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SilTerra expands MEMS-on-CMOS platform for new applications

As the largest foundry in Malaysia, SilTerra has been developing its MEMS-on-CMOS platform and expanding it into new applications such as PMUTs for medical and fingerprint sensors, SAWs for timing devices, and BAWs for short range wireless RF transceivers. The company works with clients on basic proof of concepts, custom device prototype development, manufacturability assessments and volume production. We recently spoke with Arjun Kumar Kantimahanti, Senior Vice President of SilTerra’s MEMS, Sensors, and Life Sciences Business Unit.  In this detailed interview, we discuss SilTerra's history, it's current MEMS program, as well as it's roadmap and plans for the future.  We also spoke about emerging applications enabled by optical, RF, and ultrasonic MEMS devices. 

Sensors and FHE need each other: a look inside a key relationship

by Wilfried Bair
VP of Engineering, NextFlex

Flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) and sensor technologies are a perfect match for each other. Nearly every current application of FHE technology that either NextFlex or our partners are working on involve sensors, so it’s beneficial for both platforms to grow and thrive alongside each other. Of course, these benefits ultimately carry down to the applications that use both FHE and sensors, such as chemical sensing systems and human health/fitness monitoring devices. When we drill down into this topic, it shows a unique symbiotic relationship that’s critical to the development of next-generation manufacturing.

MEMS foundry IMT receives majority investment from Cerium Technology

Innovative Micro Technology (IMT) announced this week a majority equity financing led by Cerium Technology, an investment firm focused on innovation in the IoT market. IMT is a well-established player in the design and manufacture of MEMS devices. MEMS technology leverages the precision and scale of semiconductor wafer manufacturing to make micro and nano scale structures on silicon or glass that significantly improve the performance of devices that perform physical functions. IMT is one of the leading independent MEMS manufacturers in North America, partnering with innovative system vendors and fabless device firms worldwide to create and sustain competitive advantage. Proceeds from the financing will be used to increase R&D investments in the company's standard process platforms, upgrade existing equipment, and to complete the installation of IMT's new 8-inch wafer fabrication line.

Printed sensors and electronics: development challenges and emerging applications

As new sensor technologies continue to proliferate in existing and emerging applications, one especially promising area is printed-electronic sensors. We recently spoke with Dan Brewer, Executive Director of Marketing and Intellectual Property at Brewer Science, an active participant and one of the early entrants into this technology segment. The privately held company is based in Rolla, Missouri and was founded by Dr. Terry Brewer in 1981. The company got its start in semiconductor materials and specifically in materials used in front-end processes. They still claim to hold the largest market share in anti-reflective coatings for semiconductors, and they produce 70-80 types of materials used in lithography processes. From front-end materials, the company expanded to back-end advanced packaging materials, and from there to printed electronics.

MEMS foundry SilTerra unveils monolithic PMUT on CMOS platform

SilTerra, a Malaysian CMOS and MEMS foundry services provider, this week unveiled a piezoelectric micromachined ultrasound transducer (PMUT) on CMOS platform for fingerprint sensing and medical imaging applications. According to the company, this unique process platform offers a monolithic solution and integrates the PMUT on top of the CMOS resulting in a single-chip solution. The PMUT is formed using a CMOS compatible piezoelectric materials and surface micro-machining techniques. Designers can choose any of the SilTerra's traditional CMOS, BCD, RF, and ultra low-power platforms in 180nm or 130nm nodes to build the PMUT on the top of these platforms. 

MEMS startup ACEINNA raises $50 million to develop IMUs for autonomous vehicles

ACEINNA has emerged from behind the curtains as one of the largest “spin out” companies in the MEMS and sensing technology sector. The company is developing new sensing solutions for high volume applications such as autonomous vehicles, high performance computing systems, and smart buildings. Over the last two years, the company has achieved more than 70% annual growth and expects this to continue in the future. ACEINNA’s main focus is its inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensing technology used to provide navigation and guidance to autonomous vehicles -- from self-driving cars and trucks to automated material handling solutions used in warehouses and factories. Currently, the sophisticated, highly accurate IMU navigation systems used by the top Level 4 autonomous car makers cost tens of thousands of dollars each. 

Micralyne showcases MEMS technology platforms for emerging sensing applications

The company will be showcasing standardized MEMS process technologies that advance the speed of commercialization of emerging sensing applications. Micralyne will be featuring MicraMOx, a MEMS process platform for highly miniaturized metal oxide gas sensors for environmental sensing applications. Localized gas sensing is critically important in industrial settings and in homes. Coupled with IoT use cases, miniaturized gas sensors enable economical and connected environmental sensing. Metal oxide gas sensors have been available for many years, but they required improvements in power consumption, cost, stability, and gas selectivity.

Sensera's MEMS devices mimic human organs through bioengineering

Sensera is adapting its MEMS technology for new applications in bioengineering. The company's MEMS technology is now being used at Harvard University for the creation of microfluidic devices which mimic the functions of living human organs, including the lung, intestine, kidney, skin, bone marrow and blood-brain barrier. "Sensera is a key partner providing critical microdevice component fabrication, which enables our growing applications in precision medicine and personalized health," said Dr. Richard Novak, Senior Staff Engineer at Harvard University's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering. "These microchips, called "organs-on-chips", offer a potential alternative to traditional animal testing. Each organ-on-chip comprises a polymeric membrane that contains hollow channels lined by living human cells."

RoboSense equips Alibaba's unmanned logistics vehicle with MEMS based LIDAR

Alibaba Group's Cainiao Network and RoboSense jointly released this week the G Plus, which they claim to be the world's first solid-state LIDAR enabled unmanned logistics vehicle.  Announced at Alibaba Group's Cainiao Network 2018 Global Smart Logistics Summit held this week in Hangzhou, China, a key feature of the driverless delivery vehicle is the MEMS based LIDAR technology developed by a Chinese startup company RoboSense. The company has reached a strategic partnership with Alibaba to provide LIDAR sensors for all G Plus unmanned delivery vehicles.

MIPI Alliance forms automotive working group

The MIPI Alliance, an international organization that develops interface specifications for mobile and mobile-influenced industries, today announced the formation of the MIPI Automotive Working Group (AWG) to address the needs of the automotive ecosystem. The group is open to MIPI contributor members. As the number of sensors continues to increase in automobile applications to support passive and active safety, infotainment, ADAS, and autonomous driving systems, the need for interface specifications is apparent. Building upon the success of the MIPI Alliance Automotive Subgroup and Automotive Birds of a Feather (BoF) Group, the MIPI Board of Directors has approved the creation of the MIPI AWG.

MEMS and sensors CAE startup OnScale raises $3 million, emerges from stealth mode

Emerging from stealth mode this week, OnScale announced $3 million in strategic seed funding and unveiled the industry's first solver-as-a-service platform that gives engineers the power to accelerate innovation in the $40 billion MEMS, sensors, 5G, biomedical, IoT, and automated car markets. OnScale was co-founded by CEO Ian Campbell, VP of Product Development Dr. Robbie Banks, and VP of Engineering Dr. Gerry Harvey as a spin-off from Thornton Tomasetti, a large science and engineering consulting company. The seed round was led by Thornton Tomasetti, with participation from Silicon Valley investors such as Michael Lehman, former CFO of Arista Networks, Palo Alto Networks, and Sun Microsystems, and CampbellKlein, an early stage high-tech venture fund.

MEMS foundry Micralyne introduces standardized microfluidic process technology

Micralyne, a manufacturer of biomedical MEMS and sensors, announced this week the launch MicraFluidics, a set of standardized microfluidic process technologies, to support demand from the biomedical and life-sciences industry for rapid design and deployment of integrated microfluidic based products. MicraFluidics features a variety of substrate options for biomedical customers such as silicon, glass, and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) with design flexibility for multi-level channels, electrode patterning for dielectrophoresis and embedded sensors, and choices of glass or silicon as input and output ports. This technology has been validated in a wide range of devices such as flow cells, biochips, labs-on-chip, cell sorters, separation and analysis devices, and high-pressure analytical chips.

Next big applications for MEMS and sensors: robotics, wellness, and smart factories

In this detailed interview, Dr. Peter Hartwell, Senior Director of Advanced Technology at InvenSense, discusses current MEMS and sensors technology trends. He also highlights emerging applications such as personal robotics, health and wellness, and smart manufacturing. Dr. Hartwell discusses some of the most interesting MEMS and sensors companies that he has seen recently, and he also comments on the applications of MEMS and sensors in ADAS and autonomous vehicles applications.  Peter also reviews the history of InvenSense and its planned future roadmap, now as part of TDK.  And we discuss the main challenges of integrating sensors in IoT applications.

Lam Research acquires MEMS software company Coventor for $137.6 million

In August of 2017, Lam Research completed the acquisition of Coventor, a MEMS modeling and simulation software company, for a total purchase consideration of $137.6 million. When asked about how Coventor fits into Lam’s portfolio, the company’s Executive VP and CFO Douglas Bettinger said that, potentially, there are benefits and synergies with Coventor’s software capability to model and simulate the actual output of Lam’s equipment. We recently spoke with Stephen Breit, Coventor’s Sr. Director of MEMS, and discussed the trends that he is seeing in the MEMS marketplace. Since Coventor works with many MEMS companies, we also asked Stephen about the notable startups and technologies.

Medical MEMS: Biolinq raises $10 million for painless blood glucose sensors

Biolinq announced this week the close of a $10 million Series A financing led by M Ventures, in collaboration with Hikma Ventures. Biolinq is a digital health company with a unique, wirelessly-enabled biosensor patch that is capable of continuously monitoring multiple biomarkers. Grey Sky Venture Partners, Three Leaf Ventures, LifeSci Venture Partners and a group of high-net-worth individuals specialized in the diabetes field are also contributing to the round. Biolinq's first commercial product, a unique minimally-invasive technology, will allow patients with diabetes to continuously monitor their blood glucose without the pain and hassle of traditional continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems.