MEMS Journal -- The Largest MEMS Publication in the World

MEMS microphones: emerging technology and application trends

The market for MEMS microphones has been growing steadily and, according to our research, is estimated to reach approximately $1.2 billion in 2015.  Of the total market, almost $900 million is coming from smartphone, tablets, and wearable platforms.  Additional applications include hearing aids, automotive, virtual reality, headsets, smart home, and IoT.  As the quality of MEMS microphones continues to improve, new applications such as far field and directional audio are emerging.  To get the latest scoop on this market segment, we recently spoke with Matt Crowley, CEO of MEMS microphone start-up company Vesper.  In this detailed interview, Matt provides his perspective on the latest price and technology trends, emerging applications, competitive dynamics, and commercialization challenges.  In addition to Matt’s comments, we also reached out to Jeremie Bouchaud at IHS to get his input and data as well.

Vesper plans to disrupt MEMS microphones market

Intending to improve the smallest audio component found in smartphones, wearables and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, a new Boston based sensor company called Vesper has designed a microphone that it says will enhance consumers' acoustic experience with voice capture and sound recording.  Though such microphones are virtually invisible to consumers, the market for the highest-performance devices is huge: the research firm IHS predicts that it will reach $718 million by 2017.  Vesper says that its microphone technology offers the highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in ultra-compact form factors for consumer microphones: 70 db SNR, which is one of the key determining factors in acoustic performance.  Vesper has reportedly raised $5 million from federal grants, Atlas Ventures, and an undisclosed customer.  The company's CEO Matt Crowley previously co-founded Sand 9, a MEMS based oscillator company.

Knowles ships two million MEMS microphones for the hearing health industry

According to MEMS Journal's research, the market for hearing aids is approximately $14 billion in the US alone, with an estimated 9.5 million individuals wearing hearing aids today.  The cost of high quality hearing aids remains high at $2,000 to $3,500 per unit.  Inexpensive hearing aids can cost as little as $300 to $400, but their performance is quite limited.  The total hearing loss population is approximately 38 million in the US; in other words, most people who have hearing loss do not wear a hearing aid.  The hearing health industry started to adopt MEMS microphones in 2010, and Knowles reported that it surpassed the one million mark for distribution in November 2013.  The company says that it has now reached the second million unit milestone, four times faster than the fist million due to increased customer demand.  With the approximate cost of $10 to $20 per device, the MEMS microphone component represents a very small fraction of the overall hearing aid unit cost.  Nevertheless, the market is an attractive opportunity for MEMS device makers.

MEMS microphone maker Knowles reports quarterly results

Knowles Corporation, a leading supplier of advanced micro-acoustic solutions, announced this week the results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2014.  Revenue for the first quarter of 2014 was $273.4 million, compared with $276.1 million reported in the same period one year ago.  Gross profit for the first quarter of 2014 was $83.1 million compared with gross profit of $94.5 million reported in the same period one year ago.  Net earnings for the first quarter of 2014 were $7.6 million compared with $11.9 million reported in the same period one year ago.  Current period results include $10.7 million from amortization of intangibles, $9.1 million in production transfer costs and spin related charges and $1.5 million in stock-based compensation.

MEMS for consumer electronics: can InvenSense compete with ST and Bosch?

As average selling prices (ASPs) for sensors used in consumer electronics applications continue to drop, the competition among the top MEMS makers has intensified tremendously.  One of the most recent examples of this trend has been the intellectual property dispute between ST and InvenSense, which the latter company agreed to settle with a payment of $15 million.  Additionally, most of the industry analysts now project that while the number of motion sensors shipped for consumer electronics will continue to grow significantly, the revenues coming from these applications will essentially stay flat in 2014.  We recently spoke with Behrooz Abdi, the CEO of InvenSense, about his perspectives on the recent industry trends, as well as his vision for the company, their recent market and financial results, and how they plan to stay competitive in the future.

MEMS microphones growing strong, Apple and Samsung are top buyers

MEMS microphones, used in best-selling devices like Apple's iPhone, face a promising future as the market is projected to keep climbing in the coming years, according to a new report from IHS.  Global revenue for MEMS microphones is forecast to reach $1.04 billion this year, up a robust 24 percent from $837 million in 2013.  Less than a decade was needed for the MEMS microphone market to cross the billion dollar threshold.  While this year continues the galloping growth the industry has seen during the last few years, the rate of expansion is slowing as revenue has expanded.  Even so, the next few years will continue to yield solid results for the business, and revenues by 2017 will amount to a projected $1.37 billion, equivalent to a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18 percent from 2012 to 2017.  Shipments at the end of the forecast window will equal 5.4 billion units, up from 1.9 billion in 2012.

InvenSense, Sonion announce MEMS microphone development alliance

InvenSense, a provider of MEMS motion sensors and microphones for the consumer electronics market, and Sonion, a provider of micro acoustic solutions for hearing instruments, in-ear earphones and specialty headsets, announced this week a strategic alliance in which the two parties will cooperate in the development of MEMS microphones and related technologies for use in a broad range of hearing applications.  InvenSense will bring its MEMS knowledge, MEMS microphone portfolio and R&D resources to the partnership.  Sonion will contribute with its insights in development of high performance microphones, R&D resources and its specialized application engineering function addressing the hearing health market.

Audio Pixels, ICsense partner to produce MEMS based speaker chips

Audio Pixels, a fabless semiconductor company focused on the development and production of MEMS based digital speaker chips, and ICsense, a European ASIC design company, announced this week that they have entered into a comprehensive agreement directed to support the production needs of Audio Pixels' patented low cost MEMS based digital speakers.

Market research suggests that manufacturers and consumers are looking for innovation in audio speakers -- in particular, for good quality sound in a form factor that is more compliant with current device and lifestyle trends.  While the industry at large has been able to digitize and shrink most of the other device components and electronics, one of the last remaining barriers is the speaker; it remains large, heavy, bulky and restrictive.

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.

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.