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The full MEMS Journal archive — 21 articles across two decades of sensors, MEMS, and microtechnology.
MEMS microphones: emerging technology and application trends
The market for MEMS microphones has been growing steadily and, according to our research, is estimated to reach approximately $1.2 billion in 2015 . Of the total market, almost $900 million is coming from smartphone, tablets, and wearable platforms. Additional applications include hearing aids, automotive , virtual…
Vesper plans to disrupt MEMS microphones market
Intending to improve the smallest audio component found in smartphones, wearables and Internet of Things ( IoT ) devices, a new Boston based sensor company called Vesper has designed a microphone that it says will enhance consumers' acoustic experience with voice capture and sound recording. Though such microphones…
Knowles ships two million MEMS microphones for the hearing health industry
According to MEMS Journal's research , the market for hearing aids is approximately $14 billion in the US alone, with an estimated 9.5 million individuals wearing hearing aids today. The cost of high quality hearing aids remains high at $2,000 to $3,500 per unit. Inexpensive hearing aids can cost as little as $300…
MEMS microphone maker Knowles reports quarterly results
Knowles Corporation, a leading supplier of advanced micro-acoustic solutions , announced this week the results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2014. Revenue for the first quarter of 2014 was $273.4 million , compared with $276.1 million reported in the same period one year ago. Gross profit for the first…
MEMS for consumer electronics: can InvenSense compete with ST and Bosch?
As average selling prices ( ASPs ) for sensors used in consumer electronics applications continue to drop , the competition among the top MEMS makers has intensified tremendously . One of the most recent examples of this trend has been the intellectual property dispute between ST and InvenSense, which the latter…
MEMS microphones growing strong, Apple and Samsung are top buyers
MEMS microphones, used in best-selling devices like Apple's iPhone , face a promising future as the market is projected to keep climbing in the coming years, according to a new report from IHS . Global revenue for MEMS microphones is forecast to reach $1.04 billion this year, up a robust 24 percent from $837…
InvenSense, Sonion announce MEMS microphone development alliance
InvenSense, a provider of MEMS motion sensors and microphones for the consumer electronics market, and Sonion, a provider of micro acoustic solutions for hearing instruments , in-ear earphones and specialty headsets, announced this week a strategic alliance in which the two parties will cooperate in the development…
Audio Pixels, ICsense partner to produce MEMS based speaker chips
Audio Pixels, a fabless semiconductor company focused on the development and production of MEMS based digital speaker chips, and ICsense , a European ASIC design company, announced this week that they have entered into a comprehensive agreement directed to support the production needs of Audio Pixels' patented low…
Digital vs. analog MEMS microphones
Driven by their widespread use in top-selling mobile devices like Apple's new iPad and iPad 2 , market revenue for digital MEMS microphones is set to overtake the analog segment next year for the first time ever. Revenue for digital MEMS microphones will reach $315 million in 2013, compared to $261 million for the…
STMicro launches MEMS microphones for mobile phones and portable computers
STMicroelectronics , a leading supplier of MEMS devices for consumer and portable applications , introduced this week two new digital MEMS microphones for mobile phone and portable computer applications. According to IHS iSuppli , the market for MEMS microphones for consumer electronics and mobile handsets is…
Akustica to debut latest MEMS microphone
Akustica , the Pittsburgh-based company that has developed single-chip microphone technology, will unveil a new digital MEMS microphone for laptops, netbooks and tablet PCs next week at the 2011 Globalpress Electronics Summit in Santa Cruz, California. Akustica's President and CEO Stefan Finkbeiner will present the…
Overview of MEMS microphone technologies for consumer applications
by St.J. Dixon-Warren Engineering and Process Analysis Manager, Chipworks The extraordinary success of the iPhone 4 lies in the superb integration of multiple sensor technologies in conjunction with a very slick software interface. In a recent series of MEMS Investor Journal articles, we reviewed the 9DoF motion…
ITC Judge: Knowles MEMS microphones infringe Analog Devices' patent
Analog Devices , a provider of MEMS and semiconductor technologies for signal-processing applications, announced this week that the U.S. International Trade Commission ( ITC ) reportedly ruled "decisively in favor" of Analog Devices in its lawsuit against Knowles Electronics . This recent ruling follows ITC's…
Tufts harnesses MEMS mics to monitor jet aircraft
by R. Colin Johnson Contributing Editor, MEMS Investor Journal An innovative micro-electro-mechanical system of 64 silicon microphones has been crafted as a hypersensitive audio array for detailed monitoring of the forces causing turbulence around jet aircraft .
Analog Devices unveils HiFi MEMS mic
by R. Colin Johnson Contributing Editor, MEMS Investor Journal A leading supplier of airbag sensors worldwide with more than 500 million units shipped, Analog Devices diversified from accelerometers, gyroscopes, and inertial measurement units with its first MEMS microphone over a year ago. Recently ADI (NYSE,…
A Universal CMOS MEMS Process?
Unlike the semiconductor industry, MEMS devices have been traditionally manufactured using a variety of highly-specialized processes geared for each specific device. This variety of MEMS fabrication processes has contributed to higher commercialization costs and longer times to market . While there are established…
Sonion MEMS scales up its microphone business
We recently published a review on the current status of MEMS microphones . While Knowles Acoustics remains the market leader, companies such as Sonion and Akustica are also going after this exciting opportunity. We spoke with Dr. Jacob Philipsen , President of Sonion’s MEMS division , about the company’s current…
MEMS microphones break design mould
by Dr. Richard Dixon, Wicht Technologie Consulting Silicon micromachined microphones have recently begun to emerge as a competitor technology to the electret condenser microphone (ECM), a device first developed by Bell Labs way back in the 1960s. Today, MEMS microphones amount to just tens of millions of units ,…
CMOS MEMS activities at Akustica
We recently spoke with Dr. Ken Gabriel , Chairman and Chief Technology Officer, and Davin Yuknis , Vice President of Marketing, of Akustica about their company's ongoing activities and experiences with CMOS MEMS applications.
CEO of Akustica discusses MEMS mics
MEMS microphones are becoming increasingly popular with manufacturers of consumer electronics. We recently spoke with the CEO of Akustica Jim Rock and VP Marketing Davin Yuknis .
MEMS and Microphones
A few weeks ago, we mentioned a story which reported that 5% of all microphones sold in 2005 will be MEMS microphones. This week, Shawn Beus from Knowles Acoustics has an interesting review of MEMS based microphones.