MEMS Journal -- The Largest MEMS Publication in the World

MEMSCAP and Hanking Group partner to expand in China

MEMSCAP, a provider of MEMS products and foundry services, announced this week that it has broadened the company's sales network in China by partnering with the Hanking Group.  The collaboration is aimed to expand MEMSCAP's geographic footprint and increase the company's presence in China. The Hanking Group will begin offering training and sales support for MEMSCAP's MUMPs and MEMS Multi Project Wafers (MPW) processes to MEMS design engineers in China.

Apple and Samsung are top consumer and mobile MEMS buyers

Apple and Samsung Electronics remained the two largest buyers of MEMS devices for consumer and mobile applications in 2011, solidifying their command and expanding their influence over the market, according to IHS.  Apple and Samsung last year accounted for a combined 37 percent of the consumer and mobile MEMS space, mainly on the strength of their smartphones and tablets using MEMS devices like accelerometers, gyroscopes, microphones and bulk acoustic wave filters.  Apple, the top buyer, made MEMS purchases equivalent to $499.8 million, or roughly 23 percent, of the $2.1 billion consumer and mobile MEMS market, as presented in the table below.  Samsung, in second place, was worth $291.3 million to the industry, or 14 percent.  Apple's total last year was up 139 percent from $209.2 million in 2010, while Samsung's MEMS expenditure was up 45 percent from $201.2 million for the same period.

MEMS oscillator maker SiTime receives investment from Knowles and Vectron

Knowles Electronics and Vectron International, both owned by Dover Corporation, announced this week that they have entered into a strategic partnership with SiTime Corporation.  The partnership, which includes a cash investment by Knowles and Vectron, brings together three companies with the goal of driving "unprecedented growth" of MEMS timing components within the $4 billion frequency control products market.