MEMS Journal -- The Largest MEMS Publication in the World

MEMS foundry Micralyne increases production capability with new SPTS tool

Micralyne announced this week the purchase of a cluster system from SPTS Technologies, a KLA company. Micralyne will use the new Versalis fxP tool equipped with a Rapier™ plasma etch module to increase production capacity in order to meet growing customer demand for its production of MEMS devices for biomedical, optical, and industrial applications. Micralyne is a leading provider of MEMS sensors and other microstructures that differentiate exciting applications such as Internet of Things (IoT) devices, implantable medical devices, and optical communications. The addition of SPTS' system will allow Micralyne to offer its MEMS customers a broader range of process technologies and production capabilities with improved throughput and yield.

Silicon Sensing expands MEMS foundry, aims to deliver five-fold increase in output

Silicon Sensing Systems announced that it will expand its MEMS foundry in Japan, moving into a new purpose-built facility, reportedly allowing the company to meet significantly increased demand for its MEMS inertial sensors and sputtered thin film PZT MEMS device wafers. The new facility will increase floorspace to 3,000 square meters, which will immediately more than double current wafer throughput and deliver scope for a five-fold increase in output over the next five years, in line with the company's current market growth predictions. To keep up with the volume and price pressures in the thin film PZT MEMS sector, Silicon Sensing said it is already expanding its 8-inch wafer line production. This expansion forms part of a major two-year investment program which will upgrade tooling, capabilities, and capacity, and comes as Silicon Sensing celebrates 20 years in the MEMS business during which time the company has delivered over 30 million devices worldwide.

MEMS foundry Micralyne appoints new President and CEO

The company has named John Harley, PhD, as President and CEO. Dr. Harley joined Micralyne in 2016 as Vice President of Technical Marketing and Business Development. His leadership and expertise in MEMS product development, technology transfer, business development, and strategic marketing have enabled Micralyne to excel in the MEMS market. Additionally, his technical insight has enabled the company's customers to apply the most advanced manufacturing capabilities in the biomedical, optical, and industrial markets. In his new role as President and CEO, Dr. Harley will bring his extensive MEMS technical and market experience to propel Micralyne to the next level.

Self-assembled monolayers: adapting the functionality of MEMS devices in future technologies

by Tony McKie
CEO, memsstar

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are a material that has come to the fore in a number of applications, such as biological and consumer electronics, as they have a wide usage scope. This article reviews SAM materials, their deposition methods, and the potential applications of these films.  At its core, a self-assembled monolayer is a molecule of two halves: a head group and a tail group. The head group is typically the functional side of the molecule, whose function is dictated by the head group itself. In some cases, this could be a molecule that allows for the binding of biological material in a lab-on-chip type of application. Another use could be to modify the surface energy that is present on the device surface itself in such a way as to reject the buildup of moisture on the sample surface, thus making the surface hydrophobic.

MEMS wafer maker Plan Optik launches new brand for stock products

In order to serve the high demand of wafers with fixed specifications more quickly, MEMS and semiconductor wafer maker Plan Optik has founded a new brand called Wafer Universe (https://waferuniverse.com), to provide off the shelf products. In addition to Plan Optik's main business of customized wafers, Wafer Universe is going to handle the range of stock products. By separating those two business areas and optimizing processes, Plan Optik says that Wafer Universe will be able to offer the shortest quotation and delivery time. There is a large variety of high-quality wafers made of different materials and in different sizes available from stock.

MEMS foundry SilTerra receives automotive certification

SilTerra, a leading CMOS and MEMS pure-play wafer foundry in Malaysia announced this week that it has received the IATF 16949:2016 automotive certification from SGS (Societe Generale de Surveillance), a world leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company with headquarters located in Geneva, Switzerland. The IATF 16949:2016 was launched in October 2016 to supersede and replace ISO/TS 16949 and it represents an evolution for quality management in the automotive industry. Manufacturers with the IATF 16949 certification are recognized for their ability to meet the demands of automotive manufacturing, promising superior process integration, customer confidence, and product performance.

SilTerra expands MEMS-on-CMOS platform for new applications

As the largest foundry in Malaysia, SilTerra has been developing its MEMS-on-CMOS platform and expanding it into new applications such as PMUTs for medical and fingerprint sensors, SAWs for timing devices, and BAWs for short range wireless RF transceivers. The company works with clients on basic proof of concepts, custom device prototype development, manufacturability assessments and volume production. We recently spoke with Arjun Kumar Kantimahanti, Senior Vice President of SilTerra’s MEMS, Sensors, and Life Sciences Business Unit.  In this detailed interview, we discuss SilTerra's history, it's current MEMS program, as well as it's roadmap and plans for the future.  We also spoke about emerging applications enabled by optical, RF, and ultrasonic MEMS devices. 

Sensors and FHE need each other: a look inside a key relationship

by Wilfried Bair
VP of Engineering, NextFlex

Flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) and sensor technologies are a perfect match for each other. Nearly every current application of FHE technology that either NextFlex or our partners are working on involve sensors, so it’s beneficial for both platforms to grow and thrive alongside each other. Of course, these benefits ultimately carry down to the applications that use both FHE and sensors, such as chemical sensing systems and human health/fitness monitoring devices. When we drill down into this topic, it shows a unique symbiotic relationship that’s critical to the development of next-generation manufacturing.

MEMS foundry IMT receives majority investment from Cerium Technology

Innovative Micro Technology (IMT) announced this week a majority equity financing led by Cerium Technology, an investment firm focused on innovation in the IoT market. IMT is a well-established player in the design and manufacture of MEMS devices. MEMS technology leverages the precision and scale of semiconductor wafer manufacturing to make micro and nano scale structures on silicon or glass that significantly improve the performance of devices that perform physical functions. IMT is one of the leading independent MEMS manufacturers in North America, partnering with innovative system vendors and fabless device firms worldwide to create and sustain competitive advantage. Proceeds from the financing will be used to increase R&D investments in the company's standard process platforms, upgrade existing equipment, and to complete the installation of IMT's new 8-inch wafer fabrication line.

Printed sensors and electronics: development challenges and emerging applications

As new sensor technologies continue to proliferate in existing and emerging applications, one especially promising area is printed-electronic sensors. We recently spoke with Dan Brewer, Executive Director of Marketing and Intellectual Property at Brewer Science, an active participant and one of the early entrants into this technology segment. The privately held company is based in Rolla, Missouri and was founded by Dr. Terry Brewer in 1981. The company got its start in semiconductor materials and specifically in materials used in front-end processes. They still claim to hold the largest market share in anti-reflective coatings for semiconductors, and they produce 70-80 types of materials used in lithography processes. From front-end materials, the company expanded to back-end advanced packaging materials, and from there to printed electronics.