Microvision establishes first global R&D center in ... - I-Micronews

THE DISRUPTIVE SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGIES MAGAZINE 

ISSUE N°112 MAY 11, 2011 

Copyrights © Yole Développement SA. All rights reserved - Recycled paper 

E D I T O R I A L 

PiezoMEMS 

market is 

forecasted 

to grow 

In this issue of Micronews, I encourage you 

to have a look at the SolMateS’ news. 

SolMateS is a Dutch company that has 

recently received a three million dollar 

investment for the final stage of development 

of their piezoelectric deposition machine. 

This confirms a trend we recently identified: 

a “reborn” of the interest for piezo actuated 

MEMS device using ferroelectric thin films. 

Indeed, such thin films have been used for 

many years in Integrated Passives Devices 

(IPDs), Ferroelectric memories (FeRAM) and 

MEMS inkjet heads. Such thin films can be 

used for their different physical properties: 

ferroelectric, piezoelectric or pyroelectric 

properties. 

Today, because of a better knowledge and 

industrialization of these materials, they are 

increasingly used in many new applications, 

and especially in the MEMS field. We can 

name a few of them: MEMS wafer level 

autofocus, RF MEMS, MEMS ultrasonic 

transducers, infrared sensors…..Driven by 

existing and new MEMS applications, we 

have estimated the production of ferroelectric 

thin films will undergo a CAGR of +7.5 % over 

2010-2015. Inkjet head application and IPDs 

ESD/EMI planar capacitor represent more 

than 90% of the production in 2010 but other 

applications will grow strongly. In the next 5 

years, we have identified many new players 

who plan to adopt or evaluate ferroelectric 

thin films to enter into key markets, from 

MEMS SMEs to large InkJet Heads/IPD 

groups. 

Yole Développement thinks this is really good 

news for equipment/materials makers as well. 

Dr. Éric Mounier 

Editor-in-chief 

PLATINUM PARTNERS 

MEMS 

Microvision establishes first global R&D center 

in Singapore 

New R&D center to develop breakthrough innovations in laser display and imaging 

for mobile, automotive, and medical applications. 

The research facility, located on NTU's sprawling 

200-hectare green campus, will focus on 

developing innovative breakthrough products 

using MicroVision's PicoP ® Display technology. 

MicroVision plans to staff the new R&D facility with up 

ADVANCED PACKAGING 

STATS ChipPAC was one of the fi rst Outsourced 

Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) 

providers to invest in TSV technology with a 

51,000 square foot research and development facility 

dedicated to the development of next generation wafer 

level integration with TSV technology. 

One of the fi rst implementations of TSV technology is 

in the form of silicon interposers used to bridge 2D 

silicon designs into more advanced and effi cient 3D 

configurations. Often referred to as the 2.5D 

technology, TSV interposers are an immediate and 

practical approach to die level integration using the 

capabilities of TSV technology. TSV interposers 

The purpose of the fund is to provide growth 

fi nancing for young, promising nanotechnology 

companies in the administrative district Perm. 

Nanostart AG will invest up to 25 percent of the fund 

volume, 12.5 million euros, as well as manage the fund. 

C O N T E N T S 

•COWIN 3 

•MEMS 8 

•MICROFLUIDICS 12 

•COMPOUND SEMICONDUCTORS 14 

•PHOTONICS 15 

to 25 engineers by 2012 to work on advanced research 

and development projects, perform operational support 

functions, and build upon the company's current 

industry leading portfolio of over 500 

patents issued and pending… 

STATS ChipPAC expands 300mm Through Silicon 

Via capabilities 

STATS ChipPAC announced it is expanding its 300mm TSV offering with the 

addition of mid-end manufacturing capabilities. 

NANOTECHNOLOGY 

provide fl exibility for the integration of die from different 

technology nodes and deliver advantages in 

miniaturisation, thermal performance and 

fi ne line/width spacing in a semiconductor 

package… 

Nanostart launches nanotechnology fund in Russia 

Together with RUSNANO and the Governor of the administrative district Perm, 

Nanostart is launching a nanotechnology fund in Russia. 

RUSNANO and the governor of Perm are investing 

equal amounts for a total of 37.5 million euros, which 

represents 75 percent of the fund volume. 

•PHOTOVOLTAIC 16 

•ADVANCED PACKAGING 18 

•NANOTECHNOLOGY 20 

•POWER ELECTRONICS 21 

Y O L E D É V E L O P P E M E N T 

Free registration on 

www.i-micronews.com 

8 

18 

2.5D silicon interposer "PoP module" demonstrator 

from STATS ChipPAC 

20 

1

MAY 2011 issue n°112 


TO MEET US 

CS Mantech - Palm Springs, CA - 

May 17 to 20, 2011 

Join the CS-MANTECH conference at the Hyatt 

Grand Champions Resort & Spa and bring 

yourself up-to-date on the latest in compound 

semiconductor (GaAs, GaN, SiC and related 

materials) manufacturing processes. Full Details 

including Advance Program on the website. 

PCIM Europe - Nuremberg, Germany - 

May 17 to 19, 2011 

Visit the leading show in power electronics, 

intelligent motion and power qualify and have a 

look at the comprehensive conference program. 

The visit of the exhibtion is free of charge with 

pre-registration. From 17 – 19 May 2011, 

Nuremberg will be the meeting point for 

international experts from science and industry. 

MEPTEC - 9th Annual MEMS Technology 

Symposium - San Jose, CA - May 19, 2011 

This symposium will bring together experts from 

many of these sectors to tell us not only where we 

are going in the future, but will also address 

specifi c areas that they will need help from 

existing technologies. 

ECTC - Lake Buena Vista, FL - 

May 31 - June 3, 2011 

The premier international packaging, 

components, and microelectronic systems 

technology conference, the Electronic 

Components and Technology Conference 

(ECTC) strives to offer our attendees an 

outstanding array of packaging technology 

information. 

GOLD PARTNERS 

MICRONEWS FINANCE 

Companies composing the Yole Index, May, 2011 

M for Million, MD for Billions 

Companies Sector Currency Symbol Price 06/05/11 Price 04/01/11 Price 01/04/10 Price 16/01/09 Price 01/01/07 jan 4 th - may 1 st 

ANALOG DEVICES Comp $ ADI.N 40,73 37,52 31,67 19,83 32,87 8,50% 

AFFYMETRIX INC Bio Rel Comp $ AFFX.OQ 6,05 4,66 5,9 3,46 23,06 29,80% 

AUSTRIAMICROSYSTEMS Comp CHF AMS.S 48,2 45,3 23,45 12,45 84,25 -6,40% 

CALIPER LIFE SCI Bio Rel Comp $ CALP.O 6,8 6,11 2,64 1,15 5,72 11,30% 

CREE INC Comp $ CREE.O 38,59 66,97 56,84 17,93 17,32 -42,40% 

CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTR Comp $ CY.O 21,14 18,24 10,58 4,83 16,87 15,80% 

ELMOS SEMICONDUCTOR Comp € ELGG.DE 10,73 9,81 6,85 2,05 7,58 9,30% 

HEWLETT PACKARD ( HP ) Comp $ HPQ.N 41,25 43,63 52,45 34,77 41 -5,40% 

INFINEON TECH ADS Comp € IFXGn.de 7,91 7,02 4,1 0,94 14,44 12,60% 

LAM RESEARCH CP Equipment $ LRCX.O 48,71 49,41 39,88 22,17 50,95 -1,40% 

MICRONAS Comp CHF MASN.S 7,96 12,95 4 3,75 26,92 -38,50% 

MELEXIS Comp € MLXS.BR 12,5 13,38 6,84 4,90 13,91 -6,50% 

MEMSIC Comp $ MEMS.0 3,36 3,21 3,34 1,60 1,7 4,60% 

MEMSCAP Comp € MEMS.PA 3,5 4,15 2,26 2,20 21,9 -15,60% 

MENTOR GRAPHICS Software $ MENT.O 14,46 11,96 9,25 5,17 18,37 20,90% 

NANOGATE Nano tech € N7GG.DE 18,5 15,65 21,9 8,80 34,5 18,20% 

NANOPHASE Nano tech $ NANX 1,27 1,26 0,84 0,97 4,9 1,00% 

NANOGEN Bio Rel Comp $ NGEN 0,01 0,1 0,2 0,20 1,87 0,00% 

OERLIKON Mat/equipt CHF OERL.S 7,1 5,34 4,66 7,40 84,95 33,90% 

OKMETIC Material € OKMI.BE 5,46 5,05 3,42 2,46 3,58 8,10% 


CONSULTING 

PLAN OPTIK Material € P40G.DE 3,89 4,06 2,87 1,68 7,35 -4,10% 

PSIVIDA LIMITED Bio Rel Comp $ PSDV.OQ 4,12 5,02 3,69 0,99 1,95 -17,90% 

Q-CELLS Photovoltaic € QCEG.DE 2,61 2,49 11,39 21,40 34,07 4,80% 

RIBER Equipment € RIBE.PA 3,35 2,55 1,3 1,00 2,1 31,30% 

SAES GETTERS Materials € SAEI.MI 7,73 6,92 6,1 6,30 27,63 11,70% 

SUESS MICROTEC Equipment € SMHG.DE 11,73 9,59 4,4 1,37 6,95 37,80% 

SOITEC Material € SOIT.PA 10,44 8,51 10,77 2,92 27,72 22,60% 

SUNPOWER CORPORATION Photovoltaic $ SPWRA 21,34 13,63 23,95 33,62 37,17 56,50% 

STMICROELECTRONICS Comp € STM.PA 7,91 8,1 6,48 4,29 14,07 -2,30% 

PVA TEPLA Equipment € TPEG.DE 4,36 3,91 5,37 2,59 28,45 11,50% 

TESSERA Equipment $ TSRA.O 18,83 21,7 23,81 11,32 4,37 -13,20% 

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS Comp $ TXN.N 35,36 32,67 26,01 15,02 40,34 8,20% 

ULTRATECH INC Equipment $ UTEK.O 30,26 19,27 15,37 10,60 12,48 57,10% 

Find more details on www.I-micronews.com 

Comp for components, Bio Comp for Bio related component, Nano tech for Nanotechnologies 

2



COWIN 

COWIN Marketplace - 14 th -16 th June 2011, Scandic Marina Congress in Helsinki 

Come to COWIN Marketplace to know more about available technologies, on-going innovative projects and funding 

opportunities in smart systems. COWIN is a support action to optimize value creation from European collaborative 

research results in generating business opportunities. 

From Smart phones to smart industrial processes, the trend is set. 

Miniaturised smart systems are becoming more and more key components 

in our private and professional lives. They enable better telecommunications, 

energy effi ciency, sustainable transport, fast and reliable medical diagnostics, 

breakthroughs in healthcare, innovative entertainment… 

Whatever the domain of activity, the market is already asking for Miniaturised 

Smart Systems. 

To optimise your innovation process, join the European network and meet with 

future key partners. Take the chance to access available resources and most of 

all to start interactions with the most suitable operational and fi nancial resources 

related to your needs. 

COWIN Marketplace will be composed of 3 events which participation is 

free of charge: 

• An information session on “Financing major milestones from R&D to market" 

will gather representatives from the European Commission, from the European 

Technology Platform EPoSS, from the investors community and from 

EURIPIDES in order to provide the audience with key elements on support 

initiatives all along the technology value chain. 

14 th June 2011 from 15:00 to 17:30, Room FENNIA I 

• Personal contacts are essential for successful co-operations. COWIN is 

organising a matchmaking event consisting in individual meetings between 

technology providers, integrators and business partners in order to foster 

innovation and to discuss on concrete business opportunities. COWIN will give 

you the chance to optimise your meetings schedule according to your needs. 

14 th -16 th June 2011, Room NORDIA 

• A posters exhibition is the actual core of COWIN Marketplace. In this common 

Euripides-COWIN area, innovative research results from FP6-FP7 projects but 

also on-going projects under the EURIPIDES programme will be given the fl oor 

to present themselves and to raise interests among the audience for further 

partnerships. The poster presenters will be available for questions and 

discussions. Furthermore exhibitors will have the opportunity to bring 

demonstrators to emphasise the impact of the posters. 

14 th -16 th June 2011, Room NORDIA 

to 

me 

About the Smart System Week 

The Smart System Week will take place at the Scandic Marina Congress in 

Helsinki from 14 th to 17 th June 2011. The EURIPIDES Cluster, in close cooperation 

with VTT and TEKES, will present its 5 th Annual Forum, highlight new trends in 

Technology and Business and gather the Smart System Community with 

dedicated events aiming at generating ideas for future businesses. 

A series of workshops will take place on the 14 th June: 

• The EPoSS Key Technologies Working Group will organise a practical workshop 

to elaborate and prepare expression of interests (EOI) and project ideas. 

• The Eemeli Workshop, supported by TEKES and VTT, will focus on helping 

SMEs to get access to Smart Systems Technologies as well as to network 

internationally and to learn to use European funding schemes in creating new 

competitive advantages. 

• Easy access to Microsystems production through contract manufacturing 

services organised by VTT Memsfab. Purpose of the event is to promote 

increasing use of Microsystems, to bridge the gap from lab-to-fab and to offer 

an opportunity to meet foundries. 

Technical visits will be organised on 17 th June 2011: 

Two tours (tour 1: Nokia Research Center, Micronova or tour 2: VTI Technologies, 

Okmetic) will give an overview of Key Finnish research sites as well as industrial 

facilities. 

Mrs. Géraldine Andrieux Gustin 

Mr. Nicolas Gouze 

COWIN Coordinator 

COWIN Communication 

c/o Yole Développement 

c/o VDI/VDE- Innovation + Technik 

andrieux@yole.fr 

nicolas.gouze@vdivde-it.de 

Tel. : +33 6 75 800 829 Tel.: +49 30 310078-209 

www.cowin4u.eu 

About COWIN 

COWIN is a support action launched under the 7 th framework Program for 3 years to strengthen the European competitiveness in miniaturized smart systems. 

This initiative is dedicated to the commercial exploitation of advanced technologies developed in the framework of European collaborative research projects. 

COWIN’s mission is to facilitate take-up of the advanced technologies worthy of investments, in order to capture innovation, win new markets and make a profi t. 

A Smart System Week in Helsinki for 

Creating Innovations and Business 


3



CALL FOR PAPERS 

MEMS – Entering a New Growth Cycle! 

The SEMICON Europe 2011 is the perfect platform for all players in the MEMS/MST industry. The show will be in Dresden/ 

Germany from 11 – 13 October. 

The development of the MEMS Market is hardly 

to be overlooked. With a 22 % growth in 2010, 

the MEMS and Sensor Market is back on track 

again. According to reliable prognoses this trend will 

further extend until 2015. 

The new growth stands on a solid basis and several 

reasons support that this may be a long-term 

development: 

• MEMS markets for consumer electronics and 

mobile phones will grow at an accelerated rate over 

the next 4 years, in particular revenue for handsets 

and slate tablets. 

• The soaring demand for MEMS sensors from BRIC 

countries (Brasil, Russia, India and China) in all 

sectors from cars to infrastructure e.g. for smart 

meters and optical telecom is driving demand. 

• Sales of DLP chips (Digital Light Processing) were 

again up in 2010. 

• Increasing use of sensors in addressing critical 

areas like energy and aging population. 

Therefore, the relevance of the International 

MEMS/MST Industry Forum on the SEMICON 

Europa 2011 cannot be underestimated. The Forum 

takes focus on the key success factors of the new 

growth cycle: 

• An area of new interesting applications promotes 

new technologies and provides line utilization; 

• Successful management of distributed operations 

including foundries, with methodologies for steep 

learning curves, best system know-how and ever 

shorter time-to-revenue cycles; 

• Effi cient high volume testing and quality assurance; 

• Innovative integration concepts for complex sensor 

systems. 

The MEMS applications will be the centre of 

attraction for many visitors: What will be their future 

usage in the automotive industry, biomedicine and 

life science, consumer electronics, optical 

telecommunication and also in high-end areas like 

aeronautics and industrial manufacturing? 

Additionally, the conference will cover all standard 

parts which are important for the day-to-day 

industrial production. The current leverage of the 

standardization, testing methods and results as well 

as strategies for high added volume and emerging 

products will be in the focus during the show. 

The range of the conference contains the know-how 

of technical processes and new materials for the 

MEMS in front-end, back-end and testing. This 

technical part deals with 3D and TSV (through silicon 

via) processes. Different Chip and WLP (wafer level 

package) technologies are also part of the program. 

Another session deals with the MEMS application 

markets, the chances and risks but also with 

forecasts and outlook. 

For information on SEMICON Europa 2011, 

please visit www.semiconeuropa.org 

or contact Carlos Lee, per email clee@semi.org 

or per telephone: +32 2 6095334 


4



INDUSTRY OUTLOOK 

“ Permanent Wafer Bonding will be a key enabling technology for 

advanced semiconductor manufacturing” says Yole Développement 

Yole Développement announces the publication of its technology study and market research report, Permanent Wafer 

Bonders Applications & Market Report. 

Historically developed for MEMS & SOI substrates, the wafer bonding technology is today becoming a key processing 

technology for a wide range of applications: MEMS, CMOS Image Sensors, LEDs, Power Devices, RF and Advanced 

Packaging. The wafer bonding market is a very complex one crossing different wafer sizes (from 2’’ to 12’’), different 

applications and different bonding technologies. 

Market overview 

Wafer bonding is usually defi ned as a process that 

temporarily or permanently joins two wafers or 

substrates using a suitable process. Historically 

developed for MEMS and then SOI wafers, wafer 

bonding technology has shifted to non-mainstream 

IC applications over the last years. Our report aims 

at analyzing the market perspectives and technical 

trends for permanent bonding. 

“MEMS have been the fi rst application where wafer 

bonders have been massively used (the wafer 

bonding step is mostly used to protect the MEMS 

sensitive element). And CMOS Image Sensors is 

also a very large market for wafer bonders”, explained 

Dr Eric Mounier, Project Manager at Yole 

Développement. 

But besides MEMS and CIS, wafer bonder can be 

also used for LEDs or Power Devices. Indeed, in a 

typical LED active region, spontaneous emission 

scatters photons in all directions. If the substrate 

material has a smaller band gap than the active 

region, approximately half of the light is absorbed in 

the substrate; significantly reducing device 

performance. So, one of the manufacturing solutions 

for photon loss involves bonding a wafer containing 

an array of devices to another wafer that provides 

both a refl ective surface for maximum light extraction 

and a heat sink for thermal management. And of 

course, over the 5 past years, much attention has 

been given to this technology for 3D integration of 

memories for example. 

Technology challenges 

For MEMS, there is today a shift from Glass Frit for 

eutectic/metal-based bonding mainly to increase 

real estate by smaller bond frames. Metal direct 

bonding also gives good hermeticity and mechanical 

stability for many MEMS applications. For example, 

Nasiri process is using eutectic bonding of the MEMS 

directly on the aluminum layer of the CMOS wafer. 

This leads to smaller package footprints & package 

heights. STMicroelectronics’ latest 3-axis 

accelerometer also shows a different sealing 

technique compared to what is usually done: gold 

eutectic sealing allows a dramatic die size reduction. 

For CMOS Image sensors, the advent of the BSI 

(Back Side Illumination) technology has raised a 

competition between Molecular Bonding and 

adhesive bonding. Here, cost and fi nal application 

will drive the technology fi nal choice. 

Yole Développement has estimated the wafer bonder 

to have big market growth for the next year. The 

growth will be driven small size wafer for LEDs and 

12” wafer for 3D stacking and CIS. 

Yole Développement’s report analyzes in details the 

technical & economical evolution of the permanent 

wafer bonding process. It gives, for example, 2010- 

2016 market forecasts for permanent bonding, 

number of equipment, an overview of the different 

bonding approaches and equipment players market 

shares. 

It describes the applications for wafer bonding with 

main characteristics, challenges and technical 

trends. 

For more information about Yole Développement reports, 

please contact D. Jourdan (jourdan@yole.fr) 

Permanent Wafer Bonding Applications 

(Source: Yole Développement, May 2011) 

Accelerometers 

1st level packaging 

Microbolometers 

Gyros 

SGOI 

SOQ 

Optical MEMS 

Microphones 

Pressure sensor 

Microfluidics 

IGBTs 

Resonators 

RF MEMS 

Stress isolation/ 

device 

manufacturing 

Thin films LEDs 

Power 

MEMS 

LEDs 

Wafer 

Bonding 

Advanced 

substrates 

RF 

Devices 

Advanced 

Packaging 

CMOS 

Image 

Sensors 

SOI 

GOI 

Encapsulation 

Interposers 

FO WLP 

Microbumps 

MMIC 

3D ICs 

5Copyrights © Yole Développement SA. All rights reserved - Recycled paper

Copyrights © Yole Développement SA. All rights reserved. 

Copyrights © Yole Développement SA. All rights reserved. 



ONLINE EVENT 

Register for a live webcast today: 

Revolution in consumer motion sensors 

Join Yole Développement’s expert, Laurent Robin, on 

Tuesday, 31 st of May at 5.30 pm CET to learn about motion 

sensors. 

Visit our website www.i-Micronews.com, webcast section, 

to register. 

The inertial sensor market for consumer electronics is growing very quickly 

due the fast adoption of accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers 

in mobile phones, tablets, game stations, laptops…. Indeed 20.3% annual 

growth is expected: from $847M in 2009, the motion sensor market will reach 

$2.56B in 2015! The MEMS accelerometer market will show very nice business 

opportunities in the coming years. Moreover this market will be strategic because 

many applications are expected to rely on 3-axis accelerometer + 3-axis gyroscope 

in a single package within 2015. There is thus a strong synergy between 

accelerometer and gyroscope technologies and players… 

• 

• 

• 

• 

FREE OF CHARGE WEBCAST 

© 2011 • 6 

2009-2015 Market Overview 

Overview 

The market for motion sensors is growing to 

more than $2.5B in 2015, corresponding to 

4.5B sensor packages 

– One sensor package can contain several sensors 

(combo sensors) market is actually 5.18B sensing 

functions in 2015 

– 15.7% 2009-2015 CAGR in value, 24.4% in volume 

Mobile phone and gaming are the biggest CE 

markets for motion sensors and combo 

sensors 

Remote control application will emerge 

slowly, with gaming functions as a key feature 

Very high potential in the sports area, but it 

will take time to emerge, and it is a collection 

of plenty of niche applications 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MEMS Gyroscopes for Mobile Phones 

What’s next for gyropscopes after iPhone 4? 

• Now that appropriate Android drivers seem available, we start to see that the major 

handset makers release few models with gyroscopes 

Samsung Galaxy 

• Samsung Galaxy S Pro: first Android phone with a gyroscope? 

S Pro 

– Rumors said that this phone integrates a gyroscope. But it has not been confirmed 

– Also features an accelerometer, AGPS, compass 

– Named Epic 4G in USA, released by Sprint 

• Released beginning 2011, the Google Nexus S integrates a gyro 

– This confirms the adoption of gyroscopes in high-end smartphones 

• LG Optimus Black: first handset design win for InvenSense! 

Google Nexus S 

– This smartphone will integrate InvenSense’s ITG-3200 3 axis MEMS gyroscope for (manufactured by 

nice user interface functions 

Samsung) 

– This design-win from InvenSense on an Android phone shows that ST can expect 

strong competition 

• Other mobile phone makers: 

– HTC has revealed that they will release a gyroscope-equipped smartphone in mid 

2010 

LG Optimus 

– June 2010: the director of Motorola mobile division has announced that they are 

Black 

willing to release a smartphone with a gyro by the end of 2010. But such a product 

has not been seen on the market yet. 

– Sony Ericsson 

© 2011 – • 11 

Therefore Yole Developpement is pleased to organize a webcast on this topic. The 

webcast entitled “Revolution in Consumer Motion Sensors” will be presented by 

Laurent Robin, Market & Technology Analyst, on Tuesday, 31 st of May at 5.30 pm CET. 

Register NOW on I-Micronews.com, webcast section. 

For more information about the webcast, please contact David Jourdan (jourdan@yole.fr) 

Organized by 

Speaker: 

Laurent Robin is in charge of the MEMS & Sensors market 

research at Yole Developpement. He previously worked 

at image sensor company e2v Technologies (Grenoble, 

France) and at EM Microelectronics (Switzerland). He 

holds a Physics Engineering degree from the National 

Institute of Applied Sciences in Toulouse. He was also 

granted a Master Degree in Technology & Innovation 

Management from EM Lyon Business School, France. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hosted by 


MEMS MARKET BRIEFING 

AT TRANSDUCERS 2011 

FREE ENTRANCE 

Mobile phone 

& consumer 

electronics are driving 

the growth of the 

MEMS business... 

Evolutions in the microphone 

and motion sensor market 

June 7, at Transducers 2011 

At 6.30 PM 

6.30 PM - MEMS market forecasts : 

where is the MEMS industry heading? 

Jean-Christophe Eloy, 

President & CEO, Yole Développement 

7.00 PM - MEMS microphone market: 

evolution of business models and supply chain 

Wenbin Ding, 

MEMS Market & Technology Analyst, Yole Développement 

7.30 PM - Revolution in consumer motion sensors 

Jean-Christophe Eloy, 

President & CEO, Yole Développement 

8.00 PM - Networking cocktail 

Y O L E D É V E L O P P E M E N T 

For more information, 

please contact 

Sandrine Leroy 

(leroy@yole.fr) 

6

7 



It’s not who you know today. 

It’s who you’re going to need to know tomorrow. 

The world of inertial devices is in a rapid state of change. Value is shifting. 

Players are changing. The entire industry of motion is in motion. While we all 

know the current players, our growth depends on meeting and engaging the 

emerging innovators. 

The world leader in MEMS technology information, Yole Développement, is harnessing 

the power and effi ciency of an exciting new networking and collaboration 

event. Not another tradeshow or conference, the MEMS in Motion Collaboration 

Summit promises the freedom to meet, learn, talk, and ultimately collaborate in a 

time-effi cient and casual environment. 

The Yole team will bring together industry leaders for this fi rst-of-a-kind, two-day 

event in Palm Springs. Qualifi ed attendees will enjoy exclusive Yole plenary 

sessions; small, facilitated roundtable discussions; and hours of small group and 

one-on-one discussion activities. 

If your business depends on—or will depend on—inertial devices, the MEMS in 

Motion Collaboration Summit is perfect for you. 

Shape the future of inertial devices at the 

MEMS in Motion Collaboration Summit 

OCTOBER 12-13, 2011 

Palm Springs, CA USA 

Information@MEMSinMotion.com 

www.MEMSinMotion.com 

Copyrights © Yole Développement SA. All rights reserved - Recycled paper



MEMS 

Microvision establishes first global R&D center in Singapore 

From page 1 

By collaborating with NTU, MicroVision aims 

to leverage the university's strength and 

expertise in Engineering, Microelectronics 

and Materials Science to conduct joint research and 

development with faculty and students. 

MicroVision's dedicated R&D center includes a 

customized laboratory at NTU's Innovation Centre. 

The company will work directly with NTU's School of 

Electrical and Electronic Engineering and the 

Division of Physics and Applied Physics. 

NTU has established strong industry partners 

including Rolls-Royce, Robert Bosch, Thales, and 

Toray. Like MicroVision, these leading companies 

chose to set up research facilities at NTU, where they 

collaboratively work with NTU faculty and students 

to pursue their respective research interests. 

www.microvision.com 

DelfMEMS successfully delivered custom RF MEMS samples to NTT DOCOMO 

DelfMEMS has provided arrays of custom MEMS ohmic switches to enable tunability into Radio-Frequency front-end 

modules -FEM- for mobile applications. 

Voltage, size, losses, isolation, ultra-fast 

switching time and power handling will be 

evaluated by the innovative telecom operator 

according to the requested specifications until 6 GHz. 

DelfMEMS is setting-up an open technology platform 

to propose a new integrated micro-mechanical 

building block that is based on a strong, totally new 

IP portfolio that solves past issues of RF MEMS ohmic 

switches. MEMS switch is considered as the optimum 

RF switching technology that drastically decreases 

power consumption and bill of material by minimizing 

losses between the antenna and active devices of a 

FEM. 

www.delfmems.com 

Lemoptix MEMS micromirrors replace galvanometer and rotating mirrors 

Optical MEMS scanning micromirrors much smaller, much faster, much more robust and much less power 

consuming than conventional optical scanning systems. 

Lemoptix silicon-based, magnetically actuated 

MEMS micromirror technologies are best in 

class replacement solutions to traditional 

galvanometer and rotating mirrors, bringing 

outstanding performance and space reduction. 

Responding to industry requests to significantly 

reduce size, power consumption and increased 

performance of micromirror devices, Lemoptix has 

developed a bottom-up approach by using semiconductor-like 

equipment to build micromirrors with 

actuation based on magnetic and heat-dissipating 

principles instead of gearings. 

Lemoptix LSCAN laser scanning micromirrors are 

integrated by OEM customers into a number of 

immediately available applications like optical 

spectrometers, laser range finders and microscopes, 

enhancing performances and enabling the 

development of smaller, higher resolution and lower 

cost products. Lemoptix’ resonant and static 

scanning micromirrors are designed to rotate and 

deflect light and can be used in a myriad of optical 

applications due to the unique combination of 

performance and size. 

www.optoiq.com 

LSCAN-F series (Resonant) (Courtesy of Lemoptix) 


Okmetic increases SOI wafer production capacity in Vantaa and specifies 

long-term financial objectives 

Okmetic's board of directors has approved plans to increase the group's silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer production 

capacity by extending the Vantaa plant. 

The around 30 million euro investment includes 

the plant extension and different kinds of 

production equipment. This investment, 

together with the on-going SOI equipment 

investments, more than triples the Vantaa plant's 

current SOI wafer production capacity. Along with the 

growing production amounts, new equipment and 

process development, improved productivity is being 

aimed at. At the same time, improvement of SOI 

wafers' performance continues in order to ensure 

customers' competitiveness. 

The investment will be carried out mainly in 2011- 

2013. The building of the Vantaa plant extension will 

start in autumn 2011. The surface area of the 

extension is 2,420 m2, approximately a quarter of 

which is for clean room facilities. The extension is 

due to be complete in the end of 2012, after which it 

will be taken into production use in stages, following 

the growth of the market demand. 

The aim is that the investment will be covered mainly 

with cash flow from operations, and no need for 

significant loan financing is foreseeable. 

SOI wafers are used for demanding MEMS sensors 

and HV applications whose markets have increased 

year by year. It is estimated that the markets continue 

to grow as automotive electronics, consumer 

electronics as well as industrial process control 

increase. Sensor applications increase especially in 

consumer products such as smart phones, cameras, 

game consoles and in other portable devices. 

This newly made investment decision supports 

Okmetic's long-term strategy and growth objectives, 

strengthens company's market leadership as the 

supplier of demanding sensor wafers and enables 

increase of market share in SOI wafers. 

www.reuters.com 

8

9 



MEMS 

New MEMS microphones from 

STMicroelectronics enhance audio 

experience in mobile phones and 

portable computers 

STMicroelectronics introduced two new digital MEMS 

microphones. 

October 2 to 5, 2011 

MP34DB01 and MP45DT02 microphones (Courtesy of STMicroelectronics) 

Combining superior sound quality with robustness and reliability at reduced 

size and cost, ST’s MP34DB01 and MP45DT02 microphones enable 

enhanced audio experience in mobile phones and portable computers, as 

well as in many other existing and emerging applications with a voice input. 

ST’s MEMS microphones use best-in-class acoustic sensor technology jointly 

developed with OMRON that is inherently less susceptible to mechanical vibration, 

temperature variations and electromagnetic interference, while providing high-fidelity 

reproduction of audio signals. Integrating ST’s electronic control circuit and OMRON’s 

micro-machined sensor in a single package, the microphones deliver superb audio 

performance at lower power consumption than traditional condenser (ECM) 

microphones. This optimized power consumption ensures longer battery life in 

portable devices for an extended user experience. 

In addition to the size, robustness and energy economy advantages over ECM 

microphones, MEMS microphones enable dramatic advancements in sound quality, 

realized by incorporating multiple microphones in one device. Such microphone 

arrays, facilitated by the small form factor, superior sensitivity matching and frequency 

response of ST’s microphones, enable the implementation of active noise and echo 

cancelling, as well as beam-forming, a sound-processing technology that helps 

isolate a sound and its location. These features are valuable with the increasing use 

of cell phones and other devices in noisy and uncontrollable environments. 

Another important factor in multiple-microphone applications is the high temperature 

stability of MEMS microphones after reflow that ensures ample flexibility in placing 

the auxiliary microphones, including in locations with higher temperature excursions. 

ST’s MP34DB01 microphone is the only device in the market with real high-fidelity 

audio bandwidth, delivering flat frequency response in the full audio band of 20– 

20,000 Hz, coupled with an unparalleled signal-to-noise ratio (62 dB) and powersupply 

noise rejection (70 dB). 

Housed inside an ultra-small 3x4x1 mm package, the microphone has been 

specifically designed for mobile phones, with the acoustic port hole placed on the 

bottom of the package. This layout enables phone manufacturers to mount the 

microphone on the backside of the cell-phone printed circuit board for slimmer 

designs and still obtain a short acoustic path from the environment to the microphone. 

The MP34DB01 has already been qualified by top-tier cell-phone makers and is now 

in mass production. 

The other addition to ST’s MEMS microphone family, the MP45DT02, is a top-port 

3.76 x 4.72 x 1.25mm device that ideally suits the size and sound-inlet position 

requirements of laptops and tablets. The microphone provides an excellent signalto-noise 

ratio (58 dB) and superior frequency response to alternatives for that market. 

www.st.com/mems 

Fairmont Chateau 

Lake Louise 

Lake Louise, 

Alberta, Canada 

wave2011.com 

Hosted By 




MEMS 


Dutch company SolMateS enables next 

generations MEMS products 

SolMateS receives a three million dollar investment for the final 

development phase of their piezoelectric deposition machine. 

On the 27 th of April 2011, SolMateS received a substantial investment from 

private equity funds Twente Technology Fund and Participatiemaatschappij 

Oost Nederland. SolMateS will use the investment to accelerate product 

development and international expansion for its unique production system. 

Piezoelectric layers are to be used in 

all kinds of miniature systems were 

precise actuation is needed, for 

instance in small motors, RF MEMS 

components or micro pumps. Currently 

those layers are deposited by 

notoriously unreliable and costly wet 

processing. Price and quality are not 

meeting the high volume electronic 

industry’s standards. SolMateS 

technology is developed at the 

University of Twente, and is the most 

advanced manufacturing solution 

Wafer deposited with Piezo material and 

top electrodes (Courtesy of SolMateS) 

currently available to deposit piezoelectric thin films. It marks a whole new era of 

MEMS and will be used to create essential components for the next-generation mobile 

electronics, thin film actuators and medical devices. SolMateS introduces the 

PiezoFlare 1200. The PiezoFlare 1200 is an automated deposition system for PZT 

thin films on 6" or 8" wafers, based on pulsed laser deposition. It offers high-yield piezo 

performance and flexibility for customized PZT compositions. The technology enables 

for the first time high volume reliable production capability for PZT thin film deposition. 

www.solmates.nl 

ULIS introduces Pico640, a new VGA 

17-micron uncooled infrared imaging 

sensor with enhanced factor of merit 

Factor of merit, a relative measure of thermal sensor sensitivity 

against response rate, will allow camera makers to see 

how well Pico640E’s optimum performance compares to 

other uncooled IR imaging sensors on the market. 

ULIS announced that it will launch Pico640E, a new VGA 640 x 480 

17-micron IR imaging sensor that offers new advantages in size, 

performance and factor of merit. It responds to needs from camera 

manufacturers and other imaging-system designers for large format, small-form 

factor, uncooled IR sensors that optimize the trade-off between performance and 

sensor response speed. Pico640E is a high-resolution (more than 300,000 pixels) 

IR imaging sensor that comes in a small footprint (24.13 x 24.13 x 5.57mm). In 

tests, it has demonstrated a high response speed with a thermal time constant of 

8.8 ms and a thermal resolution less than 45 mK. This translates into a uniform 

pixel factor of merit (400 mK.ms), meaning Pico640E compares very favorably 

with other IR products in its category. The versatility of its high-quality, compact 

design means that it can perform long-range detection up to approximately 2km, 

depending on the target, as well as detect fast-moving objects. These performance 

advantages make Pico640E well adapted for military applications, as well as 

thermography, predictive maintenance and 24/7 camera surveillance. 

The performance Pico640E achieves is also a plus for image-fusion applications, 

which use both visible and IR images. Visible sensors have a much faster response 

rate than IR sensors, so there is often a time lag between visible and IR images 

when the camera is panning. Due to Pico640E’s fast response rate, it minimizes 

the delay between visible and IR images when they are superimposed, thereby 

improving overall image quality. 

www.ulis-ir.com 

Key Enabling 

Technology for 

Advanced 

Semiconductor 

Manufacturing? 

Permanent 

Wafer 


Discover the NEW 

report on 

i-Micronews.com/reports 

10

11 


MEPTEC PRESENTS 


MEMS - DRIVING INNOVATION 

Existing Technologies Enable Future Innovations 

May 19, 2011 • Wyndham Hotel • San Jose, California 

Topics will include: 

Biotechnology 

Communications/New Generation IT/Security 

Environmental/Remediation Technology 

High-End Manufacturing Equipment and Techniques 

Advanced Materials 

Energy Saving and Environmentally Friendly Technologies 

Emerging MEMS Markets 

ASSOCIATION SPONSOR 

MEDIA SPONSORS 

REGISTER ONLINE NOW @ MEPTEC.ORG 

Pre-Conference: June 6, 2011 

Conference & Expo: June 7-8, 2011 

Rosemont, IL Donald E. Stephens Convention Center 

25+ 

YEARS 

E XC ELLE N C E 

OF 

sensorsexpo.com 

The Only Industry Event in North America Exclusively 

Focused on Sensors & Sensor Integrated Systems! Find the 

Solutions to Your Sensors & Sensing Technology Challenges! 

Gain the knowledge you need from leading experts and 

peers in the sensors industry. 

 

 

 

New Bodies, New Identities 

Dr. Hugh Herr 

Biomechatronics Researcher 

The Conference Program includes more Technical Sessions in Tracks covering 

the topics that are most important to you and your business, including: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Identify specific solutions to your most difficult sensing, 

detection and control-related challenges on the expo floor. 

 

sensing technologies and systems for attendees to evaluate and make 

informed decisions. 

 

Visit sensorsexpo.com 

 

Use discount code for an EXTRA 

 

 

CO-LOCATED WITH: 

PAVILION 

INNOVATION AREA 

Scan this QR code 

to Register Now on 

 

 

 

Energy 

Harvesting 

P A V I L I O N 

 

 

THEATER 

( ( ) ) 

S O L U T I O N S 

 

 

 

 

MEDIA SPONSOR: 

PRODUCED BY: 

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION: 




MICROFLUIDICS 

Multiple emulsion droplet design by Sichuan University 

Scientists in China have developed a device that can control the production of multiple emulsion systems. 

This system could be used to encapsulate 

incompatible drug ingredients and to design 

multi-compartment materials, they say. 

As the oil droplets move through the system, they 

merge in the main channel to form the multi-component 

emulsions. 

Liang-Yin Chu at Sichuan University and colleagues 

have designed a microfluidic device capable of 

producing multi-compartment multiple emulsions. 

The team tested their system using different coloured 

oil droplets in water. The device - a droplet maker, 

connector and liquid extractor - can be arranged in 

different combinations to generate different emulsions. 

The team now intends to explore the full potential of 

their device and promote its application in different 

areas. 

esraa-chemist.blogspot.com 

Optical micrographs of monodisperse sextuple 

(Courtesy of Sichuan University) 

A*STAR microfluidic chip for quick on-site diagnosis of infectious diseases 

The control of infectious diseases such as the 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza hinges on handy analytical tools 

that can rapidly and accurately identify infected patients at the doctor's office or at an airport. 

Linus Tzu-Hsiang Kao and co-workers at the 

A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics and the 

Genome Institute of Singapore have now 

developed a silicon-based microfluidic system that is 

able to sense and differentiate the H1N1 virus from 

other seasonal influenza strains in ultrasmall 

specimens. 

The detection and characterization of viral strains is 

now routinely performed using an assay method called 

real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain 

reaction (RT-PCR). Kao's team, however, was able to 

integrate the PCR function into a compact two-module 

microfluidic chip using standard semiconductor 

technology. 

Because untreated influenza samples usually contain 

minute amounts of viral RNA mixed with other nucleic 

acids and proteins, the researchers designed an 'onchip' 

PCR module that amplifies target sequences for 

both H1N1 and seasonal viruses at the same time. 

The key to their compact screening technology, 

however, is the silicon-nanowire sensing module used 

for virus identification. The nanowires in the module 

are modified with nucleic acid-containing polymers 

that specifically bind the target DNA, which results in 

a change in electrical resistance in proportion to the 

concentration of target DNA present in the sample. 

The team fabricated the PCR module, which includes 

a reaction chamber connected to small aluminum 

heaters and temperature sensors through tiny 

channels, directly into a silicon chip using an etching 

technique. They then constructed the silicon 

nanowires by optical lithography and finally 

immobilized the nucleic acid-containing polymers. 

Experiments revealed that the small size of the PCR 

chamber gave it a uniform temperature distribution 

(see image), providing an ideal environment for 

efficient RNA amplification. The PCR module also 

responded much faster to heating/cooling cycles than 

standard instruments because of the small sample 

volume—leading to quicker diagnoses. 

The team is currently planning to improve the sample 

extraction module. 

Photograph of the PCR microfluidic chip 

(Courtesy of A*STAR). 

www.a-star.edu.sg 


University of Illinois has developed a low-cost sensor for bacterial infections 

Bacterial infections really stink. And that could be the key to a fast diagnosis. 

Researchers have demonstrated a quick, 

simple method to identify infectious bacteria 

by smell using a low-cost array of printed 

pigments as a chemical sensor. Led by University of 

Illinois chemistry professor Ken Suslick, the team 

published its results in the Journal of the American 

Chemical Society. 

While there has been some interest in using 

sophisticated spectroscopy or genetic methods for 

clinical diagnosis, Suslick's group focused on another 

distinctive characteristic: smell. Many experienced 

microbiologists can identify bacteria based on their 

aroma. Bacteria emit a complex mixture of chemicals 

as by-products of their metabolism. Each species of 

bacteria produces its own unique blend of gases, and 

even differing strains of the same species will have an 

aromatic "fingerprint." 

Suslick previously developed an artificial "nose" that 

can detect and identify poisonous gases, toxins and 

explosives in the air. 

The artificial nose is an array of 36 cross-reactive 

pigment dots that change color when they sense 

chemicals in the air. The researchers spread blood 

samples on Petri dishes of a standard growth gel, 

attached an array to the inside of the lid of each dish, 

then inverted the dishes onto an ordinary flatbed 

scanner. Every 30 minutes, they scanned the arrays 

and recorded the color changes in each dot. The 

pattern of color change over time is unique to each 

bacterium. 

In only a few hours, the array not only confirms the 

presence of bacteria, but identifies a specific species 

and strain. It even can recognize antibiotic resistance 

– a key factor in treatment decisions. 

In the paper, the researchers showed that they could 

identify 10 of the most common disease-causing 

bacteria, including the hard-to-kill hospital infection 

methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), 

with 98.8 percent accuracy. However, Suslick believes 

the array could be used to diagnose a much wider 

variety of infections. 

Given their broad sensitivity, the chemical-sensing 

arrays also could enable breath diagnosis for a 

number of conditions. Medical researchers at other 

institutions have already performed studies using 

Suslick's arrays to diagnose sinus infections and to 

screen for lung cancer. 

Next, the team is working on integrating the arrays 

with vials of liquid growth medium, which is a faster 

culturing agent and more common in clinical practice 

than Petri dishes. They have also improved the 

pigments to be more stable, more sensitive and easier 

to print. 

news.illinois.edu 

12

13 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




COMPOUND SEMICONDUCTORS 

A global SiC materials license agreement between Cree and Nippon Steel 

Cree announces it has entered into a silicon carbide (SiC) materials license agreement with Nippon Steel Corporation. 

Under the terms of the agreement, Nippon Steel 

Corporation, and affiliates including Nippon 

Steel Materials Co., Ltd., have been given the 

right to manufacture and sell silicon carbide materials 

for electronic device applications. Over the lifetime of 

the agreement, Cree will receive certain financial 

considerations from Nippon Steel. As part of this 

agreement, Cree was also granted rights to Nippon 

Steel’s relevant SiC-related patents. Other terms of 

the agreement were not disclosed. No technology 

transfer between the parties was included. 

SiC is a high-performance semiconductor material 

used in the production of a broad range of lighting, 

power and communication components, including 

light-emitting diodes (LEDs), power switching devices 

and RF power transistors for wireless communications. 

SiC devices are used today for solar inverters, highvoltage 

power supplies and power conditioning in 

many industrial power applications. 

“Cree is a pioneer in SiC materials technologies, 

resulting in energy-efficient power switching devices 

and high brightness LEDs,” said Steve Kelley, Cree 

chief operating officer. “We are pleased that Nippon 

Steel joins us in supporting the electronics device 

industry with licensed SiC materials.” 

“Nippon Steel has been conducting intensive R&D on 

SiC materials over twenty years,” said Dr. Misao 

Hashimoto, Nippon Steel, fellow and director of the 

Advanced Technology Research Laboratory. “The 

good working relationship between Cree and Nippon 

Steel enabled us to achieve our commitment for 

growing the global SiC market.” 

Cree is a market-leading innovator of semiconductor 

solutions for wireless and power applications, lightingclass 

LEDs, and LED lighting solutions. 

Cree has more than 1,800 patents issued worldwide 

and more than 2,600 pending patent applications that 

address LED chip, component and lighting technology, 

as well as SiC materials, and RF and Power electronics. 

(Courtesy of Cree and Nippon Steel Corporation) 

Cree’s product families include power-switching 

devices and radio-frequency/wireless devices, blue 

and green LED chips, high-brightness LEDs, lightingclass 

power LEDs, and LED fixtures and bulbs. Cree 

solutions are driving improvements in applications 

such as variable-speed motors, wireless 

communications, general illumination, backlighting 

and electronic signs and signals. 

www.cree.com 


TSMC spins off two green energy business units 

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC`s) board of directors approved, at a provisional meeting, a proposal to 

reorganize two green-energy business units into wholly-owned subsidiaries. 

The board determined initial paid-in capital for its 

solar-energy business unit, christened TSMC 

Solar Ltd., at NT$12.5 billion (US$416 million 

at US$1:NT$30) and the capital for its LED (light 

emitting diode) business unit, named TSMC Solid State 

Lighting Ltd., at NT$2.8 billion (US$93 million). 

The company has set baseline date for the splits on 

August 1 this year. It said the main thrust of spinning 

off the two business units into subsidiaries is to 

motivate entrepreneurship and facilitate business 

specialization in order to boost overall competitiveness 

and operational efficiency. 

GT Solar International, a provider of sapphire 

crystalline growth systems and materials for 

the solar, LED and other specialty markets, 

reports that that it has received an order for its sapphire 

crystallization furnaces totaling $218.9 million from 

TSMC stressed that the splits will not affect its 

shareholders’ interests as its ownership capital in the 

two subsidiaries is equivalent to their operating value, 

suggesting the company does not overvalue the two 

subsidiaries. 

Guizhou Haotian Optoelectronics Technology Co. LTD 

(HTOT). 

The order will be placed in HTOT's new sapphire 

production facility to supply manufacturers with 

sapphire wafers for LED chip production. GT Solar 

In recent years, TSMC has seen some results from its 

investments in green-energy industries; the company 

has bought into solar-cell maker Motech Industries 

Inc., entered into partnership with German solar 

module maker, CENTROSOLAR, on polycrystalline 

silicon business, and begun constructing a CIGSbased 

(copper indium gallium selenide-based) solarcell 

factory. 

In the LED field, TSMC has begun pilot production in 

a wafer factory in the Hsinchu Science Park running 

around eight to 12 MOCVD (metal organic chemical 

vapor deposition) chambers. The TSMC-held VisEra 

Technologies Co., Ltd. has begun offering packaging 

and test service to its LED wafer factory. TSMC will 

make its LED light sources and light engines available 

on the market with its brand names. 

news.cens.com 

GT Solar gets order for sapphire growth systems from new entrant into LED-related 

material market 

says that the order marks HTOT's entrance into the 

LED industry. 

www.sslighting.net 

14

15 



PHOTONICS 

Strong growth projected for silicon photonics market according to new market 

survey 

The silicon photonics market is expected to reach a value of the $2.02 billion by 2015, reflecting a five-year compound 

annual growth rate of 78.2 percent, according to the report Global Silicon Photonics Market (2010-2015), published by 

MarketsandMarkets. 

Highlights of the market report include the 

following: 

• Silicon photonics technology is gaining 

ground as a low-cost alternative for addressing the 

speed and bulk data transfer challenges faced by 

microelectronics. The market is in its infancy and is 

expected to be commercialized by 2016. 

• In 2010, the wavelength division multiplex filters 

contributed $35,212 to the global silicon photonics 

market, mainly because of early commercialization 

and extensive usage in optical switches and 

transceiver devices. 

• The silicon photonics LED market is expected to 

experience the relatively high compound annual 

growth rate of 87.6 percent from 2010 to 2015 

because of an increasing need for an efficient light 

source in small-distance communication 

networks. 

• At present, North America dominates the silicon 

photonics market, having generated $59,667 in 2010. 

The worth of the market in the region is projected to 

reach $849,587 in 2015 with a compound annual 

growth rate from 2010 to 2015 of 70.1 percent. 

• Major players in the global silicon photonics market 

include Kotura, Lightwire, Luxtera and Chiral 

Photonics, all US companies. 

www.marketsandmarkets.com 

New managing director at 3S Photonics French subsidiary 

New managing director at 3S Photonics French subsidiary 3S Photonics Group announced the nomination of Jean-Michel 

Bonard as its managing director in France, as well as the creation of three new transversal positions within the group’s board. 

Bonard joined the company in 2009 as deputy 

general manager in charge of company 

operations. In addition, he was responsible for 

the finance department. Prior to joining the group, he 

worked at Katun Corp. and GE Capital Finance, and 

he created JMB Conseils, a financial consulting firm 

for telecom and IT companies. 

To strengthen the collaboration between its entities, 

the company has created three transversal and 

strategic positions within its board: Jean-Pierre Hirtz, 

business development director; Geoffroy Morel, chief 

financial officer; and Fotis Konstantinidis, vice 

president of sales. 

The announcement follows the company’s February 

2010 acquisition of Avensys Inc., based in Canada. 

To reinforce its international position, 3S Photonics 

has also launched a policy for diversification, 

geographical expansion and strategic partnerships. 

3S Photonics designs, develops and markets optical 

components and modules, and modules based on 

optical fiber. Through its subsidiary Avensys Solutions, 

it provides environmental and industrial process 

surveillance. 

www.3sphotonics.com 

The City College of New York set up a new metamaterials center 

A new industry and university cooperative research center proposes to provide a one-stop shop for the design, fabrication 

and testing of a wide range of metamaterials designed to aid solar photovoltaic systems, specialized light sensors and more. 

Researchers at the National Science 

Foundation-sponsored center will focus on 

fundamental research concepts that are 

limiting the application and implementation of 

metamaterials to commercial products. For example, 

by controlling the composition of a material, it may be 

possible to produce superlenses with near-perfect 

resolution. 

The center's research thrusts will encompass 

fundamental metamaterials research, including the 

following: materials for rapid prototyping, 

metamaterials building blocks, all-dielectric resonator 

Universal Display announced the release of a novel single-layer encapsulation technology for plastic substrate systems 

and thin-film devices, including rigid and flexible OLED displays and lighting panels. 

Developed in collaboration with research 

partner Princeton University, the single-layer 

hybrid organic-inorganic layer approach was 

demonstrated successfully as an encapsulant for 

flexible and rigid OLED devices. Its encapsulation 

layer provides a permeation barrier to protect thin-film 

devices from environmental conditions such as 

metamaterials, development of modeling and design 

algorithms, process development of composite 

materials, aperture and cavity arrays, tools for 

characterization of metamaterials, next-generation 

metallic resonator metamaterials, and high-, zero-, 

and negative-refractive-index materials. 

Industry and university cooperative research centers 

conduct fundamental research. The companies that 

participate in the center direct the research and 

receive royalty-free, nonexclusive licenses to the 

intellectual property the center produces. 

Placing thin metamaterial films over silicon panels 

Universal Display unveils novel encapsulation technology 

moisture and oxygen, a quality that is critical for the 

long-term performance of OLED display and lighting 

products. 

The encapsulation technology was supported in part 

by National Science Foundation, US Department of 

Defense and US Department of Energy SBIR 

contracts. To demonstrate the technology’s 

would allow solar light to pass through to silicon 

surfaces unblocked. The same film would capture the 

electricity produced by those surfaces, possibly 

raising the efficiency of terrestrial solar cells from 17 

to 21 percent, he said. Because the film would spread 

light laterally across the cell, thinner silicon wafers 

could be used, which would reduce costs. 

The sensor projects, being conducted with NASA and 

DARPA, aim to produce lightweight polar image metric 

sensors capable of measuring light's intensity, color 

and polarization or orientation. 

www.ccny.cuny.edu 

effectiveness for flexible OLED display prototype, the 

company has worked with the US Army Research 

Laboratory and the Flexible Display Center at Arizona 

State University. 

www.universaldisplay.com 




PHOTOVOLTAIC 

centrotherm photovoltaics & Kinetics Germany consortium signs major order 

to construct fully integrated factory in Algeria 

The consortium signed an agreement with state utility Société Nationale de l'Electricité et du Gaz (Sonelgaz) to construct 

an almost fully integrated solar module factory in Algeria. 

This factory will impress by covering the entire 

solar value chain, ranging from ingot production 

and solar cell manufacturing through to solar 

module end-products, although it will not include the 

production of silicon as a raw material. The high degree 

of integration in the production of solar wafers, cells 

and modules allows low production costs to be 

achieved, thereby resulting in high-quality modules at 

competitive prices. 

The order volume for the consortium consisting of 

centrotherm photovoltaics and Kinetics weighs in at 

around EUR 290 million, with the largest proportion of 

this amount being attributable to centrotherm 

photovoltaics. In line with centrotherm photovoltaics' 

company policy, the order will only be reported in the 

order book if certain internal criteria are satisfied, such 

as a pre-payment. As part of this turnkey project, 

centrotherm photovoltaics will deliver all of the 

photovoltaic systems on a turnkey basis, ranging from 

multi-crystalline ingot furnaces and ingot manufacturing 

through to module production, and it will provide 

support to Sonelgaz all the way through to system 

commissioning. Kinetics will be responsible for 

engineering services, construction management, the 

turnkey production of the building, and the technical 

fittings for the building. 

The first high-performance modules should be 

produced by 2014 at the plant, which is to be 

constructed at Rouiba, 30 km east of the capital Algiers. 

These modules are primarily intended to supply the 

domestic market. The largest solar module factory in 

the African continent's second largest country will 

deliver an annual production capacity of around 116 

MWp and is to be constructed on a land area of around 

43,000 m² – which corresponds to the size of 

approximately six football fields. 

With more than 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, 

Algeria is one of the countries with the highest solar 

radiation levels in the world. According to information 

provided by Algerian sources, around 6 to 8 percent of 

electricity demand in Algeria is to be covered from 

renewable energy by 2020, and even as much as up 

to 35 percent by 2040. 

www.centrotherm-pv.com 

SunPower and Total Partner to create a new global leader in the solar industry 

SunPower and Total announced that the two companies have entered into a broad strategic relationship to shape the 

future of the solar industry. 

Total Group will launch a friendly tender offer 

through a wholly owned subsidiary for up to 60 

percent of SunPower's outstanding Class A 

Common shares and 60 percent of SunPower's 

outstanding Class B Common shares at a price of 

$23.25/share for each class. The offer price represents 

a 46 percent premium over the April 27, 2011 closing 

price of SunPower's Class A common stock and a 49 

percent premium over the April 27, 2011closing price 

of SunPower's Class B common stock, and values 

SunPower's equity at $2.3 billion. In addition, Total will 

provide SunPower with up to $1 billion of credit support 

over the next five years. Following closing of the 

transaction, which has been approved by the boards 

of both companies, SunPower will continue to operate 

with its current management team. 

us.sunpowercorp.com 


New world record for mass produced conventional silicon solar cell - 19.2 percent 

efficiency 

Sunrise Global Solar Energy has set a new world efficiency record for mass produced conventional solar cells. 

Apeak efficiency rate of up to 19.2 percent has 

been reached for the first time in standard 

volume production by combining Sunrise’s 

unique processing know-how and the selective emitter 

technology from Schmid, one of its technology 

partners. 

Sunrise Global Solar Energy (Sunrise) has achieved 

a conventionally processed cell conversion efficiency 

of 19.2 percent for the first time in industrial mass 

production. Sunrise achieved this result through its 

cooperation with Schmid GmbH + Co (Schmid). The 

measurements were confirmed by the University of 

Konstanz and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy 

GT Solar announced that it has received a $93.9 

million order from Taiwan-based polysilicon 

producer Powertec Energy Corporation for a 

complete suite of polysilicon production equipment 

and technology including SDR 400 reactors, 

hydrochlorination, filament and product processing 

Systems, verifying the claims of the two companies. 

Alongside the selective emitter technology from 

Schmid and advanced processing steps optimized by 

Sunrise, the cell efficiency record was otherwise 

achieved in a standard single-sided screen-printed 

solar cell structure – thereby setting a new global 

standard for conventional solar cells. The production 

runs of record solar cells which achieve a peak rate of 

19.2 percent are based on industrial grade 6” monocrystalline 

wafer material (Czochralski drawing) with 

conventional screen printed aluminum backside. 

The increased rate of efficiency reached by Sunrise 

was made possible by the use of the selective emitter 

equipment.The equipment will be installed in 

Powertec’s new polysilicon facility which is expected 

to begin production in 2012. The order will be included 

in GT Solar’s backlog for its current Q1 FY12, which 

ends on July 2, 2011. The SDR 400 CVD reactor has 

proven capability of producing over 400 metric tons 

technology developed internally by the Schmid Group 

and combined with the highly optimized fabrication 

steps by the Sunrise team, which has a track record 

of pushing the boundaries of solar cell efficiencies. 

Digital printing of etch masks on solar cells. 

www.schmid-group.com 

GT Solar receives $93.9 million order for polysilicon production equipment and 

technology Powertec Energy Corporation 

annually (MTA) of polysilicon and continues GT Solar’s 

leadership position for developing the most energy 

efficient reactors in the industry. 

www.gtsolar.com 

16

17 



Webcast Available Today 

on i-micronews.com/webcast 

Taming Extreme 

Topography for High-Aspect- 

Ratio Structures 

For Microelectronics Applications 

Join our webcast to learn about 

the Next Generation of planarization 

solutions to solve your High-Aspect- 

Ratio challenges! 

Across many applications such as : 

•MEMS•LED•Solar•Displays 

This webcast will discuss the challenges 

faced by the next generation microelectronic 

manufacturers trying to push technology 

to higher and higher aspect ratios... Learn 

about the latest technologies of self-leveling 

coatings that are compatible with existing 

lithography processes and photoresists, 

allow processing over extreme topography, 

and are easily removed. These materials 

will expand engineering design capabilities, 

increase a device’s value, and minimize 

production costs. 

SPEAKERS 

Madison M. Daily, Jr., 

Technology Director 

for MEMS, Sensors, and Displays, 

Brewer Science 

Jérôme Baron, 

Market & Technology Analyst, 

Advanced Packaging & MEMS, 

Yole Développement 

MODERATOR 

Jeff Perkins, 

President, 

Yole Inc. 

To learn more and to watch the webcast, please go to 

www.i-micronews.com/webcasts.asp or click here. 

Sponsored by 

Hosted by 





STATS ChipPAC expands 300mm 

Through Silicon Via capabilities 

From page 1 

STATS ChipPAC has complete front to back-end manufacturing capabilities 

for 200mm wafers and currently handles both chip-to-chip and chip-to-wafer 

assembly for TSV technology. This includes high density microbump 

capabilities in both solder and copper column materials, microbump bonding down 

to 40um pitch, thin wafer handling, wafer level underfill, thin wafer dicing and 

microbumps for flip chip interconnection. Microbump technology is critical to 

delivering fine pitch, low profile solutions for high performance devices. 

The latest TSV investment that STATS ChipPAC has made is the addition of a 

300mm “mid-end” process flow that occurs between the wafer fabrication and 

back-end assembly process. Mid-end processes support the advanced 

manufacturing requirements of 2.5D and 3D TSV as well as wafer level packaging, 

flip chip and embedded die technology. 

Recent Through-Silicon-Via and micro-bumping realisations 

from STATS ChipPAC: 

2.5D silicon interposer "PoP module" demonstrator from STATS ChipPAC 

www.statschippac.com 


CEA-Leti to implement multiple 

EV Group systems on its new 300-mm 

fab line dedicated to 3D integration 

EV Group (EVG) announced that its longtime customer and 

partner, CEA-Leti, has installed multiple EVG tools in its 

industry-first 300-mm cleanroom dedicated to R&D and 

prototyping for 3D-integration applications. 

While Leti's new state-of-the-art facility is focused on R&D and prototyping, 

EVG's equipment will be leveraged with an eye toward widespread adoption 

of 3D technology for high-volume applications. Specifically, EVG's 

equipment will be used in 3D technology demonstrations for Leti's global customer 

base, as well as low-volume pilot production on 300-mm wafers with the end goal of 

transferring the processes to their industrial partners' high-volume manufacturing 

environments. The EVG systems to be deployed on CEA-Leti's new 300-mm 3D line 

include an IQ Aligner production mask alignment system, a SmartView NT highest 

precision bond alignment system, an EVG560 production wafer bonding system and 

an EVG850 production bonding system for direct wafer bonding. These lithography 

and packaging systems were specifi cally chosen for the advantages they deliver in 

3D-integration processing. Moreover, CEA-Leti will be able to tap EVG's extensive 

process know-how in 3D integration and through-silicon via (TSV) manufacturing, as 

the institute's 3D offerings include TSVs along with advanced capabilities in alignment, 

bonding, thinning and interconnects. 

EVG works not only with research consortia and institutions such as CEA-Leti, but also 

with global consortia, including EMC-3D, SEMI, NILCOM, NIL Austria, and Mancef. 

www.EVGroup.com 

18

19 




Major semiconductor companies join SEMATECH’s 3D enablement center to 

accelerate adoption of 3D TSV technologies 

Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE), Altera Corporation, Analog Devices, LSI Corporation, ON Semiconductor, 

and Qualcomm collaborate to develop standards and technical specifications for 3D ICs. 

SEMATECH announced that these companies 

have joined SEMATECH’s 3D Enablement 

program based at the College of Nanoscale 

Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University 

at Albany. These leading semiconductor companies 

will join CNSE, GlobalFoundries, Hewlett Packard, 

Hynix, IBM, Intel, Samsung, and UMC to extend the 

program’s position as a broad, cohesive initiative 

and to enable industry-wide ecosystem readiness 

for cost effective TSV-based 3D stacked IC 

solutions. 

As members, these program participants will work 

with SEMATECH researchers to contribute to the 

overall vision of the Enablement Center, which 

includes identification of critical needs for 3D 

technologies, and the development of path fi nding 

capabilities, EDA tools, and appropriate test vehicles. 

In December 2010, SEMATECH, along with the 

Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) and the 

Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), 

launched a new 3D Enablement program to drive 

industry standardization efforts and technical 

specifi cations for heterogeneous 3D integration. As 

a fi rst-of-its-kind effort, the 3D Enablement program 

aims to establish the infrastructure necessary for the 

entire industry to leverage 3D packaging technology 

for innovative new applications. The primary focus is 

on developing technologies and specifications 

necessary for establishing standards in critical areas 

such as inspection, metrology, microbumping, 

bonding and thin wafer, and die handling. 

www.sematech.org 

ASE steps up investment in China 

Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) has revealed plans to invest a total of US$1.2 billion on manufacturing 

facilities in Shanghai, China. 

ASE will build a 180,000-square-meter plant as 

part of an effort to expand its operations in 

China, the company said. Located in Jinqiao, 

Pudong New Area, the new facility will target higherend 

wirebonding and packaging services with volume 

production slated for the second half of 2011. 

ASE also unveiled plans to set up its regional 

headquarters and R&D center in Zhangjiang, 

Shanghai. Construction of the 116,000-square-meter 

factory building will be divided into three phases, ASE 

said, adding that operations are scheduled to 

commence in 2012. In November 2010, ASE 

announced investment worth US$60 million to 

expand capacity at its subsidiary ASE (Weihai) in 

Shandong Province, China. Earlier in the year, the 

company said it would spend a total of US$124 million 

on operation expansion in China, including 

construction of a new plant in the Pudong industrial 

district of Shanghai and additional production lines 

at its Kunshan, Jiangsu Province facility. 

www.digitimes.com 

FABRICATION EQUIPMENT FOR THE INTEGRATED CIRCUIT INDUSTRY 

SINGLE WAFER WET PROCESSORS & CLEANERS 

Configure your wet fabrication process to increase yields and lower cost with SSEC’s 3300 Series of Single Wafer Wet Processors. 

SSEC provides complete process development services to enable system configuration according to your process and manufacturing requirements. 

CLEAN 

99% Particle Removal Efficiency at the 88mm, 65mm, and 45mm Nodes 

High hVelocity ySpray 

WET ETCH 

Uniform, Selective Etching on Multiple Process Levels 

Wafer Thinning 

i 

Solid State Equipment Corporation 

SINGLE WAFER WET PROCESSING AND CLEANING 

STRIP & LIFT-OFF 

Immersion and Single Wafer Processing 

Rotary PVABrush Heated Solvent Immersion Heated High Pressure Scrub 

Stream 

Etch 

for Films 

& Metals 

COAT / DEVELOP 

Photolithography Clusters 

Spin nC 

Coating 

ssecusa.com 

Low 

ImpactDeveloping 

©2010 Solid State Corporation 




NANOTECHNOLOGY 

Nanostart launches nanotechnology fund in Russia 

From page 1 

In addition to the shareholding, as fund manager 

Nanostart receives a carried interest of up to 25 

percent as well as an annual management fee 

totaling 3 percent of fund volume. 

For Nanostart, the fund marks a prelude to business 

activities in Russia. 

Nanostart found ideal conditions for the fund in Perm. 

Governor Oleg Chirkunov is developing the region into 

a technology pioneer. The emphasis is on 

development, commercialization, and application of 

nanotechnology products. According to RBC Daily, 

Perm is among the Top 10 most innovative regions of 

Russia. 

The fund is part of an initiative by the Russian 

government to develop into a high-tech nation. The 

goal is to be one of the most important countries in the 

world for the production of nanotechnology-based 

products. This progress is mainly driven by the Russian 

company RUSNANO. The former government holding 

has been a stock corporation since March 2011. It 

promotes the commercialization of nanotechnological 

innovation and the development of necessary 

infrastructure to support projects. The equivalent of 

nearly 10 billion dollars has been made available. 

Nanostart was selected from among several 

renowned international competitors during the fund 

application process. This cooperation with 

distinguished Russian partners is further proof that 

Nanostart AG has established itself as a leading and 

sought-after expert for nanotech investment. 

Through the fund, which should last up to 10 years, 

Nanostart will benefit from the growth potential of 

nanotechnology in Perm and Russia. Russia has set 

a goal to become a leading producer of 

nanotechnology products by 2015. The Kama Fund 

First is named after the Kama River, which flows 

through the region. 

www.nanostart.de 

Limit to nanotechnology mass-production? 

A leading nanotechnology scientist has raised questions over a billion dollar industry by boldly claiming that there 

is a limit to how small nanotechnology materials can be mass produced. 

In a paper published on April 21, in IOP Publishing's 

journal Nanotechnology, Professor Mike Kelly, 

Centre for Advanced Photonics and Electronics, 

University of Cambridge, stated that you cannot mass 

produce structures with a diameter of three nanometres 

or less using a top-down approach. 

This statement raises a major question concerning the 

billions of dollars that are poured into nanotechnology 

each year in the hope that the latest technology 

developed in the lab can make the transition to a 

manufactured product on the market. 

Nanotechnology is built on the ability to control and 

manipulate matter at the atomic and molecular level 

and has far reaching applications including the delivery 

of drugs into the body, increasing the efficiency of solar 

panels and improving methods of food packaging. The 

overall goal when entering nanotechnologies into the 

market is low-cost, high-volume manufacturability, but 

at the same time, the materials' properties must be 

highly reproducible within a pre-specified limit, which 

Kelly states cannot happen below the 3nm limit when 

trying to make arrays. 

The top-down approach to manufacturing, which Kelly 

states is limited, uses external tools to cut and shape 

large materials to contain many smaller features. Its 

alternative, the bottom-up approach, involves piecing 

together small units, usually molecules, to construct 

whole materials -- much like a jigsaw puzzle -- however 

this process is too unpredictable for defect -- free mass 

production of arrays. 

Kelly used statistical evaluation of vertical nanopillars 

-- that have been suggested for uses in sensors and 

displays -- as an example to demonstrate his theory. 

He states that the proof comes in two stages. The first 

is due to the fact that when materials are mass 

produced on such a small scale there will be a lot of 

variation in the size of different components. 

As a result of this variation, the properties of the 

material will vary to an extent where the material 

cannot function to full capacity within an array. 

Professor Kelly says, "If I am wrong, and a 

counterexample to my theorem is provided, many 

scientists would be more secure in their continued 

working, and that is good for science. 

www.iop.org 


New continuous flow process for separating and sorting carbon nanomaterials 

Archimedes Polymer Technologies and Brunel University, London have secured Technology Strategy Board Funding 

(TSB) to develop a new continuous flow process for separating and sorting commercially available carbon 

nanotubes and carbon nanomaterials. 

Developing an effective process for the 

separating and sorting of carbon 

nanomaterials will offer industry new costeffective 

manufacturing techniques, high value-added 

materials and end-user products. 

Carbon nanomaterials are one of the most 

commercially relevant classes of nanomaterials, 

potentially having the broadest range of applications 

from composites to consumer mass electronics, 

energy storage, membranes, healthcare and toxicity 

assessments. For high-value applications, high-purity 

and uniform carbon nanotubes are essential. 

This project aims to prove the concept and efficiency 

of a flow process for separation and sorting of carbon 

nanotube products using a variable force field 

generated by a novel centrifuge, providing continuous 

parameter controlled, highly efficient mixing, 

separation and extraction. 

New method to improve the electrical conductivity of polymeric composites 

wwwfr.uni.lu 

Polymeric composites consist of two or more materials and are used for example to shield off electrostatics in airplanes. 

By introducing additives into polymeric 

composites, favorable properties can be 

achieved. For instance, they develop 

favorable electrical properties when reinforced with 

carbon nanotubes. Such composites are used to 

make flat-panel displays and solar cells more 

efficient. The researchers in Luxembourg, in 

cooperation with scientists from the Netherlands, 

have studied the electrical percolation of carbon 

nanotubes in a polymer matrix and shown the 

percolation threshold - the point at which the 

polymer composite becomes conductive - can be 

considerably lowered if small quantities of a 

conductive polymer latex are added. The simulations 

were done in Luxembourg, while the experiments 

took place at Eindhoven University. 

By mixing finely dispersed particles, so-called 

colloidal particles, of differing shapes and sizes 

in the medium, system-spanning networks form: 

the prerequisite for electrically conductive 

composites. 

www.brunel.ac.uk 

20

21 



POWER ELECTRONICS 

IGBT module tops the competition in current density: 4.9 A/cm² for 3-level 

inverters 

Semikron presents its newest MiniSKiiP IGBT power semiconductor module, which is now also available in 3-level 

topology. 

The new module boasts a rated current of 4.9 A/ 

cm², the highest rated current per unit of area in 

comparison to competitor products, and one 

phase leg per module, enabling the development of 

compact inverters with output power of up to 85 kVA. 

The MiniSKiiP is characterised by the fast and easy 

single-screw assembly and therefore optimised for the 

efficient manufacture of 3-level solar inverters and UPS 

systems. 

The rated current per unit of area is up to twice that of 

other 3-level modules. Since no solid busbars are 

needed between the three phases/modules, more 

compact inverters can be made. The reverse voltage 

of the IGBTs and diodes used has been increased to 

650 V to enable DC link voltages of 900 V for 480 V 

three-phase power applications typical in commercial 

or industrial settings in the United States. Each module 

has a 3-level phase leg with sufficient space for ten 

power semiconductors each. 

Across the world, more than 15 million MiniSKiiP 

modules are in use in drives and frequency converters. 

The success of this module platform continues in the 

new 3-level topology, which improves electrical 

efficiency and makes power converters more efficient. 

Thermal and electrical connection between the module 

and the heat sink and the driver board is established 

with a single screw or two screws for rated module 

currents of up to 150 A or 200 A, respectively. This 

means that solder equipment and time-consuming 

soldering processes are done away with in the 

assembly stage. For solar inverter output power of 60 

kVA and above, i.e. for rated current of 150 A and 

higher, modules with screw connections were 

previously used for the busbars. Thanks to MiniSKiiP 

200 A 3-level modules, the busbars can be replaced 

with cheaper PCBs in inverters with outputs of up to 85 

kVA. Former complex 8-screw connections have been 

reduced to simple 2-screw-assembly solutions. 

“Owing to the efficiency gain, 3-level technology is set 

to become standard in solar inverters and UPS systems 

in the very near future,” comments Thomas Grasshoff, 

Head of International Product Management, referring 

to the trends on these markets. In the drives sector, 

MiniSKiiP modules have already gained a strong 

footing thanks to their fast and easy assembly. 

The 3-level product range from Semikron covers rated 

currents of 20 A to 600 A: featuring SEMITOP solder 

modules for up to 150 A, MiniSKiiP spring contact 

modules for up to 200 A and SKiM screw connection 

modules for up to 600 A. 

The new MiniSKiiP IGBT power semiconductor module 

(Courtesy of Semikron) 

www.powersystemsdesign.com 

Alpha Technologies debuts new UPS power solutions 

Alpha Technologies Ltd. introduced the new FXM 350 and Micro 350 Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) products 

The latest addition to Alpha’s FXM family of UPS 

products, the FXM 350 is engineered to address 

a broad range of applications requiring lower 

output power and smaller footprints than the existing 

FXM 650, 1100 and 2000 models. 

"The FXM 650, 1100 and 2000 have been stalwart 

performers for a variety of critical applications across 

many industries," said William Huang, AC Portfolio 

Product Manager at Alpha. "The new FXM 350 

represents the leading ruggedized UPS in the Security 

market that supports both ac and dc loads. It simply 

offers the class leading performance our customers 

have come to expect from the larger FXM modules, 

but in a more compact and cost effective package." 

The new FXM 350 UPS Module features: flexible dual 

ac and dc output for multiple loads up to 350W; local 

or remote monitoring and control via USB and SNMP 

communication; small footprint for wall, rack or 

enclosure mounting; dependable operation in extreme 

operating environments; and powerful new firmware 

with enhanced features such as battery run time 

information. 

Also released is the Micro 350, Alpha’s latest outdoor 

UPS system that integrates the FXM 350 module in a 

NEMA 3R enclosure with batteries, an adaptor plate 

and an optional distribution panel. It provides reliable 

backup power for a wide range of applications, 

including security, access control, public utility and 

telecommunications. 

www.powerpulse.net 

Enecsys secures $41 million investment to accelerate its growth plan 

Enecsys has secured a further £25 million ($41 million) in equity financing to invest in its growth plan. 

Enecsys was founded in 2003 and its patented 

technology was originally developed at 

Cambridge University in the UK. Solar inverters 

convert the DC power produced by solar photovoltaic 

(PV) modules into AC power for supply to the electricity 

grid. Enecsys micro inverters are installed on the rail 

behind solar modules, either one inverter per solar 

module or one for every two modules. The Enecsys 

micro inverter represents a breakthrough in inverter 

design for residential and commercial solar PV 

installations as its technology has, for the first time, 

eliminated components that limit inverter life. 

Additionally the Enecsys micro inverter enables solar 

PV systems to harvest between 5% and 20% more 

energy; it makes planning and installation of PV 

systems easier and safer due to the elimination of high 

voltage DC wiring, and it enhances system optimization 

by monitoring the performance of each solar module. 

Enecsys has recently launched its products in Europe 

and North America and the latest financing has been 

arranged to facilitate substantial expected growth. 

Climate Change Capital Private Equity led this Series 

B equity financing with an investment of £11 million 

($18 million). The balance, £14 million ($23 million), 

was secured from the existing Enecsys investors, 

Wellington Partners, NES Partners (formerly known 

as Bankinvest New Energy Solutions) and Good 

Energies, who together previously invested £8.5 

million ($14.3 million) in Enecsys in a Series A financing 

in 2009. The latest financing round represents the 

largest private equity raise in the European cleantech 

sector so far this year. 

www.powersystemsdesign.com 




 

 

 


For 35 years, Plasma-Therm has been shrinking the 

limits of what is possible. Today, our Mask Etcher V ® 

produces at

23 



YOLE LIFE 

O U R R E P O R T S 

Discover our latest reports 

Permanent Wafer 


Permanent Wafer Bonding 

Wafer Bonding will be a Key Enabling Technology for Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing. 

The report will analyze in details the technical & economical evolution of the permanent wafer 

bonding process. The wafer bonding market is a very complex one crossing different wafer sizes 

(from 2’’ to 12’’), different applications (Advanced Substrates) and different bonding technologies 

(Adhesive, Anodic, Fusion, Direct Oxide, Eutectic, Glass Frit, Metal Diffusion). 

Released in May 2011 – For more information, feel free to contact David Jourdan (jourdan@yole.fr) 

Also available… 

MEMS Microphone 

Better communication through better listening. 

The mobile phone market is still the largest consumer of MEMS microphones. With the penetration of MEMS microphones in the iphone 4 and other smart 

phones, Yole Développement estimates rapid growth of the market in 2011-2016. By 2013, shipments will increase to over 1 billion units. 

Released in May 2011 

Flip-Chip 

Understanding the new requirements and technologies that will reshape the supply chain of the world’s highest value package platform. 

Throughout this fi rst ever Yole Développement report on fl ip-chip technologies and markets, you will fi nd out how this market emerged almost from scratch 

15 years ago and turned into a $16 billion market, and why we think that even though it is a large market by the figures and looks mature at first sight, we think 

that it is still in its growth phase, with major technology and application and supply chain transformations looming ahead. 

Released in April 2011 

About Yole Développement 

Beginning in 1998 with Yole Développement, we have grown to become a group of companies providing market research, technology analysis, strategy 

consulting, media in addition to finance services. With a solid focus on emerging applications using silicon and/or micro manufacturing Yole Développement 

group has expanded to include more than 40 associates worldwide covering MEMS and Microfluidics, Advanced Packaging, Compound Semiconductors, 

Power Electronics, LED, and Photovoltaic. The group supports companies, investors and R&D organizations worldwide to help them understand markets 

and follow technology trends to develop their business. 

CONSULTING SERVICES 

• Market data, market research and marketing analysis 

• Technology analysis 

• Reverse engineering and reverse costing 

• Strategy consulting 

• Corporate Finance Advisory (M&A and fund raising) 

MEDIA 

• Critical news, Bi-weekly: Micronews, the magazine 

• In-depth analysis & Quarterly Technology Magazines: MEMS Trends– 3D Packaging – PV Manufacturing – iLED – Power Dev' 

• Online disruptive technologies website: www.i-micronews.com 

• Exclusive Webcasts 

• Live event with Market Briefi ngs 

CONTACTS 

For more information about : 

• Services : Jean-Christophe Eloy (eloy@yole.fr) 

• Reports: David Jourdan (jourdan@yole.fr) 

• Media : Sandrine Leroy (leroy@yole.fr) 

Editorial Staff 

Board Members: Jean-Christophe Eloy & Jeff Perkins - Media Activity, Editor in chief: Dr Eric 

Mounier - Editors: Alexandre Avron, Frédéric Breussin, Arnaud Duteil, Barbara Jeol, Patrick Keating, 

Jerôme Mouly, Dr. Éric Mounier, Laurent Robin, Dr. Philippe Roussel - Media & PR Manager: Sandrine 

Leroy - VP New Media Development: Bill Stinson - Assistant: Camille Favre - Production: K.Zen 

REPORTS 

• Collection of market & technology reports 

• Players & market databases 

• Manufacturing cost simulation tools 

• Component reverse engineering & costing analysis 

More information on www.yole.fr

Microvision establishes first global R&D center in ... - I-Micronews

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?