MEMS Journal -- The Largest MEMS Publication in the World

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.  MEMS based switches are now becoming a viable and advantageous alternative to traditional technologies such as electromechanical relays, reed relays and semiconductor switches.  We recently spoke with Dr. Dan Hyman, a leading industry expert and President of XCOM Wireless, about the current state of the ATE industry and his expectations for the future.  In this comprehensive interview, Dr. Hyman presents his views on the current status of ATE switching including main industry trends, device costs as well as upcoming technology developments.

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 forecast to grow revenue at an annual rate of 24% between 2009 and 2014.  The driving factors include the breakthrough in the use of noise suppression requiring multiple microphones, as well as adoption in new consumer applications beyond handsets and laptops, such as slate tablets and gaming.

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 said that voltage, size, losses, isolation, ultra-fast switching time and power handling will be evaluated by NTT DOCOMO according to the requested specifications which cover a frequence range of up to 6 GHz.

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.  The company has successfully tested with the U.S. Army in the past, a single-cell reserve battery, which was activated by a projectile launch event, fired out of a tank, at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland, in 2008.

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 spectrum analyzers and signal sources.   This new RF MEMS technology was  recently featured and won the top prize at UCSD's  Research Expo 2011.  This brief video outlines the basics of the new technology.

MEMS based micromirror arrays for vision systems and display applications

by Murali Jayapala, Ph.D.
Senior Researcher, IMEC

The possibility to fabricate micromirror arrays has sparked a revolution in display systems.  Today, devices using micromirror arrays are already indispensable in many products, such as large-scale projection engines or portable projectors.  But the promise of micromirror technology is much broader --  it is the enabling force behind a range of research paths in spectroscopy, lithography, volumetric displays and optical networking, just to name a few.

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 new CE and mobile MEMS devices will reach $457.3 million, up by more than a factor of 2.5 from $177.6 million in 2010.

Automated test equipment: an overview of MEMS and non-MEMS switching options

by John Williamson
Contributing Editor, MEMS Investor Journal

The proliferation of electronic devices and manufacturers' needs to test products before releasing them to market has placed added importance on the automated test equipment (ATE) industry.   Switching is a key component in ATE with options that include MEMS and non-MEMS based devices.  We recently polled a number of players in ATE switching to get their views on the topic including the current technology status, cost trends and upcoming milestones.  In this article, we share the participants' sometimes widely different viewpoints.

Texas Instruments returns to MEMS market leadership in 2010

Five years after losing its leadership position in the global MEMS market, Texas Instruments reclaimed the top spot in 2010 because of resurgent demand for the company's Digital Light Processing (DLP) chips, new IHS iSuppli research indicates.  Texas Instruments in 2010 sold $793 million worth of MEMS devices, up an impressive 24.9 percent from $635 million in 2009.  This allowed the company to surpass the previous leader Hewlett-Packard, whose sales were slightly down in 2010 at $782.1 million, compared to $784.5 million in 2009.