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Digital vs. analog MEMS microphones

Driven by their widespread use in top-selling mobile devices like Apple's new iPad and iPad 2, market revenue for digital MEMS microphones is set to overtake the analog segment next year for the first time ever.  Revenue for digital MEMS microphones will reach $315 million in 2013, compared to $261 million for the analog MEMS equivalents, according to IHS iSuppli.  The market this year still will favor analog MEMS microphones, which are projected to achieve revenue of $267.4 million compared to $226.1 million for digital.  However, digital MEMS will gain the upper hand in 2013 when analog's share dips below 50 percent.

MEMS foundry Tronics returns to strong growth with $15.2 million revenue in 2011

Tronics is reporting that it is growing strongly again.  After an uninspiring 2009 and 2010, business started picking up in late 2010, and remained very healthy throughout 2011.   The company had a revenue of $15.2 million in 2011, with a net profit of $1.24 million.  Tronics said that it secured important new foundry and custom MEMS contracts during the year and its revenues grew significantly in its three key regions: Europe, United States, and China.  With a strong balance sheet that includes more than $4 million cash and a debt-to-equity ratio below 30 percent, Tronics said it is well positioned to continue its expansion in 2012 and beyond.  A 20-30% growth is expected in 2012 with further improvement of the company's profitability.  According to Tronics, a very substantial portion of the 2012 revenues is already firmly secured.

Silicon-germanium (SiGe) technology for MEMS and NEMS fabrication

by Xavier Rottenberg, Ph.D.
Research Engineer, IMEC

Much of the future growth in the MEMS market is expected to come from products that are still in the early stages of development, or are yet to be invented.  There is a considerable potential for new products in which innovative MEMS are integrated with highly miniaturized electronics.  In small packages that miniaturize existing larger tools and extend their use and functionality, or that bring a totally new functionality that cannot be implemented otherwise.  Some of the many domains where MEMS will become prevalent are sensing, localization, and visualization applications for personal consumer electronics, optical switching and processing chips, or sensors and actuators for medical and wellness applications.

Gyroscopes become top consumer and mobile MEMS device

Gyroscopes were the top revenue generator in 2011 in the dominant consumer and mobile segment of the MEMS market, thanks to record sales of Apple's iPhone and iPad devices from during the final quarter of last year.  Gyroscopes netted $655.4 million in 2011, up a notable 66 percent from $394.5 million in 2010, according to an IHS iSuppli report.  Long a runner-up in its category, gyroscopes finally displaced accelerometers last year to become the revenue champion in consumer and mobile MEMS.  Gyroscopes will continue to reap top revenue honors in the next few years, projected to take in $1.1 billion by 2015, well ahead of accelerometers at $705 million.