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VTI Technologies, a MEMS inertial sensor provider, is now taking a new direction and expanding into the consumer electronics segment. VTI already provides low-g sensors for the automotive industry, as well as in low power sensors for the medical implantable market.
“We are now leveraging our expertise in high performance MEMS and intend to bring out products targeting the consumer segment that will challenge the current market offering,” says Markku Hirvonen, President and CEO of VTI.
by Jérémie Bouchaud Director and Principal Analyst, MEMS & Sensors, iSuppli
Like many new technologies, RF MEMS and varactors followed a well documented trajectory. The problem as the technology emerged early in 2003 was that the devices could not live up to their initial promise, which led to disillusionment among the companies eagerly awaiting these new devices. Another problem was that the devices were offered by startups, which often burn brightly for only a short time and then disappear. The list of startups that fall into this category is quite long, and includes Magfusion, Siverta, TeraVicta, Simpler Networks, Sagamore, etc., but there are also larger groups that failed to bring the cost down like Panasonic Electric Works, which sampled from the end of 2005 to 2008.
Micronics, a development stage company that specializes in microfluidics, announced this week that the U.S. Department of Defense has awarded it an Applied Research and Technology Development Award under the U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command’s Polytrauma and Blast Injury Project for the advancement of the company's lab-on-a-chip system for point-of-care molecular diagnosis of infectious pathogens.
As the MEMS marketplace continues to evolve at a rapid pace, many new and exciting trends are taking shape. To provide some perspective, we recently spoke with Nancy Fares, Micralyne’s new President and CEO. In this detailed interview, Nancy provides unique insights on the main current trends in the MEMS marketplace, venture capital, most promising MEMS startups as well as potential future “killer apps” for MEMS technologies.
DALSA Corporation, a manufacturer of digital imaging, MEMS and semiconductor components, announced this week that it plans to invest $160 million in new research and development initiatives over the next five years, supported by a grant of up to $24.3 million from the Ontario provincial government.
Auto focus (AF) is a common feature for digital still cameras (DSCs) to ensure that the object being photographed is in focus. However, AF has only recently been introduced into high-end cell phone cameras where the image quality, as well feature size and low cost, are critical requirements. The most common AF actuator for DSCs, the stepper motor, failed when applied to the cell phone market as it could not be miniaturized or stand up to the cell phone’s more stringent reliability testing. As a result, a variety of new technologies have emerged to fill this need, with MEMS technology leading the pack.
Integrated Sensing Systems, Inc. (ISSYS) announced that it has completed its 2010 manufacturing expansion project, adding 5,400 square feet to its existing facility. The expansion is dedicated to manufacturing of system-level products based on ISSYS MEMS chips that are fabricated in its current cleanroom facility. The expansion includes assembly lines, production laboratories, clean assembly and packaging rooms as well as calibration areas for both medical and industrial products. The new floor space also includes a combination cleanroom and Faraday cage for final assembly and calibration area with capacity for over 10,000 units per year of ISSYS' wireless, batteryless medical implants. The company’s fabrication facilities are located near Ann Arbor, Michigan.
