Tag Archives: Small Times Magazine

November 7, 2011 — MEMS foundry Silex Microsystems and MEMS development firm A.M. Fitzgerald & Associates completed a multi-year collaboration on medical and biotech MEMS development. They halved device development time using the Silex Sil-Via platform and AMFitzgerald’s prototyping and design.   

AMFitzgerald worked with Silex Microsystems’ Sil-Via technology platform early in the development process. This grounds-up approach and close collaboration resulted in a 6-month development cycle of several MEMS designs that are now ready to go into volume production in Silex’s advanced 6" and 8" fabs. The projects typically would require a year or more to complete, the companies report.

Also read: Silex MEMS TSV tech licensed to Nanoshift

Silex Microsystems is developing "a partner ecosystem" to accelerate projects like this, said Peter Himes, VP of marketing and strategic alliances for Silex Microsystems. The key was Silex’s "proven, standardized process modules," made accessible to the project developers, said Dr. Alissa M. Fitzgerald, founder and managing member of AMFitzgerald.

AMFitzgerald integrated Silex’s Sil-Via standard through silicon via (TSV) and wafer-level packaging (WLP) technologies in the very first prototypes, identifying and addressing issues early on in the process. This avoided problems during foundry transfer and ramp-up. The Silex Sil-Via platform is a full-wafer thickness via comprised of a DRIE etched post surrounded by an isolating material. The resulting interconnect is low impedance, mechanically robust, and avoids the thermal mismatch of metal-based via technologies.

The companies concluded that array-based sensors, such as imaging or diagnostic arrays that require high-density I/O and small form factors, would benefit the most from the Sil-Via designs and the DfM process. BioMEMS, motion sensors, oscillators, optical sensors and pressure sensors are examples.

Silex Microsystems is a pure-play MEMS foundry. For more information, please visit www.silexmicrosystems.com.

AMFitzgerald offers MEMS product development. Internet: http://amfitzgerald.com/.

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November 4, 2011 — Sand 9, a micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) oscillator developer, reports that it has raised $3,095,262 of its 6,190,528 equity funding round, in a recent SEC filing.

In February this year, Sand 9 announced that it was ramping the commercial-volume launch of its MEMS oscillator technology for wireless applications. The MEMS timing device targets cellular and other devices, like GPS.

See the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing at http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1401285/000140128511000001/xslFormDX01/primary_doc.xml

Sand 9 is a venture funded company dedicated to the design of precision timing technology that will dramatically improve the capabilities of electronic devices. The company’s investors include Commonwealth Capital, Flybridge Capital Partners, General Catalyst and Khosla Ventures. For more information, visit www.sand9.com.

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November 4, 2011 — Yole Développement’s new report, "Inertial Combo Sensors for Consumer & Automotive" shows that supply chains need to adapt to the "very large market opportunity" for inertial combo sensors. Inertial combo sensors will see 15% growth in consumer and automotive applications in 2011, hitting $2.6 billion.

Combination sensors are a marginal player now but expected to penetrate 40% of the $2.7 billion consumer inertial market and 12%+ of the $1.1 billion automotive inertial market by 2016. On the consumer side, added motion sensing capabilities in an increasing number of mobile devices are driving growth; for automotive, safety systems — better and in more cars globally — are the main impetus.

Figure. 2009-2016 consumer and automotive inertial sensor market. SOURCE: Inertial Combo Sensors for Consumer & Automotive Report, Yole Développement, October 2011.

Unit sales will continue to grow at double-digit rates in the future. However, price erosion and maturing markets herald a slow decline in revenues. One way to offset this is with more sophisticated sensor fusion that optimized multiple sensors with complex software.

Combo sensors allow device designers to reduce costs and product footprint. Lower-cost units combining multiple micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) sensors will see "healthy growth."  However, Yole warns that the benefits of combo sensors can be application specific, with the dynamism of the evolution of each individual sensor. The trend will start in the mature automotive sector, where cost benefits can be realized in electronic stability control (ESC) systems by combining the accelerometer and the gyroscope in one package with one ASIC. Consumer technologies change much more rapidly, and discrete device prices are still falling rapidly. Once the economics do become compelling for consumer adoption, around 2012-2013, market penetration will be faster and deeper than on the automotive side.

Yole forecasts that new players will enter the market, and sensor management expertise will be in demand.

Dropping prices and new market entrants will change the supply chain, Yole notes, as companies "figure out how best to compete and cooperate for the much bigger business of integrating the silicon sensors into useful functions." The cost of MEMS devices often lies much more in the ASIC, packaging, test, and calibration — as well as software development — than in die fabrication. This rule will only become more visible as companies adopt multisensory packages.

Combo sensors enable interaction between the multiple MEMS die that enhances their individual performance and creates new applications, a melding that is called sensor fusion. This requires much more sophisticated software controls. Players in the MEMS industry can compensate for price declines by selling high-value solutions that include more software content. This added value could benefit the sensor makers supplying the algorithms to combine and cross-calibrate the sensor data and do some standard applications as well as the software and chipset makers that supply higher-level specialty functions. Higher-value software calculations might require an MCU, not the usual ASIC. Makers of microcontrollers, software, and subsystems will start to take over more of the sensor management.

Laurent Robin is in charge of the MEMS & Sensors market research at Yole Developpement. He previously worked at image sensor company e2v Technologies (Grenoble, France). He holds a Physics Engineering degree from the National Institute of Applied Sciences in Toulouse, plus a Master Degree in Technology & Innovation Management from EM Lyon Business School, France.

Companies cited in the report:
Acutronic, Advanced Microsensors, Advancedmicrofab, Aichi Steel, AKM, Alps Electric, Amazon, AMS, Analog Devices, AP M, Apple, ASTRI, Atmel, Autoliv, Baolab, BMW, Bosch, Broadcom, BWI , BY D, Casio Micronics, CEA LETI , Chevrolet, Chrysler, Continental, CSR, Daesung, Dai Nippon Printing, Daihatsu, Dalsa, Deep Di Semiconductor, Delphi, Domintech, Eastman Kodak, EM Microelectronics, Epson Toyocom, Fairchild, Ford, Foxcon, Fraunhofer ISIT , Free / Iliad, Freescale, Fujitsu, FullPower, Futaba, Garmin, GE, Global Foundries, Google, Hana Microelectronics, HDK Kokuriku, Hillcrest Labs, Honeywell, HT C, IMU Solution, InvenSense, IT RI, Jyve, Keynetic, Kionix, Kyocera, Lancia, Lenovo, LG, Lingsen Precision Industries, Logitech, Mando Corp, Maxim, Mcube, Mediatek, Memsic, Memsmart, Memstech, Micro Infinity, Microchip, Microsoft, Mitsubishi, Mobius, Mio, Motorola, Movea, Murata, Navteq, Nike, Nintendo, Nissan, Nokia, NT DoCoMo, Nuvoton Technology, Pace, Pacific, Palm, Panasonic, Parrot, Pixart, PointInside, Prolific Technology, Qualtre, Renault, Ricoh, RIM, Rohm, Rood Microtec , Samsung, Schraeder, Seagate, Seiko Epson, Seiko NP C, Senodia, Sensitec, Sensonor, SensorDynamics, SensorPlatforms, Sharp, SiliconLabs, Sitronix Technology, Skyartec, SMK , Sony, Sony Ericsson, SPIL , SSS, ST Microelectronics, Sunrex, Systron Donner, Takata, Technitrol, TI , TMT, TomTom, Toshiba, Toyota, Tronics, Trusted Positioning, TRW, TSMC, Universal Electronics, Virtus Advanced Sensors, VTI, Wacoh, Western Digital, Wolfson, Wolkswagen, XSens, Yamaha, Yishay Sensor, ZillionTV , ZTE …

Yole Développement is a group of companies providing market research, technology analysis, strategy consulting, media in addition to finance services. Internet: www.yole.fr.

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November 3, 2011 — Ziptronix Inc., semiconductor bonding technology developer, shared the results of recent collaborations with major image-sensor manufacturers: Ziptronix ZiBond direct bonding process contributed minimum distortion in backside illuminated (BSI) image sensors.  

The Ziptronix direct bonding technology delivered the lowest distortion of any process for manufacturing BSI image sensors, said Ziptronix CEO Dan Donabedian. "Minimal distortion means pixels can be scaled smaller, and that means increased image sensor resolution, more die per wafer, improved image sensor yields and lower production costs."

BSI image sensor manufacturing typically requires bonding a silicon CMOS wafer to a non-CMOS handle wafer. Because this bonding technology does not involve a large coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch, it does enable very low distortion which is required for scalable color filter array overlay on the exposed photodiodes after thinning of the bonded CMOS wafer.

Wafer distortion introduced during the bonding process can compromise the overlay and limit pixel scaling. ZiBond’s inherent capacity for high bond strength at low temperature effectively minimizes this distortion compared to the competing bond technologies (adhesive and copper thermo-compression), the company reports. This enables submicron pixel scaling; 0.9um pixel BSI image sensors have already been fabricated and work on 0.7um pixel BSI is underway.

BSI image sensors are replacing frontside illuminated image sensors for digital cameras and smartphone cameras, as well as other applications.

Sony Corp. recently licensed the Ziptronix ZiBond technology for BSI image sensor manufacturing.

Ziptronix develops low-temperature direct bond technology for a variety of semiconductor applications, including backside-illuminated (BSI) sensors, RF front-ends, pico projectors, memories and 3D integrated circuits. Visit www.ziptronix.com.

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November 2, 2011 — Micronit opened its MEMS division, specializing in the design, prototyping and manufacturing of MEMS devices and wafers based on glass.

The Micronit manufacturing line processes several hundreds of thousands of wafers per year on 100-300mm substrates.

Micronit began manufacturing micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) after completing several projects for customers, and the company’s existing processing and materials capabilities. Prototyping and manufacturing will use many of the same processes and equipment as lab-on-a-chip production, explained Ronny van ‘t Oever, managing director and co-founder of Micronit.

The company will make MEMS for LED applications, photovoltaics, static and active displays, fuel cells and sensors, among others where glass and silicon are combined in devices.

Micronit manufactures microfluidic lab-on-a-chip products and performs other micromachining technologies. The company works mainly in glass but also in silicon, polymers, and other materials. Micronit is ISO 9001 certified. Learn more at www.micronitmems.com.

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November 1, 2011 — In a Solid State Technology webcast, presented by DigitalOptics Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tessera Technologies, Dr. Giles Humpston, Director of Applications, presented Lens Tilt in Small Auto-Focus Cameras.

What is a small camera? Most would qualify it as about 1cm3, disposable, cheap (<$1/MP) and integrated into digital cameras, cell phones, webcams, etc.

Figure 1. Simplified diagram of a miniature camera.

Small cameras range from the simplest, most rugged and most limited fixed-focus systems to higher-end auto-focus (AF) devices that are the subject of Humpston’s talk. AF cameras have electronic controls that allow them to focus much closer (as on a barcode) and in lower light than other designs.

Auto-focus cameras have evolved from large, highly mechanical, expensive devices. Today the majority of AF cameras are based on voice-coil motor (VCM) technology which works on magnetic attraction/repulsion principles.

Figure 2. A VCM miniature camera set up, with springs and magnets to control lens movement.

VCM pros? The devices are compact, almost silent, and cheap, with good focus range. Cons? They are slow, and not the best choice for video. Power consumption is in the hundreds of milliwatts (mW), and the smaller the VCM, the higher the power consumption. VCMs also suffer from lens tilt (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Lens tilt. Springs can change length, pulling the lens, or a user can tilt the lens through the influence of gravity and cause permanent changes by dropping the device. Tilt control is expensive and increases package form factor.

High-performance next-generation auto-focus cameras will not use VCMs, says Dr. Humpston.

Alternatives are in development– electrostatic silicon actuators manufactured as micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS).  The comb drive actuator — the most common design — is very low power.

Figure 4. Comb drive actuator.

Silicon MEMS can also be formed into a complete auto-focus component, with springs, etc. on one chip. With no mechanical play, MEMS actuator actions are extremely reproducible, operation is faster and optical performance is maintained through a wide range. With only one moving lens, as opposed to the entire optical train, image quality is desensitized to lens tilt. The module form factor becomes thinner as well.

Table. Key features of an auto-focus camera using VCM and MEMS.

 

MEMS

VCM

Actuator dimensions (mm)

7.4 x 7.4 x 1.7

8.5 x 8.5 x 5.0

Peak Power*

0.5mW

250mW

Repeatability

1µm

10µm

Hysteresis

3µm

20µm

Speed+

5ms

30ms 

Reliability cycles

10 million

1 million

Reflow compatible

Yes

No

* MEMS peak power <30µW, remainder is the driver chip

+ Half-stroke settling time

VCM alternatives based on MEMS will start hitting the market commercially in 2012, Humpston says. Get all the design details and in-depth discussion of lens options, reliability, and more in the webcast: Attend now.

Dr. Humpston is a metallurgist with his name on patents and publications, including articles on nanotechnology and semiconductors for ElectroIQ.

Attend the webcast: FREE WEBCAST: Lens Tilt in Small Auto-Focus Cameras

Read Dr. Humpston’s article: Nanotechnology for semiconductors

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November 2, 2011 – PRNewswire — MEMS foundry Silex Microsystems licensed its Silex Sil-Via through-silicon-via (TSV) packaging platform to Nanoshift for use in early development of complex MEMS products.

Silex Sil-Via license agreements allow customers to take complex MEMS devices from prototype to volume production faster, said Peter Himes, vice president of marketing and strategic alliances for Silex Microsystems. Through the Silex Sil-Via license, Nanoshift can bring customer designs to market faster, reducing development time and project risk. Transition to full-scale production on Silex’s 6" or 8" wafer fab lines will be "seamless."

Nanoshift chose the Silex Sil-Via platform because it has been "proven in many high-volume [MEMS] applications," said Salah Uddin, co-founder of Nanoshift.

Silex Sil-Via is a proprietary technology for through silicon via (TSV) interconnects: a full-wafer thickness via comprised of a DRIE etched post surrounded by an isolating material. The resulting interconnect is low impedance, mechanically robust, and avoids the thermal mismatch of metal-based via technologies. Silex brought it into production in 2006 and it has been used on over 100 designs. It can be implemented for wafer-level packaging (WLP) as well as MEMS interconnects.

Silex Microsystems is the world’s largest pure-play MEMS foundry. For more information, please visit www.silexmicrosystems.com.

Nanoshift LLC is a privately held design and development company that specializes in emerging technologies. For more information, please visit www.nanoshift.net.

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November 1, 2011 — Huntsman Corporation (NYSE:HUN) Advanced Materials division sold its stereolithography resin and Digitalis MEMS manufacturing machine businesses to 3D Systems Corporation (NYSE:DDD) for $41 million in cash.

The stereolithography business had revenues of $7 million in 2010 and its products are used primarily in three-dimensional part building systems.

Digitalis is a new rapid manufacturing printer for micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS), currently in advanced stages of development and validation, that is capable of manufacturing large numbers of parts simultaneously at high speed and accuracy.

This acquisition complements 3D Systems’ print materials technology and intellectual property portfolio and adds the Digitalis print engine to its printer family. DDD will integrate the product lines into its rapid manufacturing and healthcare solutions portfolio. The company expects this acquisition to be immediately accretive to its net income and contribute favorably to its target operating model.

"3D has a rich heritage of being a pioneer and industry leader in stereolithography and rapid manufacturing systems," noted James Huntsman, president of the Advanced Materials division of HUN. HUN will concentrate its focus on the construction, coatings, power, aerospace and electronics applications.

Huntsman is a global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated chemicals. For more information about Huntsman, visit www.huntsman.com.

3D Systems provides 3D content-to-print solutions including 3D printers, print materials and on-demand custom parts services for professionals and consumers. More information on the company is available at www.3DSystems.com.

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November 1, 2011 — Micrel Inc. (Nasdaq:MCRL) has begun manufacturing micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) at its San Jose, CA wafer foundry operations. Micrel started production with a "major MEMS manufacturer representing a significant percentage of the existing foundry capacity." The IC maker is also developing production processes for several MEMS startups.

Micrel is one of the few 6" wafer fabs in the US offering MEMS manufacturing capability.

Micrel invested several million dollars in the MEMS fab ramp. Its San Jose site can now perform 3D front-to-back wafer alignment and has added a deep reactive ion etch (DRIE) tool to precisely etch very deep trenches, through silicon vias (TSV), and large cavities.

Micrel has acheived full production for its primary MEMS customer, said Guy Gandenberger, vice president, worldwide operations and foundry business unit for Micrel. Additional capacity is now reserved for other MEMS customers, and Micrel is capable of expanding the MEMS foundry space if necessary.

Micrel’s Wafer Fab Division offers foundry services to commercial and military IC designers, among other customers. The wafer fab equipment can be used for short runs or volume production. The facility has been certified to ISO14001:1996, the International Environmental Management System Standard.

Micrel Inc. is a global manufacturer of ICs for the analog, Ethernet and high bandwidth markets. Web: http://www.micrel.com.

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November 1, 2011 — Scanning probe/atomic force microscopy company Asylum Research introduced the Variable Field Module2 (VFM2) for the MFP-3D Atomic Force Microscopes (AFM). It allows researchers to apply magnetic fields in conductive AFM experiments, magnetic force microscopy, and other applications.

Rare-earth magnets produce the field without heat, thermal drift, or mechanical vibration. The magnetic fields are continuously adjustable, applied parallel to the sample plane approaching one Tesla with one Gauss resolution. An integrated Gaussmeter provides a quantitative measure of the applied magnetic field.

Five frames showing a piece of Perpendicular Media Recording (PMR) hard disk degaussed with an in-plane ~0.5 Tesla magnetic field using the VFM2.

VFM2 attaches to the MFP-3D AFM with adjustable pole tips to accommodate maximum required field, sample placement, and minimum field gradients. Research on piezoelectrics and ferroelectrics can be conducted with an attachable VFM2 High Voltage Kit, for tip biases up to ±220V.

Also read: Global market for piezoelectric-operated actuators and motors and Ferroelectric/ferromagnetic nano-structured film discovery

The VFM2 replaces “complicated” superconducting or water-cooled magnets, said Roger Proksch, president of Asylum Research, “neither of which were particularly friendly to low-noise, high precision AFM measurements.”

Asylum Research makes atomic force and scanning probe microscopy (AFM/SPM) for both materials and bioscience applications. Internet: www.AsylumResearch.com.