymous) survey on what MEMS standards are in use at your company or organization.

March 1, 2011 — A team led by Jan Schroers, a materials scientist at Yale University, has shown that some recently developed bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) — metal alloys that have randomly arranged atoms as opposed to the orderly, crystalline structure found in ordinary metals — can be blow molded like plastics into complex shapes that can’t be achieved using regular metal, yet without sacrificing the strength or durability that metal affords. The material is able to take on a seemingly endless variety of forms.

Click to Enlarge

Jan Schroers and his team have developed novel metal alloys that can be blow molded into virtually any shape.

"These alloys look like ordinary metal but can be blow molded just as cheaply and as easily as plastic," Schroers said. So far the team has created a number of complex shapes, including seamless metallic bottles, watch cases, miniature resonators, and biomedical implants. These shapes can be molded in less than a minute and are twice as strong as typical steel.

The materials cost about the same as high-end steel, Schroers said, but can be processed as cheaply as plastic. The alloys are made up of different metals, including zirconium, nickel, titanium and copper.

The team blow molded the alloys at low temperatures and low pressures, where the bulk metallic glass softens dramatically and flows as easily as plastic but without crystallizing like regular metal. It’s the low temperatures and low pressures that allowed the team to shape the BMGs with ease, versatility and precision, Schroers said. To carefully control and maintain the ideal temperature for blow molding, the team shaped the BMGs in a vacuum or in fluid.

"The trick is to avoid friction typically present in other forming techniques," Schroers said. "Blow molding completely eliminates friction, allowing us to create any number of complicated shapes, down to the nanoscale."

Schroers and his team are using their new processing technique to fabricate miniature resonators for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) as well as gyroscopes and other resonator applications.

In addition, by blow molding the BMGs, the team was able to combine three separate steps in traditional metal processing (shaping, joining and finishing) into one, allowing them to carry out previously cumbersome, time- and energy-intensive processing in less than a minute.

"This could enable a whole new paradigm for shaping metals," Schroers said. "The superior properties of BMGs relative to plastics and typical metals, combined with the ease, economy and precision of blow molding, have the potential to impact society just as much as the development of synthetic plastics and their associated processing methods have in the last century."

Their findings are described online in the current issue of the journal Materials Today. Other authors of the paper include Thomas M. Hodges and Golden Kumar (Yale University); Hari Raman and A.J. Barnes (SuperformUSA); and Quoc Pham and Theodore A. Waniuk (Liquidmetal Technologies).

Learn more at www.yale.edu.

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February 28, 2011 – Alchimer, nanometric deposition technology provider for through-silicon vias (TSVs), semiconductor interconnects, micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS), and other electronic applications, announced that the Centre de Collaboration MiQro Innovation/MiQro Innovation Collaborative Centre (C2MI) has licensed its suite of products.

The C2MI, which includes a state-of-the-art MEMS facility, was launched in 2009 by Université of Sherbrooke in Bromont Technoparc, Quebec, Canada. The center’s 200mm MEMS and 3D wafer-level-processing (WLP) equipment will enable its members to test a variety of materials for MEMS production.

Alchimer’s suite of products and its Electrografting (eG) technology will support the center’s 3D MEMS programs. Electrografting is Alchimer’s electrochemical process that enables the growth of extremely high-quality polymer and metal thin films.

The MiQro Innovation Collaborative Centre and its members are pushing the design rules in this space, at the leading edge of 3D integration in MEMS, said Alchimer CEO Steve Lerner.

"Alchimer Electrografting technology dramatically increases yields in MEMS, 3D-IC and on-chip interconnects, and provides strong support for work in advancing the technology for 3D MEMS manufacturing with a cost-effective approach," said Luc Ouellet, vice-president of R&D at Teledyne DALSA Semiconductor, a pure-play MEMS foundry.

Alchimer develops and markets innovative chemical formulations, processes and IP for the deposition of nanometric films used in a variety of microelectronic and MEMS applications, including wafer-level interconnects and TSVs (through-silicon vias) for 3D packaging. For more information, visit www.alchimer.com.

The MiQro Innovation Collaborative Centre (C2MI) is an original partnership between Université de Sherbrooke and microelectronics industry leaders. The initial investment (building and research equipment) of $218.45 million is supported by Industry Canada ($82.95 million), by the ministère du Développement économique, de l’Innovation et de l’Exportation ($94.9 million), by the town of Bromont (taxe exemption for 10 years, a $15 million value), by the founding partners and equipment suppliers ($40.6 million). Visit www.c2mi.ca to learn more.

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February 25, 2011 — The Smart System Technology & Commercialization Center of Excellence (STC) of the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University at Albany will spearhead a pair of national initiatives valued at $6 million to develop, fabricate and deploy innovative nano-sensing technologies in support of critical applications in the military and energy sectors.

STC has been awarded a $3 million contract by the U.S. Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) in San Diego, CA to develop, fabricate and test a variety of smart sensor technologies to enhance military intelligence gathering by soldiers in the field. Featuring a combination of integrated circuits with active sensing technologies, they include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) sensors; inertial sensors, acoustic sensors and energy-harvesting components; opto-electro-mechanical systems; and resistive heaters.

Dr. Richard Waters, fabrications manager for SPAWAR Systems Center San Diego, said, "The critical effort to develop and deploy innovative technologies that not only assist the U.S. military in achieving its strategic objectives, but also keep our fighting forces out of harm’s way, will be strengthened through this partnership between SPAWAR and CNSE’s Smart System Technology & Commercialization Center of Excellence."

STC is also working with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) of Palo Alto, CA to design a groundbreaking wireless sensor for monitoring potentially damaging vibration of components on high-speed power generating equipment. This innovative on-line sensor can potentially save the industry hundreds of millions of dollars in lost availability and repair costs, as well as improving safety. STC will further leverage this work into a $3 million initiative through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop a full system. Prototypes are expected this summer for the sensor system, which will initially monitor blades in steam turbines, but is expected to be expanded to include blades in wind turbines, helicopters, jet engines and turbines that power ships and submarines, among other applications.

Steven Hessler, Program Manager at EPRI, said, "The smart sensor technologies STC is developing, using their advanced design and fabrication capabilities, should provide our members with new opportunities to deliver power reliably, efficiently and cost-effectively."

Work for both programs will take place at STC’s facilities and be supported by CNSE’s Albany NanoTech Complex.

CNSE SVP and CEO Dr. Alain Kaloyeros said, "The UAlbany NanoCollege, through its Smart System Technology & Commercialization Center of Excellence, is delighted to collaborate with SPAWAR and EPRI on these exciting initiatives enabled by nanoscale innovations. These new partnerships highlight STC’s expanded focus on developing smart sensor technologies and solutions to address areas of critical national need, including the military and energy sectors."

CNSE VP for disruptive technologies and STC executive director Paul Tolley said, "We are excited to work with both SPAWAR and EPRI to develop innovative smart sensor technologies that address vital challenges for the U.S. military and the energy industry. These programs demonstrate the growing importance of smart sensor technologies to enable essential system improvements, from the state-of-the-art systems used by SPAWAR to enhance military performance while protecting our soldiers, to the program with EPRI that will ensure reliable power generation with significant financial savings."

Integrated into CNSE in a partnership of two of New York’s Centers of Excellence, STC provides certified cleanroom space for fabrication and packaging of MEMS devices that leverages CNSE’s $7 billion Albany NanoTech Complex, which features 80,000 square feet of Class 1 capable cleanrooms equipped with leading-edge tools and state-of-the-art capabilities to accelerate 21st century nanotechnology innovations. The UAlbany CNSE college is dedicated to education, research, development, and deployment in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience, nanoengineering, nanobioscience, and nanoeconomics. The UAlbany NanoCollege houses a fully integrated, 300mm wafer, computer chip pilot prototyping and demonstration line within 80,000 square feet of Class 1 capable cleanrooms.

An expansion currently in the planning stages is projected to increase the size of CNSE’s Albany NanoTech Complex to over 1,250,000 square feet of next-generation infrastructure housing over 105,000 square feet of Class 1 capable cleanrooms and more than 3,750 scientists, researchers and engineers from CNSE and global corporations. For information, visit www.cnse.albany.edu.

The College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering’s Smart System Technology & Commercialization Center assists small and large companies transition new technologies from concept to manufacturing. STC maintains a 140,000-square-foot facility with over 25,000 square feet of cleanrooms for micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication and packaging, and works with large and medium-sized companies to help them bring new technologies to market; with small companies ready to transition from prototype and low-volume manufacturing to scalable manufacturing; and with various federal agencies to develop technology solutions to areas of critical national need, including smart prosthetics and improvised explosive device (IED) detection. For more information, visit www.stcmems.com.

 

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February 24, 2011 — NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) announced the development of a compact sensor that measures the power consumption of electronic devices and delivers this information to energy management systems, without needing an external power supply or battery. An independent power supply to the sensor is achieved through energy harvesting.

Energy harvesting converts energy from a surrounding area into electrical energy without the need of an external power source. Although this method can be used to convert magnetic fields emitted from power lines into an operating electric supply, energy harvesting can only convert about 1mW of power, which is insufficient for sensors currently that are used to measure power consumption and send data to an energy management system.

These newly developed sensors consume less than 1mW of power by leveraging an original circuit design that enables them to both measure the power consumption of electric devices and transmit data. As a result, these sensors can provide visibility of electrical device power consumption without the need of an external energy supply. Furthermore, since these sensors do not require data transmission devices, such as wireless interfaces, they may be easily managed and produced in a compact size.

Research by NEC:
Development of a monitoring sensor that enables high precision, low power, continuous real time monitoring and measurement of current waveforms that are consumed by electronic devices. These measurements identify distinctions between each device and provide detailed information on energy consumption and operational status that also enable the detection of unusual operating conditions.

Development of a data transmission circuit that uses the measurement object’s AC power line as a transmission path to send current waveform information to a management system in order to calculate power consumption. This has eliminated the need for wireless transmission devices to send data to energy management systems, which has increased usability and enabled the miniaturization of sensors.

Development of a control circuit that manages the power consumption of sensors by alternately operating the monitoring circuit and data transmission circuit described in the points above. The control circuit ensures that the same level of power is consumed both when the monitoring circuit is operated and when the data transmission circuit is operated. The control circuit accomplishes this by concentrating its operations during the same time as the, relatively low power consuming, monitoring circuit’s operations. Conversely, the control circuit’s operations are stopped while the, relatively high power consuming, data transmission circuit is operating. As a result, these new sensors can measure current waveforms and transmit data while consuming less than 1mW of power, which enables them to operate without the use of an external power supply.

These new sensors, which enable the visualization of power consumption while being free from battery or transmission device maintenance, are suitable for a wide range of electronic devices. Looking forward, NEC will continue to develop power management systems for electronic devices that capitalize on these sensors and contribute to the realization of a low-carbon society.

NEC will present the results of this research on February 22 at the IEEE International Solid State Circuits Conference (ISSCC 2011), held February 20 -24 in San Francisco, California, U.S.A.
More from ISSCC:

NEC Corporation enables IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people around the world. For more information, visit NEC at http://www.nec.com.

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February 23, 2011 – BUSINESS WIRE — USHIO America Inc. will start marketing the nano-imprint vacuum ultra violet (VUV) ashing system "CHIPs (Compact HiPower System)" in the US in March. Incorporated into nano-imprint lithography (NIL) equipment to be used for fabricating circuit patterns of LEDs, MEMS, functional films, and biochips, the CHIPs allows non-contact and damage-free cleaning, surface improvement, and ashing of templates and workpieces.

NIL is a lithography technology that transfers a circuit pattern by directly imprinting a template (or mold) with the circuit pattern on a workpiece (a resist-coated silicon, sapphire, or film substrate). It has the advantage of being a low-cost process, allowing large-area pattern transfer, and being suitable for mass-production. NIL already has been put into practical use for fabricating circuit patterns with a line width at a µm level. NIL has evolved with further research and development efforts to establish a finer-pattern process technology at a nm level.

Today, the NIL process faces challenges caused by putting a workpiece into contact with a template (contamination with resist residue, fill failures, deteriorating release properties), which are obstacles for fabricating finer patterns as well as enhancing productivity. Wet- or dry-cleaning equipment needs to be separately installed to clean the templates by removing them from the NIL equipment. Wet-clean equipment has an insufficient cleaning capability, causes a risk of generating chemical residue, and requires additional processes (such as drying and waste disposal). The dry-cleaning equipment using plasma, meanwhile, has disadvantages in that it causes damage to a workpiece and requires additional components (such as a vacuum chamber).

Click to EnlargeUSHIO developed its new nano-imprint VUV ashing system "CHIPs" by applying and optimizing its lighting-edge technologies to NIL to achieve non-contact and damage-free high cleaning power using VUV light. In addition, the CHIPs can be incorporated into the NIL equipment to allow reduced downtime and increased automation.

USHIO will exhibit and participate in the "SPIE Advanced Lithography 2011" conference, to be held February 27 through March 3, 2011, at the San Jose Convention Center and San Jose Marriot in San Jose, CA, on Booth 428.

USHIO AMERICA INC. provides specialty and general illumination lighting solutions. For further information, visit www.ushio.com.

USHIO INC. handles a variety of lighting equipment, halogen lamps for OA, UV lamps for exposure used in semiconductor/liquid crystal display/LED manufacturing processes, high-brightness discharge lamps for data projectors and xenon lamps for movie projectors. For further information, visit www.ushio.co.jp.

February 23, 2011 — Nitto Denko Asia Technical Centre (NAT) will be expanding its Singapore base to include a prototyping centre in Singapore. The center will be pioneered at Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) under a unique Lab-in-RI* program. NAT can leverage on existing infrastructure, research expertise, and save cost on facilities and equipment while working to establish the new prototyping center.
 
The decision for the new center stems from IMRE’s successful R&D project with NAT on optical waveguide devices, which are cheaper to manufacture and more sensitive than current alternatives. NAT now wants to explore the biosensing applications of these devices and put them into a new range of low-cost, easy-to-use, home-based, consumer biosensors.
 
"The optical waveguide devices that were developed will give us the opportunity to create version 2.0 biosensors for future homes," said Dr Su Xiaodi, a senior scientist who heads the IMRE research team. She will be working with NAT to put the devices into home-based biosensors that allow users to monitor their health with greater frequency and care, in their home, between visits to the doctor. The targeted users are those with health conditions that could change rapidly or require immediate attention.
 
"IMRE has been a credible partner since our initial collaboration in 2008, and we would like to continue to draw on IMRE’s intellectual resources and excellent facilities to further our R&D activities in Singapore," said Dr Visit Thaveeprungsriporn, Director of NAT.
 
"The new sensor demonstrates how materials science research can benefit even the biomedical industry," said Prof Andy Hor, IMRE’s executive director, adding that the prototyping lab in IMRE shows how industrially relevant research institutes can be.
 
Nitto Denko is one of Japan’s leading diversified materials manufacturer and a major producer of optical films used in LCD TVs. It invested S$10 million in setting up the Nitto Denko Asia Technical Centre (NAT) in Singapore to work on organic electronics research in 2008.
 
The IMRE-Nitto Denko team will begin R&D development at the new prototyping center this month, with a prototype expected to be available in early 2012.

IMRE has built strong capabilities in materials analysis, characterization, materials growth, patterning, fabrication, synthesis and integration. State-of-the-art facilities include the SERC Nanofabrication and Characterisation Facility to conduct world-class materials science research. Industry-coupled research is conducted on organic solar cells, nanocomposites, flexible organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), solid-state lighting, nanoimprinting, microfluidics and next generation atomic scale interconnect technology. For more information about IMRE, please visit www.imre.a-star.edu.sg

The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is the lead agency for fostering world-class scientific research and talent for a vibrant knowledge-based and innovation-driven Singapore. A*STAR oversees 14 biomedical sciences, and physical sciences and engineering research institutes, and seven consortia & centres, which are located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis, as well as their immediate vicinity. For more information about A*STAR, please visit www.a-star.edu.sg.

Nitto Denko Asia Technical Centre Pte Ltd manages the Integrated Organic Optoelectronic Sensing Device Project – three concurrent research projects with the Data Storage Institute, Institute of Materials Research & Engineering and Nanyang Technological University, to advance the field of organic electronic device development.

*Lab-in-RI – A laboratory based in one of A*STAR’s research institutes (RIs) in which the RIs provide partners with infrastructure and framework at an early stage of their R&D projects, allowing companies to jumpstart their R&D activities in Singapore.

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February 22, 2011 – Vocus/PRWEB — GIA released a global report, "Micro Electromechanical Systems (MEMs) Devices: A Global Strategic Business Report," on the micro electromechanical system (MEMS) devices market, which is forecast to reach US$9.2 billion by 2015. An uptick in passenger car production, improving consumer demand, and dwindling stockpiles in the supply chain have revived MEMS shipments. Investments in new product development, innovation, and expansion of production capacity bode well for the future of the market.

The prolonged recession and credit crisis triggered price, volume, and revenue volatility in the MEMS industry. Consumer demand weakened for electronic devices/equipment, home appliances, telecommunications equipment, and automobiles. Demand for MEMS devices witnessed marked declines in the automotive and consumer products end-use sectors.

The automobile industry, a major high-volume end-user of MEMS technologies, was the worst affected by the recession. Although shielded to a degree by mandatory regulatory safety standards, especially in Europe and North America, automotive MEMS applications witnessed weakened business prospects as a result of the crushing effect of depressed automotive production. Investments in high-end dashboard electronics waned. Cheaper, affordable, less-equipped models additionally lowered demand for accelerometers for use in airbags, tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), and vehicle stability control.

Following automotive applications, the consumer MEMS sensor segment was worst hit. Specific segments such as mobile phones, PDAs, and business projectors fell hardest.

The recession also made a disproportionate impact on industrial production as a result of reduced manufacturing, commercial, and economic activity, thereby hurting industrial applications of MEMS for oil/gas exploration, instrumentation, and process industries, such as, food & beverage, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, plastics, rubber, textiles, among others.

In the telecommunication space, MEMS applications in optical networks also softened significantly. Network operators had to prune down investment outlays in 2008 and 2009 to hedge the financial weakness in the market as well as in the balance sheets. Cooling demand for fiber optic communication services, and broadband Internet services frustrated telecom carriers and as a result pushed fiber optic networking projects into an uncertain and unstable period. Several fiber optic broadband projects have been delayed as a result of network operators reining in capital investments. All of these factors impacted demand for optical telecom network equipment, and in the process the market for optical MEMS in telecom equipment.

Additionally, the complete meltdown of the real estate, housing and construction industry resulted in major disruptions of fiber to green field projects. Cancellation of new building projects resulted in reduced demand for fiber to the home (FTTH) technologies. Also impacted were fiber optics in brown field projects. All of these factors indirectly resulted in bringing down the level of orders for optical MEMS used in metro and long-haul optical telecommunications gear. Use of optical telecom MEMS in 1XN switches, Variable Optical Attenuators (VOAs), cross connects, Wavelength-Selective Switching Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexers (WSS ROADMs) and tunable filters, therefore withered, although temporarily.

With the recession now at its tail end, a sanguine future awaits the world MEMS market, with MEMS device manufacturers focusing on research and development to break into newer application areas. Microsensors and microactuators, which represent the hallmark of the electromechanical domain, are finding use in countless applications. Integrators will be reinforcing their MEMS component stocks to develop new state-of-the-art products, which deliver key features and functionality involving MEMS technology. Although commoditization has already set in with high-volume applications like consumer electronics and automotives, the technology continues to witness radical changes in other sectors like industrial, healthcare, and semiconductor, wherein MEMS+IC are influencing the traditional architecture of System on Chip (SoC).

MEMS technology to make medical diagnostic and monitoring technologies less invasive will garner special attention, especially so against a backdrop of a rapidly aging world population. The value proposition revolving around patient comfort, ease of drug delivery, and ensuing patient compliance will drive demand for MEMS in this space.

Inkjet printheads is the largest selling MEMS device. However, the inkjet printheads market is suffering the two-fold impact of the global recession and the ongoing transition from disposable to permanent printheads. As a result, unit shipments are forecast to decline through 2015. Beginning from 2011, MEMS displays will see encouraging growth due to demand for pico projectors and new MEMS flat-panel technologies for consumer electronics. ESC mandates will help spur the sales of accelerometers, gyroscopes, and high-pressure sensors, whereas TPMS mandates will propel MEMS pressure sensor sales by 2015. Europe and US account for a major share of the global Micro Electromechanical Systems (MEMs) Devices revenues, as stated by the new market research report. Global demand for MEMS in Medical/BioMedical End-Use is expected to increase at a robust pace during 2007 through 2015 period.

Major players in the marketplace include Analog Devices Inc., Apogee Technology Inc., Bosch Sensortec, Colibrys Ltd, Coventor Inc., Dalsa Semiconductor, Epson Toyocom, Hewlett-Packard, Invensense, IntelliSense Software Corporation, Kavlico Corporation, Kistler Instrument Corp., LioniX BV, MEMSCAP S.A., Memsic Inc., Micralyne Inc., NeoPhotonics Corporation, Panasonic Corp, Sensonor Technologies, Silicon Microstructures, Inc., STMicroelectronics, TowerJazz, Texas Instruments Inc, among others.

The research report titled “Micro Electromechanical Systems (MEMs) Devices: A Global Strategic Business Report” announced by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., provides a comprehensive review of market trends, issues, drivers, company profiles, mergers, acquisitions and other strategic industry activities. The report provides market estimates and projections (in US$) for major geographic markets including the United States, Canada, Japan, Europe (France, Germany, Italy, UK, Spain, Russia, Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Rest of World. End Use segments analyzed include Commercial/Industrial, Medical/BioMedical, Telecommunication, Computers, and Other Applications. Global MEMS devices market is also analyzed by product categories, such as, Accelerometers, Gyroscopes, Inkjet heads, Wafer Probes & Optical MEMS, Pressure Sensors, and Others. For more details, visit
http://www.strategyr.com/Micro_Electromechanical_Systems_MEMs_Devices_Market_Report.asp

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Update, February 22: MEMStim received $27,000 for best business and presentation, and outstanding team.

MEMStim sells MEMS electrode leads to medical device companies and won $20,000 for the Pryor-Hale award for best business, $5,000 for the Williamson award for Outstanding Business and Business/Engineering Team and won $2,000 for the Outstanding Presentation Award.

MEMStim plans to sell MEMS electrode leads to medical device companies for integration into their targeted nerve stimulation devices. Ultimately, the company is committed to improving the standard of patient care in neurostimulation. The two MBA students and Doctorate student that form the company team will use the award money to quantify regulatory risks and further prototype development.

"The Michigan Business Challenge Best Business Award is an incredible honor because of the caliber of the judges and other businesses in the competition," said Angelique Johnson, 2011 EECS M.S./Ph.D. and member of the MEMStim team. "We are a strong team and have learned new entrepreneurial skills throughout the competition that build upon our diverse past experiences and will help us bring our technology to market." 

 

 

February 8, 2011 – PRNewswire-USNewswire — The Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business announced that eight teams have advanced to the semi-finals of this year’s Michigan Business Challenge, including MEMStim, an ODM that sells MEMS electrode leads for medical devices.

The multi-round business plan competition is a cornerstone of the Institute’s action-based educational programming, which enables students to put their entrepreneurial passions into practice while studying and provides them the resources necessary to transform promising business ideas into successful ventures.

Now in its 28th year, The Michigan Business Challenge has evolved from a one-day competition to encourage entrepreneurship and business development among students into a four-month event that exposes students across the University to the rigorous business development and planning process required to commercialize a great idea. Nearly half of the competing teams include students from Engineering, Medicine, Law, and other areas of study, and all teams are provided with training and invaluable feedback at each phase from judges, which include seasoned business leaders and professional leaders.

"In the past decade alone, the Michigan Business Challenge has engaged over 500 teams, many of which have gone on to grow into successful ventures here in Michigan and far beyond," said Tom Kinnear, Executive Director of the Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies. "Many students come here eager to bring their own business ideas to fruition, leveraging coursework and programs such as this one to fine-tune plans, develop go-to-market strategies and establish important relationships. It is the opportunities created by this action-based education that sets the Institute apart from other entrepreneurial programs out there."

The 2011 semi-finalist teams represent sectors including medicine, life sciences, high technology and web services. They are:

  • Brio Device – a medical device company whose flagship product, SmartAirway, is designed to improve the success of emergency intubations.
  • IRIZ Technologies – a company that looks to revolutionize cancer treatment by producing and selling micro-fluidic assays (drug-testing environments) to research organizations and pharmaceutical companies.
  • MEMStim – an original design manufacturer selling MEMS electrode leads to medical device companies for integration into their targeted nerve stimulation devices.
  • ReGenerate – a company that designs, markets and leases on-site anaerobic digesters to food service operators to transform unwanted and costly organic waste into a renewable source of energy and nutrient-rich compost.
  • Reveal Design Automation – a technology provider that solves the chip verification scalability challenge, enabling chip design firms to eliminate more bugs in more complex designs with less time and with fewer people.
  • STIgma Free – a point-of-care medical diagnostics firm focused initially on the rapid diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). 
  • SurveyBroker – a website that will match businesses and consultancies with survey fieldwork companies that can best meet their market research needs.
  • Thoosa – an international freight brokerage specializing in container shipments that identifies the best shipping options in terms of ocean carrier availability, cost, service level, and carbon production rates.

Many teams go on to participate in national intercollegiate competitions, where they often earn enough seed funding to fuel the initial stages of business growth and at times, attract sizable Series A investments. During 2009-2010, Michigan teams alone took home $464,000 in prize money at intercollegiate and U.S.-based competitions.

"The support and mentorship provided throughout the competition proved critical in turning an innovative  technology into a promising business with real market potential," said Scott Hanson, a post-doctoral Fellow at the College of Engineering and CEO of Ambiq Micro, winner of the Pryor-Hale Award for Best Business at the 2009-2010 Michigan Business Challenge which has since closed a seed round of funding from DFJ Mercury Venture Partners. "The initial prize money, coupled with the opportunity to hone our investment presentation skills on the national business plan competition circuit, were essential to get our business off the ground and take it to the next level."

The semi-final and final rounds of the competition are being held on Friday, February 18, and will award over $60,000 in prize money to participating teams. The competition awards presentation and Dare to Dream Grant recipient announcement is open to the public and will take place at 5:30 p.m. at the Ross School of Business 6th Floor Colloquium. The Institute and its Center for Venture Capital and Private Equity Finance bring together a potent mix of knowledge, experience and opportunities from the front lines of entrepreneurship and alternative investments. For more information, visit the Institute at www.zli.bus.umich.edu.

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February 22, 2011 — "From $847M in 2009, the motion sensor market will reach $2.56B in 2015," says Laurent Robin, market and technology analyst at Yole Développement. The firm’s new report analyzes the motion sensor value chain and infrastructure & players for consumer business.

Click to Enlarge

Arrows show market size evolution from 2010 to 2015.
Figure. 2010-2015 market trends for motion sensors: Accelerometers, gyroscopes, and compass for consumer and mobile applications. SOURCE: Motion Sensors for Consumer & Mobile Applications Report, 2011, Yole.

In this report, Yole Développement provides an application focus on key existing markets and promising emerging ones for motion sensing electronics: new features, technical roadmap, insight about future technology trends & challenges. This study includes market data on motion sensors for consumer & mobile products: key market metrics & dynamics.

The inertial sensor market for consumer electronics is growing very quickly due to the fast adoption of accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers in mobile phones, tablets, game stations and laptops. 20.3% annual growth is expected: from $847M in 2009, the motion sensor market will reach $2.56B in 2015.

The MEMS accelerometer market will show lucrative business opportunities in coming years. This market will be strategic because many applications are expected to rely on 3-axis accelerometer + 3-axis gyroscope in a single package within 2015. There is a strong synergy between accelerometer and gyroscope technologies and players.

The gyroscope market is thriving thanks to the successful introduction of 3-axis devices by ST Micro and InvenSense. While adoption in handsets is only starting to surge, (with iPhone since June 2010 and now with Android smartphones) the gaming market is quickly growing and additional markets are emerging like tablets or remote controls.

Compasses are also gaining strong market traction. 2010 was an incredible year for digital compass in handsets, but the market will find growth outside of the mobile phone area as well: on gaming, on DSC for advanced geo-tagging, etc. It will be particularly interesting to monitor strategies of newcomers to compete against AKM, which is way ahead in the market. Competition is gaining in intensity as the motion sensing market becomes increasingly attractive. More than 50 companies are targeting this business including large players and small companies. But in the consumer market, only a few companies are really making money out of this business, while the others are struggling to make a decent profit.

Competition:

There is competition among companies trying to offer a complete product family (accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers), either internally or with partners (ST is partnering with Honeywell for example on electronic compass). 

Companies cited in the report:

3DV Systems, Acer, Activision, Advancedmicrofab, Aichi Steel, AKM, Alpine, Alps Electric, Amazon, Analog Devices, Apple, ARM, Asus, Atmel, Baolab, Bosch Sensortec, Broadcom, BSkyB, Canal+, Canesta, Canon, Catapult Innovation, CEA Leti, Comcast, CSR, Dai Nippon Printing, Dalsa, Decathlon, Deep Di Semiconductor, Dell, DirecTV, Domintech, Electronic Arts, Epcos, Epson Toyocom, FreeMotion, Freescale, Fuji, Fujitsu, Futaba, Garmin, GlobalFoundries, Google, Hillcrest Labs, Hitachi, Hokuriku, Honeywell, HP, HTC, IBM, Iliad, InvenSense, ITRI, JVC, Jyve, KDDI, Kionix, Kodak, Kyocera, Lenovo, LG, Life Fitness, ogitech, , Matrix, Maxim, Mcube, Medion, Memsic, Memsmart, Memstech, MESA Imaging, Micralyne, Microchip, MicroInfinity, Microsoft, Mio, Motorola, Movea, Murata, Navteq, NEC, Nike, Nintendo, Nokia, NTT Docomo, Nuvoton Technology, Nyko, Olympus, Orbotix, Pace, Palm, Panasonic, Parrot, Pixart, PMDTechnologies, Polar, Primesense, Prolific, Qualcomm, Qualtre, RIM, Rohm, Sagem, Samsung, Sanyo, Seagate, See Technology, Senodia, Sensitec, SensorDynamics, Sharp, Sitronix Technology, Sixsens, Skyartec, SMIC, SMK, Softbank, Sony, SonyEricsson, Speedo, Sprint, SSS, ST Microelectronics, Star Trac, Sunrex, Technicolor, Technogym, TeleAtlas, TI, TomTom, Toshiba, Tronics, Trusted Positioning, TSCM, UMC, Universal Electronics, Verreon, Virtus Advanced Sensors, VTech, VTI, Wacoh, Western Digital, XSens, Yamaha, YF International, Yishay Sensors, ZillionTV, ZTE and many others.

Competition among devices: accelerometer, gyroscopes and electronic compass can provide functions, either alone or in combination with each other. So companies have to propose the best sensor or sensor combination for a dedicated function.

Competing business models: fabless companies (InvenSense for example) are competing against integrated device manufacturers (ST, Kionix, Panasonic, Epson Toyocom, Freescale). Optimization of the production cost is one of the biggest key success factors. It is thus necessary for all players to work hard in order to really get the costs lower and produce on 8" wafer lines at a reasonable yield.

Hardware competing against software: companies such as Movea start to impact the traditional supply chain model by bringing a novel expertise in software and sensor fusion.

Technology competition: companies are proposing discrete devices (a 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis gyroscope, etc.) or sensor combination (acceleration sensor plus gyroscope, gyroscope plus electronic compass, etc.) either in a system-in-package or on a single die, along with a transition from a sensor offer to a solution offer (with sensor fusion).

Which company, business model, device will win? Motion sensing is both a booming and fragmented market, so multiple companies can have an important part of the business. Cost-effective production infrastructure is clearly important but as the market will be moving from device to functions, the software and "function delivery" part of the business will be more and more significant.

This area is exciting and still far from being mature. "We expect considerable evolutions in the next years as illustrated by the strong demand for more precise and long-term navigation solutions, including indoor pedestrian navigation," explains Laurent Robin. In parallel to the current race to develop ultra-low cost versions of motions sensors, few start-ups are working on revolutionary motion sensing technologies by using different sensing principle or different way of combining motion sensors, with compatibility to a low-cost production infrastructure.

Laurent Robin is in charge of the MEMS & Sensors market research at Yole Développement. He previously worked at image sensor company e2v Technologies (Grenoble, France) and at EM Microelectronics (Switzerland). He holds a Physics Engineering degree from the National Institute of Applied Sciences in Toulouse. He was also granted a Master Degree in Technology & Innovation Management from EM Lyon Business School, France.
 
Yole Développement is a group of companies providing market research, technology analysis, strategy consulting, media in addition to fi nance services. With a solid focus on emerging applications using silicon and/or micro manufacturing Yole Développement group has expanded to include more than 40 associates worldwide covering MEMS and Microfluidics, Advanced Packaging, Compound Semiconductors, Power Electronics, LED, and Photovoltaic. More information on www.yole.fr

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