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The full MEMS Journal archive — 441 articles across two decades of sensors, MEMS, and microtechnology.
MEMS foundry Micralyne set to emerge from creditor protection
The company, based in Edmonton, Canada , announced this week that it is set to emerge from creditor protection in August 2013 . On July 9th, 2013, Micralyne held a vote with its creditors on the plan to emerge from creditor protection and the company's creditors reportedly voted overwhelmingly in support of the…
Emerging MEMS sensor applications for high performance motion tracking
by Marcel van Hak Industrial Applications Product Manager, Xsens In the past decade, MEMS inertial sensor technology has taken huge steps in terms of accuracy, reliability and cost . The most innovative manufacturers of inertial measurement units ( IMUs ), attitude and heading reference systems ( AHRSs ) and…
SPTS acquires XACTIX to expand MEMS etch offering
SPTS Technologies, a supplier of advanced wafer processing solutions for the global semiconductor industry and related markets, announced this week that it has acquired XACTIX, a provider of xenon difluoride (XeF2) based release etch technology. XACTIX is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Manufacturing MEMS…
An overview of emerging trends in MEMS packaging
by Maarten Vraanes Director of Consulting Services, MEMS Journal MEMS packaging, as the entire MEMS ecosystem , is rapidly evolving. Technologies such as wafer level and 3D integration are becoming increasingly important. In this article, we outline our observations about the current and future trends of MEMS…
What's next for MEMS? Healthy growth but changing drivers
The MEMS industry saw healthy 10 percent growth in 2012, and can expect continued strong expansion for the foreseeable future, projects Yole Developpement . The firm sees continuing 12-13 percent compound annual growth -- doubling the sector’s revenues to $22 billion by 2018 . But that stable growth masks plenty of…
Pressure sensors to rise to top of MEMS market in 2013
MEMS pressure sensors will achieve accelerated growth this year and become the leading type of MEMS device, driven by increasing use in automotive and the fast-growing handset space, according to IHS. Revenue for MEMS pressure sensors this year will reach a projected $1.71 billion , up 14 percent from $1.50 billion…
Micrel expands MEMS foundry capabilities
Micrel, an IC and MEMS foundry services provider based in Silicon Valley , has recently made moves to expand its MEMS services offering. The decision seems to be appropriate and timely, because of the limited number of MEMS production sites in the US. Founded in 1978 , Micrel has a long track record of sustained…
MEMS foundry Tronics reports record revenues
Tronics said that this week that its revenues and profits exceeded expectations in 2012 due to strong growth of its high performance inertial sensor business, as well as a significant increase in its contract manufacturing customer base. The MEMS foundry services company, based in France, reported 2012 revenues of…
memsstar appoints new CEO, plans further expansion
memsstar , a Scotland-based provider of etch and deposition equipment for semiconductor and MEMS applications, announced this week the appointment of Tony McKie as its CEO. The company said that McKie is tasked with capitalising on the company's experience and reputation in the semiconductor and MEMS markets to…
Fabless MEMS manufacturing: can process drive design?
As the MEMS market forces continue to apply enormous pressures on device makers to reduce costs , companies are continually striving to make their development and manufacturing cycles more efficient. One approach has been to design around well-defined processes , or at least process modules, to accelerate time to…
Magnetic sensor market decelerates as automotive demand slows
After two straight years of blockbuster expansion , the market for magnetic sensors experienced lower than expected growth in 2012 due mainly to depressed automotive sales and a diminished industrial sector, according to the IHS iSuppli . Revenue for semiconductor based magnetic sensor elements, integrated circuits…
MEMS motion sensors: ST and InvenSense patent dispute continues
InvenSense, a leading provider of MEMS motion sensors claimed this week that it won its motion to stay the patent litigation action brought by STMicroelectronics in the US District Court (Northern District of California) due to progress in separate proceedings with the United States Patent Office ( USPTO )…
MEMS based optical engine platforms: market and technology overview
With applications such as pico-projectors , head-up displays ( HUDs ), and gesture sensing , MEMS based optical engine platforms are quickly emerging to become the next “killer app” in the MEMS and microsystems component market. We spoke with Matan Naftali , the CEO of an Israeli startup company Maradin that is…
Si-Ware Systems licenses its MEMS spectrometer technology to Hamamatsu Photonics
Si-Ware Systems (SWS), a provider of MEMS and IC solutions for industrial and consumer applications, has licensed its MEMS FT-IR spectrometer technology to Hamamatsu Photonics of Japan. Hamamatsu is the world leading supplier of optoelectronics components . The company announced its new FT-IR spectrometer last…
DelfMEMS raises $10.5 million, hires new CEO
A group of European investment funds announced an investment in DelfMEMS , a developer of MEMS based switching solutions for applications in the RF communications field. The funding of $10.5 million , of which $4.5 million from the FSN PME , will enable DelfMEMS to accelerate the commercialization of its products.…
MEMS in military and aerospace sectors to see strong growth
The MEMS market for pressure sensors in the high-value military and aerospace segments will enjoy brisk double-digit growth this year, with plenty of room left for future expansion in a broad range of lucrative applications . Revenue for pressure sensors in both military and civil aerospace applications will reach…
BioMEMS: navigating the medical device FDA approval process
by David DiPaola Managing Director, DiPaola Consulting With major advances in MEMS and nanotechnology and their proliferation into medicine , it is important to have a working knowledge of the critical steps in obtaining U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for commercialization. An understanding of the…
Tronics launches high performance MEMS gyro
Tronics , a MEMS foundry and device maker, introduced this week a new high performance MEMS based angular rate sensor (gyro) for applications such as platform stabilization . The product is based on Tronics' MEMS-on-SOI and high vacuum wafer level packaging technologies. Tronics has been active in the design and…
Rakon enters MEMS based oscillator market
Rakon, a New Zealand based provider of frequency control solutions, announced this week that MEMS technology is being utilized to develop new products to further broaden the company's oscillator product portfolio and capabilities. Rakon's Managing Director, Brent Robinson says the company has looked into the…
Ultrabooks spur massive growth in MEMS motion sensor sales
Intel's initiative to promote new features like indoor navigation and augmented reality in ultrabooks will spur dramatic growth in the sales of motion sensors for the next-generation notebook PCs, with revenue rising by a factor of 14 during the next four years. Global sales of motion sensors -- including…
Optical MEMS switch company CrossFiber raises $13.4 million, acquires OMM
CrossFiber , a developer and manufacturer of MEMS based photonic switches for use in data centers and next-generation telco fiber-optic networks , announced this week the completion of the final tranche of its Series D funding, now totaling $13.4 million . The company said that the majority of the funds have been…
MEMS for tunable RF applications: has the time finally come?
Everybody seems to be using their mobile phones for their business and social lives these days, so each new model brings increasingly more features to our portable devices. The problem is that all these new uses bring an explosion of frequency bands that must be packed into one portable device . This can lead to…
MEMS energy harvesting startup MicroGen raises $2.6 million
MicroGen Systems announced this week that XTRION , a closely held holding company located in Tessenderloo, Belgium, completed the first investment round of the company. The reportedly oversubscribed raise was a total of $2.6 million , which includes non-dilutive funds equaling $800,000 from a separate licensing…
MEMSCAP and Hanking Group partner to expand in China
MEMSCAP , a provider of MEMS products and foundry services, announced this week that it has broadened the company's sales network in China by partnering with the Hanking Group . The collaboration is aimed to expand MEMSCAP's geographic footprint and increase the company's presence in China. The Hanking Group will…