The vantage point, published.
The full MEMS Journal archive — 441 articles across two decades of sensors, MEMS, and microtechnology.
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…
Vuzix, Fraunhofer to develop MEMS based displays
Vuzix Corporation announced this week a strategic technology development partnership with the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (IPMS). Vuzix and Fraunhofer IPMS have been engaged in the development of MEMS devices optimized for augmented and virtual wearable display solutions. Vuzix said that this…
STATUS: Publish
MEMS Investor Journal is pleased to bring you the second edition of our MEMS Testing and Reliability Professional Development Course. Biltmore Hotel & Suites Santa Clara, California Wednesday, October 19, 2011 The course was held for the first time in March 2011 to a sold-out audience and received great reviews .…
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…
Micro cell membranes for faster and cheaper drug development
They may look and act like natural human cell membranes but the synthetic cell membranes invented by A*STAR's IMRE have more advantages. IMRE's patented synthetic cell membranes can be made-to-order, are easier to maintain in a laboratory environment and do not require the lengthy preparation that comes with…
STATUS: Publish
MEMS Investor Journal and MEPTEC are pleased to bring you their 3rd Annual Conference on MEMS Testing and Reliability. Biltmore Hotel & Suites Santa Clara, California Thursday, October 20, 2011 To view the event agenda, please click here . Space is limited - register today ! About the Conference Program Talks and…
Molecular diagnostics and microfluidics: market overview and opportunities
Dr. Greg Galvin is a successful veteran of the MEMS industry. His first company was sold in 2000 to Calient Networks , an optical MEMS switching company in San Jose. The transaction at the time was valued at ~$300 million in cash and stock. Dr. Galvin's second company, Kionix , focuses on the design and fabrication…
Valencell raises $5.5 million for health and fitness monitoring applications
Valencell , a startup company based in North Carolina that is focused on mobile health and fitness technologies, announced this week that that it has received $5.5 million in venture capital funding. The round was led by Best Buy Capital , the investment group of Best Buy, with participation from previous investors…
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…
Overview of MEMS technologies for retina applications
by John Williamson Contributing Editor, MEMS Investor Journal Retinal disease , or degeneration of the retinal cells, is exemplified by genetically caused retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and age-related macular degeneration (MD). These are leading causes of blindness affecting an estimated 1-3 million and 25-30 million…
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.…
X-FAB releases IP design blocks for MEMS accelerometers
X-FAB Silicon Foundries this week added ready-to-use design IP blocks for acceleration sensors to its MEMS foundry service offerings. Developed in cooperation with MicroMountains Applications and HSG-IMIT , the new IP blocks can be incorporated into customer designs of MEMS capacitive accelerometers covering 2G,…
An overview of RF MEMS technologies and applications
by Jacopo Iannacci, Ph.D. Researcher, MEMS Research Unit of FBK RF MEMS devices are microsystems manufactured in a suitable technology platform, typically characterized by having movable micro-parts capable of reconfiguring the RF characteristics of a device. Some RF micro-components are categorized as RF MEMS…
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…
MEMS based energy harvesters transform waste into electricity
Billions of dollars lost each year as waste heat from industrial processes can be converted into electricity with a technology being developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory . The high-efficiency thermal waste heat energy converter actively cools electronic devices, photovoltaic cells,…
An overview of MEMS based timing devices
by John Williamson Contributing Editor, MEMS Investor Journal MEMS based oscillators are increasingly being used as an alternative to quartz in a growing number of electronic systems. According to our estimates, the global market for MEMS oscillators was $21.4 million in 2010 and is expected to reach $312 million…
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…
Automated test equipment: can MEMS switches compete?
As production volumes grow and competition increases in the IC and electronics industries , switching is becoming an increasingly critical component for the automated test equipment (ATE) system makers. Simply put, test costs are growing and therefore produce a negative affect for the profitability of manufacturers…
DelfMEMS delivers custom RF MEMS samples to NTT DOCOMO
DelfMEMS, an emerging RF MEMS technology company, reported this week that it has successfully delivered custom samples to NTT DOCOMO , the Japanese mobile operator. DelfMEMS has provided arrays of custom MEMS ohmic switches to enable tunability into RF front-end modules , or FEMs, for mobile applications. DelfMEMS…
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…
mPhase Technologies developing MEMS based battery for military applications
mPhase Technologies announced this week that it is engaged in preliminary discussions with a major prime contractor of military applications to potentially adapt its MEMS based battery technology and reserve battery "know-how" to serve as a G-force activated energy source and provide power in new weapons systems.…
RF MEMS switches for MRI, satellite and electronic instrumentation applications
New RF MEMS metal-contact switches developed at the University of California, San Diego could make their way into MRIs and other medical equipment, satellites , and electronic instrumentation such as s pectrum analyzers and signal sources. This new RF MEMS technology was recently featured and won the top prize at…
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…