MEMS Journal -- The Largest MEMS Publication in the World

RF MEMS phase shifters

We recently spoke with Dr. Van Caekenberghe, author of several articles on RF MEMS technology for radar sensors, about RF MEMS phase shifters. Koen shares his thoughts on the small but growing RF MEMS phase shifter market including applications, market developments, pricing and vendors of RF MEMS phase shifters as well as alternative technologies.

The radar sensor market has a global turnover of about $6.25 billion annually according to Defense Industry Daily. In Koen's opinion, approximately 50% of the budget is spent on airborne, ground-based, and naval AESA radar sensors, and approximately 25% of the budget is spent on mechanically scanned radar sensors -- and during the next decade, 20% of the mechanically scanned radar sensors might be replaced by PESA radar sensors based on RF MEMS shifters, resulting in a potential global market of $300 million annually.

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 a combination of its own and licensed technology, Microstaq has developed a silicon control valve based on MEMS processes to produce three-dimensional mechanical devices in silicon where fluids pass through and are controlled by the micromachined silicon features. 

Compared to incumbent mechanical flow-control devices used, for example, in a heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC/R) applications, Microstaq’s valves can be as much as 30% smaller and 35% lighter in weight while improving system efficiency by 10-15%.

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 for heart failure.

Almost a million patients are hospitalized in the US each year for the failure of the heart to maintain adequate circulation because of various stresses upon it.  Heart failure is the single largest expense for hospitalizations in the United States, costing $30 billion per year.