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Contact: Jean-Philippe Polizzi (jean-philippe.polizzi@cea.fr)
Rapidly developing MEMS mean smarter, cheaper sensors
Silicon-based MEMS sensors continue to develop in the automotive and consumer electronics sectors. Using its expertise in RF communications and power management, Leti is looking for new applications for these sensors as the technology develops.
Here is a look at the current state of the microsystems market:
The automotive market remains the most important user of MEMS sensors, led initially by accelerometers for airbags and pressure sensors for flat-tire detection.
The combination of several sensors in one unit can support advanced safety and handling features. The market grows as costs and sizes decline and each new application diffuses from luxury brands into economy-minded vehicles.
The enormous success of the Wii game console and the iPhone showed that consumers welcome devices that can understand movement through space.
More sophisticated sensors and autonomous sensor networks are beginning to be used in military and medical applications (communications, energy harvesting, and power management).
Leti: a solution for each challenge
Validating and following production of packaging
MEMS sensors must be protected from the environment yet remain open to the desired input. The FHUSE high-sensitivity humidity detector, developed with Freescale, offers 1-ppm sensitivity based on the change in capacitance with moisture absorption of common dielectrics like SiOC.
Detecting vehicle acceleration and rotation
Leti is working to develop a single-die 3D gyrometer that uses both vertical and horizontal electrodes in a thick SOI layer. This allows it to detect both rotation and acceleration. Incorporating both in a single die reduces costs and simplifies packaging.
Reducing the size of MEMS to decrease costs
Leti has succeeded in combining MEMS and NEMS (nano-electromechanical systems) technology so that devices can use a thick film for the inertial mass, with a much thinner and lighter nanoscale resonator. This approach can deliver comparable resolution and makes it easier to design combined devices like 3D gyrometers.
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