Systems and Technologies for Emerging Micro Sensors and Applications

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The demand for miniature and high performance sensors and systems has been growing over the last decade. This is evident in many systems around us, notably in mobile phones which are becoming sophisticated environmental stations, with so many sensors such as pressure, humidity, accelerometers, etc.Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) are at the core of this recent "revolution". As a simple point of reference, the global micro-sensors and actuators market is expected to grow by ~$7 billion (~11 billion sensors) over the next 5 years [IC Insight, April 2014]. This growth needs to be supported by numerous technical innovations on many fronts, specifically i) the level of miniaturization and overall size, ii) the performance of the different constituents of a sensor chip (mechanical, electrical,.), iii) cost, iv) packaging, etc.We plan on pursuing 3 major research thrusts in parallel, with the aim of developing novel and breakthrough solutions that address the opportunities discussed above:1. NEW MEMS PROCESSES DEVELOPMENT ">THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH PERFORMANCE AND NEW MEMS SENSORS AND DEVICESWhile many MEMS sensors already exist, there is a great interest and demand for higher performance sensors, and for completely new types of sensors, either to replace already existing solutions in smaller form factors, or with higher performance, or both. We will not focus on sensing devices only, but we will also pursue other micro devices that can clearly benefit from our MEMS technology. 3. DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF CUTTING-EDGE INTEGRATED CIRCUIT FRONT-ENDSAlmost every micro-mechanical sensor or actuator requires high quality, and often specifically dedicated supporting electronics. In addition to the MEMS development activities described above, we will pursue the development of new sensing/control integrated circuit solutions that would augment the MEMS devices, resulting in fully functional smart chips.