The vantage point, published.
The full MEMS Journal archive — 76 articles across two decades of sensors, MEMS, and microtechnology.
Silicon Labs reveals roadmap for MEMS
by R. Colin Johnson Contributing Editor, MEMS Investor Journal Silicon Laboratories Inc. (NASDAQ: SLAB) acquired MEMS oscillator maker Silicon Clocks for $22 million last week, even though it already markets CMOS-only oscillators that do not require a mechanical time base. In an exclusive interview with MIJ ,…
IBM harnesses MEMS cantilever for patterning nanostructures
by R. Colin Johnson Contributing Editor, MEMS Investor Journal IBM recently demonstrated a heated MEMS cantilever for nanoscale patterning -- producing a 25 nanometer-high 3D replica of the Matterhorn in under three minutes using the technique. Instruments using the heated MEMS cantilever will substitute for much…
MEMS sensors warn of potential structural failure
by John Williamson Contributing Editor, MEMS Investor Journal MEMS sensors embedded in concrete bridges and similar structures offer promise as a more economical solution to detect potential failure according to Dr. Mohamed Saafi , Associate Professor at North Dakota State University’s (NDSU) Department of…
Memristors debut, but are they MEMS?
by R. Colin Johnson Contributing Editor, MEMS Investor Journal Memristors use the molecular-level migration of dopants to change their conductance in response to current flow , thereby both measuring and remembering it. Like MEMSIC's accelerometer whose moving parts are molecules of hot air, memistors likewise use…
Super High Aspect Ratio Silicon DRIE Processing (Webinar Recording)
Date: April 28, 2010 Sponsor: Tegal Corporation Speaker: Paul Werbaneth, VP Marketing Recording: please click here to view Slides: please email Paul Werbaneth at pwerbane@tegal.com to request a copy of the slides Topics include: * Observations on market requirements (e.g. wafer diameter distribution between 300mm,…
Welcome -- Meet Our Team!
Mike Pinelis, Ph.D. President and CEO mike@memsjournal.com Dr. Mikhail ("Mike") Pinelis is the CEO and editor-in-chief of MEMS Journal, an independent publication based in Southfield, Michigan that he founded in 2003 and grew to the current 34,800+ subscribers worldwide. Along with MEMS Journal, Dr. Pinelis has…
Spacecraft-on-a-chip to harness MEMS
by R. Colin Johnson, Contributing Editor MEMS Investor Journal Cornell University researchers have designed millimeter-sized spacecraft that are only microns thick and weigh just a few milligrams. These spacecraft-on-a-chip are currently just prototypes, but if their test launch goes as planned next month, MEMS…
Seiko Instruments develops MEMS resonator
A resonator is a device that is indispensable in modern electronics products such as computers, digital appliances and telecommunications devices. Currently, resonators that use quartz crystals are mainly used due to their light weight as well as highly precise and stable frequency properties. Research for new…
MEMS based valves for flow control
We recently spoke with Sandeep Kumar, president and CEO of Microstaq . The company was founded in 2000 to commercialize MEMS based valve components for industrial, residential, commercial, medical, and transportation applications, an overall $5 billion market , with an average price of $25 per component . Utilizing…
Applying MEMS technology to intelligent medicine
We recently spoke with Dr. George Savage, chief medical officer at Proteus Biomedical . The company raised $32 million in VC funding last year and is applying semiconductor and MEMS technologies to ingestible and implantable devices and pharmaceuticals with the initial focus on increasing the efficacy of treatments…
Applying MEMS technology to the diagnosis of glaucoma
We recently spoke with Jean-Marc Wismer , CEO of Sensimed AG , a Swiss company with its principal focus on the design, development and commercialization of integrated microsystems for medical devices . The company's first product is a non-invasive solution for continuous monitoring of intra-ocular pressure (IOP) to…
MEMS technology for micro projection modules
We recently spoke with Marco Boella , CEO and Dr. Nicolas Abelé , CTO of Lemoptix , based near Lausanne, Switzerland, about their work to integrate high-resolution MEMS-based micro projection technology into information display systems, mobile phones and other applications. According to Lemoptix, the largest market…
Fabless MEMS Operations: Strategies and Tactics
We recently spoke with Dr. Raj Gupta , a consultant in MEMS and silicon sensors, about his experiences with fabless MEMS operations . Specifically, we discussed the transition process from prototype to volume production, the associated costs and challenges, as well as his specific experiences with some major MEMS…
Special Event: MEMS Testing and Reliability Workshop
Co-produced by MEMS Investor Journal and MEPTEC MEMS testing and reliability assurance are some of the most critical processes to ensure high yields and profitability. According to recent studies, the total world MEMS test equipment market generated revenues of $50-$60 million in 2007, at a growth rate of…
RF MEMS switches deliver on early promise
by Jérémie Bouchaud and Bernardo Knoblich , Wicht Technologie Consulting Few MEMS components have created so much excitement, and then such disappointment in so short a time. Is this component finally in production? Will there be an interesting market? And for whom? We have been following RF MEMS switches since…
Silicon carbide and harsh environment MEMS applications
For high temperature or corrosive media environments , silicon carbide can be a material of choice and has the potential to open up new applications and markets . We recently spoke with Professor Roya Maboudian of UC Berkeley about the history of silicon carbide, comparisons to silicon and other materials as well…
Bridging the MEMS commercialization gap
Silicon Valley Technology Center (SVTC) was recently sold by Cypress Semiconductor to Tallwood and Oak Hill venture firms. The company provides process development and commercialization services and expects to have $40-50 million in profitable revenue this year with 30 percent of their business coming from MEMS…
MEMS oscillators, has their time come?
by Jérémie Bouchaud and Bernardo Knoblich, Wicht Technologie Consulting WTC has recently seen an increasing amount of interest in MEMS oscillators with several startups making important announcements. WTC believes that MEMS oscillators have a promising future , but notes the warning signs of confusion and inflated…
MEMS resonators continue to show potential
Startup companies are continuing to work on replacing traditional quartz resonators with the more advantageous MEMS devices . We spoke with Discera's President and CEO Tom Willey about his company's recent activities, competition and future plans.
SiTime's timing with MEMS
As companies race to commercialize their MEMS resonator technologies , many challenges and questions remain. We recently spoke with Dr. Kurt Petersen , a MEMS industry veteran who previously founded Cepheid and NovaSensor, about his latest start up SiTime and the company's MEMS based timing technology. SiTime has…
Ideas for energy saving MEMS devices
According to a recent article , "Agilent Technologies installed a $4,000 dew-point sensor in its Fort Collins plant that eliminated the need to dehumidify air during winter months, saving $20,000 a year."
Zia Laser obtains $8 Million in venture funding
Zia Laser's technology is based on quantum dots - tiny "bumps" patterned on a substrate. When quantum dots are stacked on top of each other and electricity is applied in a particular way, a laser is generated. The company's plans are to use this technology to build a new type of microprocessor with some of the…
New hydrogen sensor from Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne National Laboratory today reported a new type of hydrogen sensor. As with most hydrogen sensors, Palladium was used for transduction because this metal preferentially absorbs hydrogen. The hydrogen, when absorbed in Pd, changes the resistance of the metal and this resistance change indicates how much…
Nanomix Announces carbon nanotube Based Hydrogen Sensor
Nanomix recently announced its first commercial product -- a hydrogen gas sensor. The transduction scheme is based on carbon nanotubes. It would be interesting to see how their sensor compares with traditional schemes such as chemi-resistors and ChemFETs. Nanomix claims that carbon nanotubes are extremely…