3D InCites In Brief – December 14

Originally posted on 3D InCites’ Francoise in 3D blog

Dear 3D InCites Members,

Whew – well just as I expected, last week was information overload! I tried to keep up as best as I could. Here are the blog posts that resulted. One overriding theme that came up all the events (IEDM 2011, GSA’s 3D EDA Interest Group and  3-D Architectures for Semiconductor Integration and Packaging) was the importance of communication and collaboration to bring 3D integration to industrialization. This is exactly the sentiment we make an effort to promote here on 3D InCites, and so I have set up an online discussion for those who attended (or wished they’d been able to attend) to express their perspectives and opinions, or to ask questions that should  be addressed.  Although I didn’t recruit a panel this time, I’m hoping to get participation “from the floor.”

Continue to full post

MEMS technology roadmap: Demand for smaller, lower cost devices drives major technology trends for next decade

Contributed by Dr Eric Mounier, Project Manager, Yole Développement

MEMS may still be largely a one product, one process business, but customers across diverse applications share a common set of demands for smaller devices with better performance at lower cost.

And that will drive the industry towards new assembly solutions for tighter integration and more standard process modules over the next decade. Yole Développement see most common applications shrinking to 1mm2 or 2mm2 die or smaller by 2020, and price points continuing on a sharp downward path, driving demand for 3D TSV, active capping, thin film capping, and CMOS MEMS technologies going forward. Cost and time-to-market pressures will also favor increased reliance on standard process modules….

Automotive MEMS Sensor Market to Reach Record High in 2010

Contributed by Richard Dixon, PhD , Senior Analyst MEMS and Sensors, iSuppli

Driven by the rapid recovery in automotive production and inventory rebuilding among sensor component suppliers, the market for automotive MEMS sensors will expand to record size in 2010, according to iSuppli H2 2010 Automotive MEMS market tracker.

Marking a new high point for the industry, shipments of automotive MEMS sensors will reach 662.3 million units in 2010, up a robust 32.1 percent from 501.2 million units in 2009. The projected year-end levels—including the replenishment of inventory pipelines that were depleted during the recession of 2009—will exceed even the pre-crisis high point in 2007 of 640 million sensors, iSuppli data research shows.

“The recovery in automotive MEMS shipments represents a happy turnaround from the depressed levels of 2009 when shipments cratered and reached a nadir, and the years ahead will provide additional room for expansion,” said Richard Dixon, senior analyst for MEMS and sensors at iSuppli.

MAYBE THE “S” WORD ISN’T SUCH A BAD WORD AFTER ALL

Encouraged by recent efforts by MIG and its MEMS testing standards steering committee, SEMI’s Paula Doe sat down with several MIG members to talk about MEMS testing protocols. As more MEMS companies adopt the fabless business model, the balance between the need for a common language, measurement parameters, and test techniques while still protecting a company’s process – or special sauce – is increasingly critical. Paula’s article demonstrates the value proposition of MIG’s project. Some of these protocols already exist and our goal is not to reinvent the wheel. MIG is shining a light on existing protocols and naming them what they really are – MEMS Standards. Ah, that wasn’t so hard to say…

I encourage you to comment below and post your thoughts. Better yet, join us at one of two of our MEMS testing standards workshops. The first is an informal meeting in Cancun during IEEE MEMS on January 26, 2011 from 5-6:30. Stop by booth 35 to see MIG’s Karen Lightman and NIST’s Michael Gaitan. They’ll give you all the details. For a moderated working-group-format discussion about MEMS inertial sensor testing protocols, join us in San Jose on March 16, 2011 the day before MIG’s annual members’ meeting M2M. For complete details, and to register, visit the MIG web site.

Maturing MEMS Sector Moves towards Common Testing Protocols

By Paula Doe, SEMI Emerging Markets, originally posted on SEMI’s website

MEMS folks haven’t typically had use for cooperating on standards efforts, with the wide variety of diverse mechanical structures they make, and the process technology IP that’s still a core competitive advantage. But the maturing sector is starting to see an increasing need for a common language of testing and characterization to help ease communication with outsiders, both outside manufacturing partners and the ever-wider range of customers not expert in MEMS.