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The full MEMS Journal archive — 107 articles across two decades of sensors, MEMS, and microtechnology.
Automotive MEMS sensors to return to healthy growth in 2012
The automotive MEMS sensor market will reach new heights in 2012, leaving behind the ups and downs of the last two years , including the impact of the recent Japan earthquake , according to IHS iSuppli . Global automotive MEMS sensor revenue will jump a solid 16 percent in 2012 to $2.31 billion on its way to $2.93…
Comparative tablet teardowns reveal iPad design advantages
In the 15 months since the introduction of the iPad , competitive tablet manufacturers still cannot match the design efficiency of Apple's groundbreaking product, according to an IHS iSuppli teardown analysis of eight tablet models. "Since Apple controls both the operating system and hardware design of the iPad, it…
EV Group to expand manufacturing, hire 100 more employees
EV Group , a supplier of wafer bonding and lithography equipment for the MEMS, nanotechnology and semiconductor markets, announced this week that it broke ground on expanding the company's manufacturing capacity at its headquarters in Austria earlier this month. In addition, the company reports that it has…
Maxim acquires MEMS maker SensorDynamics for $130 million
SensorDynamics , a specialist in MEMS and wireless semiconductor products, announced this week that it was acquired by Maxim Integrated Products , which specializes in analog and mixed-signal semiconductor products. Maxim, headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, is a Fortune 1000 company. Maxim is paying…
China smartphone shipments rise
Shipments of smartphones for sale in China are set to soar by a record 53 percent this year, according to new research from the IHS iSuppli . Domestic smartphone shipments in China will rise to 54.1 million units in 2011, up from 35.3 million units in 2010. Of the projected domestic total for this year, more than…
MEMS and condition monitoring of industrial machinery
Condition monitoring refers to the process of monitoring data that is collected from sensory devices on industrial equipment . By analyzing vibration , acoustic and ultrasonic emissions, temperature , pressure, oil condition, and other machine operating characteristics, factories and plants can prevent unexpected…
Automotive MEMS: solid growth, government mandates are the wild card
Automotive safety systems are found in a growing number of vehicles, and shipments of MEMS devices that are crucial to their operation are increasing even faster. According to ABI Research, nearly 100 million airbag, tire pressure monitoring, and electronic stability control (ESC) safety systems that use MEMS…
RUSNANO invests in MEMS
RUSNANO announced this week that it will be co-investing in the development of MEMS components for use in sensors, computing and telecommunications equipment. SiTime , a US based startup company that focuses on MEMS oscillators and silicon timing solutions, is going to be partnering with RUSNANO in this initiative.…
ST increasing capacity to more than 3 million MEMS sensors a day
STMicroelectronics , a leading supplier of MEMS devices for c onsumer and portable applications , is significantly increasing its MEMS production capacity to more than 3 million sensors a day , by the end of 2011 to sustain exploding customer demand for high-performance, cost-competitive sensing devices. "We are…
Apple becomes second largest buyer of consumer MEMS sensors in 2010
Apple in 2010 rose one rank to become the world's second largest buyer of MEMS sensors for consumer electronics products and cell phones, as it snapped up parts for products including the iPhone 4 and iPod Touch, new IHS iSuppli research indicates. The company's purchases of consumer and cell phone MEMS sensors…
Market for new types of MEMS booms in 2011
After only four years of existence, a segment of the MEMS market known as "new MEMS" , specifically for consumer electronics (CE) and mobile handsets , will grow by a remarkable 157.4 percent in 2011, powering the expansion of the overall MEMS industry, according to new IHS iSuppli research. Revenue this year for…
Automated test equipment: an overview of MEMS and non-MEMS switching options
by John Williamson Contributing Editor, MEMS Investor Journal The proliferation of electronic devices and manufacturers' needs to test products before releasing them to market has placed added importance on the automated test equipment (ATE) industry. Switching is a key component in ATE with options that include…
Texas Instruments returns to MEMS market leadership in 2010
Five years after losing its leadership position in the global MEMS market, Texas Instruments reclaimed the top spot in 2010 because of resurgent demand for the company's Digital Light Processing ( DLP ) chips, new IHS iSuppli research indicates. Texas Instruments in 2010 sold $793 million worth of MEMS devices, up…
Overview of MEMS oscillator technology: key performance metrics and solution architecture
As MEMS companies such as SiTime , Discera and Sand 9 are continuing to commercialize and develop their oscillator technologies , we connected and spoke with Dr. Hisham Haddara , CEO of Si-Ware Systems. In this detailed interview, Dr. Haddara provides an overview of MEMS based oscillator technologies including key…
Tablets become fastest growing MEMS market in 2011
Driven by soaring demand for Apple's iPad and Android-based alternatives , media tablets in 2011 are expected to be the fastest growing market for MEMS devices in the consumer electronics and mobile segment, according to new IHS iSuppli research. Sales of MEMS for use in tablets will rise to $140.4 million this…
TriQuint's MEMS revenues grow to $74.7 million in 2010
Capitalizing on their design wins in Apple's iPhone 4 and iPad, semiconductor suppliers STMicroelectronics and TriQuint in 2010 achieved industry-leading growth in the global market for MEMS in consumer electronics and mobile devices, new IHS iSuppli research indicates.
MEMS market enters new growth cycle
With the iPhone 4 paving the way, global demand for MEMS devices in cell phones will rise robustly during the coming years, helping the total MEMS market to expand in healthy measure at least through 2014 , according to new IHS iSuppli research. Following two years of decline , the MEMS market enjoyed a strong 2010…
UMC launches production of CMOS MEMS sensor products
Taiwan-based semiconductor foundry, United Microelectronics Corporation , announced this week that the company has started production of MEMS sensor products for one of its customers, with high-volume production scheduled for later this year. This milestone follows three years of MEMS technology development at the…
Overview of CMP technologies for MEMS applications
CMP, or chemical mechanical polishing , was developed in the late 1980s at least partially as a result of a secret IBM project at the time. Although initially mainly used in CMOS processes , CMP is now increasingly being utilized by MEMS process flows. We recently spoke with Dr. Robert Rhoades , CTO of Entrepix,…
Teledyne Technologies to acquire MEMS foundry DALSA for $341 million
Teledyne Technologies and DALSA Corporation jointly announced this week that they have entered into a definitive agreement that provides for the acquisition of DALSA Corporation, including its digital imaging and MEMS foundry business, by a wholly-owned subsidiary of Teledyne. According to Dr. Robert Mehrabian ,…
iPhone 4 turns up the volume for MEMS microphones
Highlighted by their adoption in Apple’s iPhone 4, MEMS microphones are set to achieve a more than 50 percent increase in shipments in 2010 and a fourfold rise by 2014, according to the market research firm iSuppli , now part of IHS Inc. Global MEMS microphone shipments are set to expand to 695.6 million units this…
Analog Devices claims win over Knowles in a MEMS microphone patent case
Analog Devices announced that Knowles Electronics' patents have been found invalid by the U.S. International Trade Commission ( ITC ) judge. The company said that the ITC ruled decisively against Knowles Electronics and administrative Law Judge Robert K. Rogers, Jr. concluded that Knowles’ patents were invalid .…
Automotive MEMS sensor market to reach record high in 2010
Driven by the rapid recovery in automotive production and inventory rebuilding among sensor component suppliers, the market for automotive MEMS sensors will expand to record size in 2010, according to market research firm iSuppli , now part of IHS Inc.
What's the buzz on MEMS in 2011 and beyond?
In Dan Siewiorek's vision of the future , each of us will get an "iPhone 20" at birth. Powered by a wide range of MEMS devices , this personalized mobile device will monitor your heart rate when you exercise , help the visually impaired to grocery-shop, and remember important social clues such as people's names,…