MEMS-NEWS

MEMS hydrogen fuel cell

2010-05-15T11:59:00.000-07:00

Tango Systems Joins Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) Consortium, Continues With 10th Electronic Packaging Research Consortium

2010-05-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

Tango Systems, In, a leading manufacturer of high-performance PVD systems, has joined the Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) Consortium launched by The Institute of Microelectronics (IME), a research institute of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), on April 8th 2010.

"Tango Systems has been an active member of two key consortiums, MEMS and EPRC-10, launched by IME. The aim of the MEMS Consortium is to bring the emerging technologies of MEMS into manufacturing in Singapore and EPRC-10 is to address the integration challenges of 3-dimensional (3D) packaging technologies. We have seen promising results working with Tango Systems," said Dr. Rakesh Kumar, Deputy Lab Director (Semiconductor Process Technology) of The Institute of Microelectronics. More info ...

UCLA gets 5.5Million $ to develop new rotating microscale motors

2010-05-15T11:52:00.000-07:00

If you've ever used an iPhone, a Wii video game or an automobile airbag, you've benefited from micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology, in which arrays of tiny devices mounted on computer chips — many no larger than the width of a human hair — are able to sense and respond to changes in heat, light, motion, sound or other external stimuli.

Now, the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science has been awarded $5.5 million from the U.S. Defense Department's central research and development agency to advance MEMS technology for use in defense systems.

The four-and-a-half-year grant from the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) will fund research by UCLA engineers to create electrically connected, rotating microscale More info

MEMS oscillators cracking mass market

2010-05-12T05:23:00.000-07:00

Adding a keen ability to sense motion, MEMS have started moving into cell phones, the largest single product category in consumer electronics in terms of unit sales. The MEMS market "boomed" with the entry into cell phones, Strauss said.
Nasiri says the MPU-3000 will add "touch anywhere" and other features to cell phones. Users will be able to turn on and off smart phone applications with a touch, and "zoom in and out just by moving your wrist," he said.
MPU-3000 MEMS will address another problem faced by makers of smart phones and tablet computers. More info...

MEMS Putting Smart Phones Into Motion

2010-05-12T04:54:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder how a car's air bag deploys, or how those wireless game controllers work, or what keeps your digital camera stable as you snap a photo?

The answer is electronic gizmos that are being used in more and more products: MEMS, micro-electromechanical systems, which combine circuitry with tiny, nano-scale gears on a sliver of silicon. They usually act as a sensor.

MEMS are being used more often because they use less space, cost less and work better than the alternative — separate chips and mechanical parts. More info ...

MEMS device generates power from body heat

2010-05-04T05:11:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to develop a power source that is compact, environmentally friendly, and has an unlimited lifetime, a team of researchers from Singapore has fabricated an energy harvesting device that generates electricity from body heat or any environment where there is a temperature gradient. Their device, called a thermoelectric power generator, attaches to the body and generates a power output of a few microwatts, which could be useful for powering implanted medical devices and wireless sensors.
The entire generator consists of a chip with a size of 1 x 1 cm², which holds more than 30,000 thermocouples. The thermocouples, when arranged in groups called thermopiles, detect a temperature difference between the hot and cold junctions and produce a voltage. With a temperature difference of 5K, the device can generate a voltage of 16.7 volts and a power output of 1.3 microwatts. For more info ...

ANALOG DEVICES’ LOW-POWER MEMS ACCELEROMETER RECEIVES DESIGN NEWS MAGAZINE GOLDEN MOUSETRAP AWARD

2010-05-04T04:47:00.000-07:00

Analog Devices (ADI), a global leader in high-performance semiconductors for signal-processing applications, has received a Golden Mousetrap Award for Best Product from Design News magazine for the ADXL 345 digital iMEMS accelerometer. The three-axis motion sensor was recognized in the Motion Control/Automation category for its ultra-low-power, high-resolution performance. The ADXL345 was developed specifically for space- and power-constrained portable devices including handheld medical and industrial devices, mobile gaming systems, smart phones, digital still cameras, and other battery-operated electronics.

MEMS for real: high-fidelity microphones - ELEKTOR.com

2010-05-04T04:44:00.000-07:00

Analog Devices has created two MEMS microphones that enable advanced audio functions for portable electronics. These functions include high-fidelity audio/video playback, hands free communication, and voice recognition with built-in wind noise suppression, and TIA-920-compliance for VoIP applications.

The ADMP 404 and ADMP405 iMEMS microphones offer SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) of 62 dB A-weighted and PSRR (power supply rejection ratio) of 70 dBV with integrated high-pass filtering. The devices are available in a 3.35 mm × 2.50 mm × 0.88 mm surface-mount package for more info...

Why Apple is fond of MEMS sensors ?

2010-05-04T04:35:00.000-07:00

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensor applications continued warming, especially in the iPad advent of smart phones to expand coverage, as well as three games Depot efforts to promote movement sensing products driven by penetration is bound to steadily increased . According to research agency iSuppli pointed out that, despite the recession in 2009, MEMS sensors in cell phones and consumer electronics sales continue growth trend of 7.6%, from 1.1 billion in 2008 increased from 1.1 billion in 2009, 9,000 million dollar.

MEMSIC Scheduled to Report First Quarter 2010 Results on May 11, 2010

2010-04-26T02:56:00.001-07:00

ANDOVER, Mass., Apr 19, 2010 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- MEMSIC, Inc. /quotes/comstock/15*!mems/quotes/nls/mems (MEMS 3.49, +0.06, +1.75%) , a leading MEMS solution provider, today announced that it will release financial results for the first quarter 2010 after the market closes on Tuesday, May 11, 2010. Management will hold a conference call and webcast at 5:00 p.m. ET that day to review and discuss the Company's results. More info...

Analog Devices Introduces High-Performance MEMS Microphones

2010-04-26T02:52:00.000-07:00

NORWOOD, Mass., Apr 22, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Many of today's portable electronic devices are on the cusp of an audio revolution. While in recent years designers have focused on the development of exciting new functions, such as wireless Internet access and mobile TV reception, advancement of audio functions has lagged behind. Analog Devices, Inc. /quotes/comstock/13*!adi/quotes/nls/adi (ADI 30.67, +0.25, +0.82%) , well known for delivering superior high-performance audio signal processing technology, has created two new MEMS microphones that enable advanced audio functions for portable electronics. These functions include high-fidelity audio/video playback, hands free communication, and voice recognition with built-in wind noise suppression, and TIA-920-compliance for VoIP applications. More info

Coventor to Provide Overview of "MEMS for the Mainstream" Strategy at Globalpress Electronics Summit

2010-04-26T02:51:00.000-07:00

CARY, NC, Apr 19, 2010 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Coventor, Inc., (http://www.coventor.com/) the leading supplier of solutions for developing micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), will discuss its strategy for integrating MEMS-based design approaches with traditional IC design flows at the upcoming Globalpress Electronics Summit, April 27 in Santa Cruz, California. Coventor president and CEO Mike Jamiolkowski will be part of a panel discussion entitled "MEMS is Hot" that will include leading MEMS device and infrastructure suppliers such as Analog Devices, Applied Materials, Bosch Sensortec and Kionix. MEMS Industry Group, the trade association representing the MEMS industry, collaborated with Globalpress to bring this elite panel together. Moreinfo..

MEMS for Tilt Measurement and Headlight Leveling

2009-07-13T11:18:00.000-07:00

High-intensity discharge (HID) headlights improve the safety of night driving by projecting light further down the road and increasing the time available for reaction to problems. Typical HID systems project up to 3,500 lumens, while older halogen systems produce a maximum of 2,100 lumens.

Although HID headlights improve the safety of night driving for users, they can cause glare and can (briefly) blind the driver of an oncoming vehicle on any two-lane road. This makes it more difficult for approaching drivers to identify pedestrians and other road hazards. For example, four percent of respondents to a survey cited glare as contributing to their accident; the problem can often be worse for older people or anyone with a vision impairment. More info...

iPhone, Palm Pre, BlackBerry Boost Popularity of Accelerometer Technology

2009-07-13T10:51:00.000-07:00

Expect accelerometers to be in one-third of mobile phones by 2010 and to reach sales of $1.6 billion in 2013, says iSuppli. The popularity of this screen-orienting feature has been encouraged by the Apple iPhone, Palm Pre and BlackBerry Storm, to name just a few of the devices they're now inside. More info ...

Energy harvesting at Holst Research Centre

2009-07-13T10:48:00.000-07:00

Vibrational energy harvesting

Both piezoelectric and electrostatic energy harvesters are developed using micromachining with complete MEMS microgenerators a focus and at least 100 microwatts/cm2 an objective. Both PZT and AlN materials are used and two concepts of electrostatic generator are being explored. Electrostatic, otherwise known as capacitive harvesting becomes attractive at micro scale where the most attractive bulk forms of harvesting - photovoltaics and electrodynamics, cease to be scalable. Already a world record for power output has been achieved. More info...

Smart Material Systems and MEMS: Design and Development Methodologies

2009-07-08T11:43:00.000-07:00

Presenting unified coverage of the design and modeling of smart micro- and macrosystems, this book addresses fabrication issues and outlines the challenges faced by enginee working with smart senso in a variety of applications.Part I deals with the fundamental concepts of a typical smart system and its constituent components. Preliminary fabrication and characterization concepts are introduced before design principles are discussed in detail. Part III presents a comprehensive account of the modeling of smart systems, smart senso and actuato. Part IV builds upon the fundamental concepts to analyze fabrication techniques for silicon-based MEMS in more detail.Practicing enginee will benefit from the detailed assessment of applications in communications technology, aerospace, biomedical and mechanical engineering. The book provides an essential reference or textbook for graduates following a coue in smart senso, actuato and systems.

Download link : http://yourfileplace.com/files/532852/0470093617.rar.html

Cost a Major Challenge for Advanced Packaging Solutions

2009-07-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

To many in the semiconductor industry, the importance of packaging, assembly and test is becoming increasingly obvious. Over the past several years, IDMs have seen the price of silicon fabrication fall, while the cost of packaging, assembly and test has steadily been on the rise. As much attention as is paid to cost savings realized through improvements in front-end manufacturing, today there is likely just as much to be gained in looking for improvements in final manufacturing. More info ...

MEMS-Based Switch Features Remote Control

2009-07-08T11:38:00.000-07:00

Allowing the user to access two separate devices via connection through the common port with manual pushbutton or RS232 remote serial control, the MEMS-based M6288 fiber-optic mirror A/B switch from Electro Standards Laboratories features duplex multimode ST ports with a fiber size of 62.5/125 micron. The 1300-nm mirror switch supports a gigabyte data rate. Power-loss protection permits the M6288 to default to the A position and continue to pass data. More info...

Reportlinker Adds Global and China MEMS Industry Report, 2008-2009

2009-07-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

MEMS, abbreviated for Micro Electro Mechanical Systems, is a semiconductor technology integrating mechanics and electronics, which got widely applied for auto airbag preliminarily, and then for all the other auto industries via MEMS sensor. With the further development of MEMS technology, as well as the characteristics of application terminals such as lightness, thinness, shortness and smallness, the demand for small MEMS products with high performance shoots up, and the fields like consumer electronics and medical care also increasingly require large quantity MEMS products. More info...

New Packaging Dimensions, Frontiers

2009-04-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

No longer confined to the "back end" of manufacturing, packaging technologies are very much at the fore of industry thinking as industry technologists look to address the challenges of increasingly complex devices. ICs at 22 nm design rules, 3-D designs, MEMS devices, and emerging technologies such as biomedical applications are among the key drivers shaping advanced packaging technologies, and are part of the technology showcase at SEMICON West 2009. More info...