MEMS Journal -- The Largest MEMS Publication in the World

RF MEMS maker Sofant Technologies signs $8.2 million contract with European Space Agency

Scottish radio technology company, Sofant Technologies, has received significant financial backing ($8.2 million) from the UK Space Agency (UKSA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) to support the commercialization of its low-cost, low-power satellite communications platform. Applying its RF MEMS technology, the company says its platform solves the most pressing power consumption and heat problems faced by the next generation of 5G and satellite communications systems. The funding from the European Space Agency, secured under an Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) contract, will enable the company to complete the commercialization of a satellite communication terminal, allowing users to connect to the cloud via a new generation of low-latency, super-fast satellite networks.

Tronics and Airbus Group partner on RF MEMS switch development

Tronics, a designer and manufacturer of nano and microsystems, and Airbus Group, a multinational aerospace and defense corporation, announced this week their partnership for the development of capacitive RF MEMS switches and circuits.  Under this agreement, Tronics accesses Airbus Group's patent portfolio through an exclusive license for the development of a technology platform for RF MEMS switches.  This platform will serve Airbus Group business units, as well as any other company wishing to manufacture nPnT switches or custom circuits, such as tunable filters, switch matrices and switched delay lines.

DelfMEMS raises $7.4 million for RF MEMS switch development

DelfMEMS, a startup company that has been developing RF MEMS switching solutions, announced this week that the company has secured $7.4 million in round C funding. The company said that the new investment will be used to support the company's growth in the next generation, wireless front-end modules for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets that need multi-standard, multi-mode mobile telephony.

RF MEMS: an overview of packaging techniques

by Jacopo Iannacci, Ph.D.
Researcher, Fondazione Bruno Kessler

In developing packaging solutions for MEMS and RF MEMS devices, one must take several considerations into account. First, the main task of the package is to offer adequate protection to the devices from harmful factors, such as mechanical shocks as well as moisture, dust particles, and various contaminants.  Depending on devices types and on the operational environment, the packaged part should be robust with respect to the harmful external factors. Depending on the application, different materials can be utilized such as silicon, glass, and ceramics. For each type of material, one needs to apply different techniques to set up the electrical signal interconnection scheme as well as the necessary space to accommodate the devices to be packaged.

DelfMEMS raises $10.5 million, hires new CEO

A group of European investment funds announced an investment in DelfMEMS, a developer of MEMS based switching solutions for applications in the RF communications field.  The funding of $10.5 million, of which $4.5 million from the FSN PME, will enable DelfMEMS to accelerate the commercialization of its products.  The company also announced the appointment of Guillaume d'Essautier as CEO.

MEMS for tunable RF applications: has the time finally come?

Everybody seems to be using their mobile phones for their business and social lives these days, so each new model brings increasingly more features to our portable devices. The problem is that all these new uses bring an explosion of frequency bands that must be packed into one portable device. This can lead to dropped calls and slower web browsing, frustrating users. The answer, according to San Jose, Calif.-based Cavendish Kinetics, is the company's tunable RF MEMS technology that provides 3G and 4G networks with improved RF communication. The company has raised a $10 million financing round with Qualcomm and other investors. We recently caught up with Dennis Yost, Cavendish Kinetics' CEO, to learn more.

RF MEMS switch market: overview and emerging trends

Expectations of the use of RF MEMS devices for mobile phone applications have gone through many cycles of hope and disappointment.  We may now be finally entering in the mass adoption phase with the first high-volume application, WiSpry’s MEMS based tunable impedance matching device, incorporated in one of Samsung's new phones.

RF MEMS devices promise to bring significant benefits to both consumers and cell phone network operators.  These benefits include fewer dropped calls, faster data transmission rates, improved reception and enhanced power efficiency.  Use in mobile phones and tablets is projected to expand the RF MEMS market by a factor of 200 by 2015, according to IHS iSuppli.  Sales of RF MEMS devices are expected to increase from $720,000 in 2011 to a projected $150 million in 2015.

DelfMEMS, an RF MEMS switch developer based in France, is expected to be among the players in this rush to commercialize RF MEMS devices for handset and tablet applications.  MEMS Journal recently interviewed Olivier Millet, founder and CEO of DelfMEMS.  We discussed the challenges involved in integrating RF MEMS devices into handsets, viable insertions points, product roadmaps, and competition from MEMS and non-MEMS technology providers.

RF MEMS for smartphones: what are the best opportunities?

As smartphones and tablets continue to drive the sales of MEMS devices for consumer electronics, most of the focus thus far has been on inertial sensors – MEMS accelerometers and gyroscopes.  Additionally, MEMS based microphones and pressure sensors are seeing continually increasing adoption.  RF MEMS technologies, on the other hand, have not been incorporated in any smartphone or tablet device in high volume until very recently.  WiSpry, a leading RF MEMS component maker, is the first company ever to ship RF MEMS in volume for a smartphone OEM – the company’s first customer is Samsung and shipments began in September 2011.  We recently spoke with Jeff Hilbert, WiSpry’s President and Founder, about the ongoing RF MEMS developments and opportunities for smartphone applications.  In this detailed interview, Mr. Hilbert discusses the key business drivers for RF MEMS use in consumer electronics, current “pain points” for smartphone OEMs, most viable insertion points, competing technology alternatives, bill-of-material impacts, as well as the competitive landscape.

MEMS foundry Silex joins $17.5 million program to develop RF solutions for 4G mobile systems

Silex Microsystems, the world's largest pure-play MEMS foundry, announced this week that it has joined an international European Union-funded program aimed at developing a new technology platform for advanced RF solutions for 4G base stations and mobile handsets.  The program, "Energy-efficient piezo MEMS tunable RF front-end antenna systems for mobile devices," or EPAMO, is developing new technologies to realize future high performance RF systems, energy efficient mobile communication systems, highly miniaturized and integrated RF components, and cost efficient solutions to the mobile phone industry.  Silex's contributions in this effort include high performance metal through-silicon vias (TSVs) for RF applications, PZT piezoelectric thin film technologies for actuator manufacture, and advanced integrated passive devices utilizing through-wafer processing and advanced materials development.

Tronics to manufacture RF MEMS switches for DelfMEMS

DelfMEMS announced this week that since early 2011 it has collaborated with Tronics' MEMS fab in Dallas, Texas on the RF MEMS switch process transfer and platform qualification.  With steady progress made over the past six months, DelfMEMS and Tronics say they will be able to address the high capacity needs of RF module makers for the cellular handset market.  DelfMEMS, based in France, said that its selection process among US, European and Asian MEMS foundries was undertaken in late 2010 and the company then identified Tronics as the best positioned company to meet DelfMEMS' RF switch technology process requirements.  Tronics' thin film capping solution and business sourcing channels were also attractive.