MEMS OEM D
ata from ABI Research indicates that strong growth in the MEMS market over the next five years will result in nearly five billion MEMS being shipped during 2016.1
MEMS growth
will likely come from consumer applications driven by mobile computing and gaming.
Today, MEMS are found in smartphones, netbooks, media tablets, eReaders, games consoles, handheld gaming platforms and cars. Novelty applications for MEMS devices, bioMEMS are an example, are also becoming increasingly popular. Devices are getting even more feature rich, adding secondary capabilities to functions already in place. More often than not, more than one MEMS will reside in any given consumer device. For example, instead of just one silicon microphone, you now have a minimum of two, one for voice recognition and one for background noise reduction.
As MEMS become vital components in an increasing number of devices, the market is entering a transition phase from R&D to volume manufacturing where high yield and cost-effective manufacturing become increasingly critical. Successful development of full-scale manufacturing lines remains a work-in-progress that will involve identification of best practices, standardization of manufacturing technologies and best-in-breed equipment and process technology that can make production more cost-effective, even as products become increasingly complex.
Key Considerations for MEMS Manufacturing
Process integration is an issue of primary importance in MEMS processing, largely due to the lack of standards employed in MEMS manufacturing. The MEMS manufacturing industry appears to be following a similar path to that of the semiconductor industry, which migrated from a lack of standards to a state whereby all devices are manufactured using standard process techniques that are well-defined and characterized. The MEMS industry’s ability to standardize, however, is considerably more complex due to the abundance of processing techniques and early stage IP protection.
In MEMS manufacturing, process integration is even more important than in semiconductor manufacturing due to the nature of the MEMS structures. The structure determines the suitability of the material and the processing technique. RF MEMS with metal, for example, need subsequent low temperature processes and processing techniques compatible with metals to avoid corrosion, etc. The complexity of a MEMS structure therefore leads to many variables. Performance in terms of uniformity, repeatability, etch/deposition rate, control, suitability to the structure being made and ease of manufacture are all key considerations for etch and surface preparation when developing a MEMS manufacturing process.
Making a success of MEMS
MEMS has being regarded by many as a future opportunity but there were those who recognised the diverse potential that was on offer. Tony McKie, General Manager of memsstar provides an OEM perspective how an approach that supports MEMS development, process integration and manufacturing has led to success.
24
www.siliconsemiconductor.net Issue III 2012
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40