Microelectromechanical-systems (MEMS) technology is poised to have a greater impact on individuals of all ages, industries of all kinds, and our overall society. It is moving from a device-level technology to a system-level plateau that requires novel approaches both inside and outside the device.
Successes in these two areas will enable new platforms for intelligent sensing and context awareness, providing significant benefits in the consumer electronics, biomedical, industrial, environmental, communications, security, and transportation markets, as well as in infrastructure monitoring and financial applications.
MEMS device manufacturers must deal with a departure from the traditional business model of MEMS IC makers making devices for OEMs that package them into end products. They must focus on what the customer precisely needs, in what environment and how the end product is used, and how to make it more user-friendly to operate. And for those markets where low cost is the norm like consumer electronics, greater integration levels (i.e., merging CMOS and MEMS processes cost-effectively) is the name of the game.
These sentiments were borne out by presentations at two recent major MEMS conferences this year—the MEMS Technology Summit and the MEMS Executive Congress.
The MEMS Technology Summit brought together, as presenters, the “who’s who” of the MEMS community. It also served the dual purpose of reviewing the progress of MEMS over the last 25 years and providing a look into the future. Further, it commemorated the founding of MEMS industry pioneer Nova Sensor Inc. 25 years ago. Members of the founding team organized the event. The MEMS Industry Group (MIG) sponsored the MEMS Executive Congress.
“Thinking outside the chip involves the essence of system engineering. The chip is truly the enabler of the system. However, it requires the support of much other functionality, like thermal management and interconnect strategies, to create a solution optimally suited to the customer’s application,” says Roger Grace, president of Roger Grace Associates.
“The other main functionalities of this MEMS-based solution include the MEMS-to-system interface (frequently an ASIC with a microcontroller core with embedded software/algorithms), a power supply, and a networking chip, all robustly and cost-effectively packaged. The underlying principles (Fig. 1) to the creation of this approach are systems engineering, reliability analysis, design for manufacturing and test, and co-design,” Grace adds (see “related 3D IC packaging article”).
MEMS IC manufacturers are taking notice. For example, Freescale Semiconductor has unveiled a new era of sensing with the Xtrinsic portfolio. This brand of sensors is designed with the judicious combination of intelligent integration, logic, and customizable software to deliver smarter, more differentiated applications.
MEMS and non-MEMS semiconductor IC manufacturers are leveraging their capabilities and products into what they see as huge new market opportunities. Vida Ildereme, vice president and director of Intel’s Labs, says that Intel is looking at smart-sensing opportunities in embedded applications by developing embedded silicon-on-a-chip (SoC) ICs. The company intends to build on its leadership in microprocessors to pioneer new capabilities and strategic directions for embedded applications.
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