the disruptive semiconductor technologies magazine - I-Micronews

THE DISRUPTIVE SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGIES MAGAZINE

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*Yole Développement Annual Top 30 MEMS Company Ranking

THE DISRUPTIVE SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGIES MAGAZINE 

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

ISSUE N°100 OCTOBER 12, 2010 

E D I T O R I A L 

People 

matter, 

technologies 

will follow 

So here we are … the 100 th issue of Micronews! 

When we created the magazine 10 years ago 

(with the support of DARPA to create ETIP, the 

European Technology Information Program), 

we did not even consider how far we could go 

and how far our readers would take us. Neither 

had we considered that Micronews could 

open the way to a complete Media activity, 

with four technological magazines on MEMS, 

PV, 3D Packaging, Power & Compound 

Semiconductors, and a daily updated website 

(i-micronews). … Since the 1 st issue of 

Micronews to this 100th, not only has our 

media activity increased but our readership 

has increased by a factor of 5! We could have 

not done this without all the great input and 

feedback from you our readers, Thanks! 

MEMS 

PHOTONICS 

New markets inspire growth at Modulight 

Modulight, a privately held laser developer 

based in Tampere, Finland, has announced 

a 35% growth in sales for the first half of 

2010 compared with the same period last year. The 

result adds fuel to the fire that the optics industry 

has felt the worst effects of the global economic 

downturn and is moving steadily towards a period 

of greater stability. 

“One of our customers is involved in the handheld 

sports rangefinders business, a much more 

consumer-oriented field than our traditional highspecification 

applications. This market is really 

taking off for us - we are talking about hundreds of 

thousands of devices per year for initial production 

ramp up. Traditionally we have tried to keep away 

Medical lasers at Modulight 

from this type of high volume-low margin area, but at pico-projection, Modulight is targeting larger 

we happen to have an extremely competitive style cinema projection systems as it believes it 

offering,” he commented. 

can offer something different… 

Another emerging market for Modulight is displays 

and projection, which exploits its ChiliLase red 

15 

…2 diode lasers. Unlike many laser companies aiming 

Pixtronix and Hitachi Displays announce successful joint development 

Displays built based upon Pixtronix PerfectLight MEMS display technology to be demonstrated at CEATEC. 

Pixtronix announced the successful joint 

development with Hitachi Displays, Ltd. of 

its PerfectLight low power MEMS display 

technology for mobile multimedia applications. 

The two companies recently completed the 

development of prototype displays, which leverage 

ADVANCED PACKAGING 

3D-IC memory with wide I/O interface is coming by 

2013 says NOKIA 

Kauppi Kujala from NOKIA announced at Semicon Taiwan 2010 Show the 

high volume adoption of through silicon vias (TSV) for « wide IO » for DRAM 

and logic integration by 2013. 

In a presentation made at Semicon Taiwan, senior 

engineering and R&D manager Kauppi Kujala of 

Nokia disclosed the company roadmaps for 3D 

integration. He described the steps from “2.5D” to true 

PLATINUM PARTNERS 

Handheld sports rangefinders and laser cinema fuel a 35% growth at Modulight 

during the first half of 2010. 

“3D” using various applications of TSVs in silicon 

interposers, memories and integrated 

circuits (ICs). 

19 

the Pixtronix proprietary technology and were built 

by Hitachi Displays. These displays were 

demonstrated by Hitachi Displays at CEATEC 

Japan exhibition, October 5-9, Makuhari Messe, 

Tokyo, Japan. 

The PerfectLight display is an innovative lowpower 

multimedia display for portable devices, 

achieving 135% NTSC color gamut, 24-bit color 

depth, 170-degree viewing angles, and 100 

microsecond shutter response times; all 

with a 75% power reduction over LCD 

6 

displays… 

C O N T E N T S 

•MEMS 6 

•MICROFLUIDICS 11 

•COMPOUND SEMICONDUCTORS 13 

•PHOTONICS 15 

•PHOTOVOLTAIC 16 

•ADVANCED PACKAGING 19 

•NANOTECHNOLOGY 21 

•POWER ELECTRONICS 22 

Y O L E D É V E L O P P E M E N T 

Free registration on 

www.i-micronews.com 

1

OCTOBER 2010 issue n°100 


EDITORIAL 

From our first issue, which was mostly a focus on 

MEMS, we have broadened the scope of our 

analysis covering all the non-mainstream 

semiconductor industry. Today, Micronews is 

probably the only magazine with such a broad focus 

on MEMS, Advanced Packaging, Nanotechnologies, 

Compound Semiconductors, Power, Microfluidics, 

Photonics … We were probably the first to realize 

that MEMS technologies were diffusing into the 

semiconductor through advanced packaging and 

3D integration. At the very beginning, we also have 

been realized very quickly how the cell phone would 

aggregate all innovative technologies with new 

sensors, new packaging, new functionalities… As 

you know our media coverage is driven by our Yole 

analysis activity, where we have enlarged the scope 

of our analysis and created new competencies to 

provide our customers real added value on the 

technologies & markets evolution. 

Through these 10 years, many people have 

contributed to the success of our media. And if you 

give a look at this issue 100 cover (we are quite 

proud of it …), you will probably recognize familiar 

faces. We have now expanded our Media network 

to external contributors and journalists. 

We hope to contribute to the MEMS history through 

our different Medias. Back to history, the major 

milestones we have identified since the first MEMS 

are: 

• 1965: The first MEMS (a resonator) by Westinghouse 

(a CMOS process!) 

• 1979: Bulk micromachined accelerometer by 

Stanford 

• 1982: Surface micromachined accelerometer by 

IBM 

• 1993: CMOS is used for lateral MEMS accelerometer 

by ADI 

• 2000: The Internet bubble explodes. Optical 

MEMS developments are slowly dying. 

• 2002: First issue of Micronews 

• 2005: The MEMS market is above US$5B. MEMS 

are processed on 200mm. The DRIE is moving 

outside the MEMS industry for CMOS Image 

Sensors WLP. 

• 2005: DRIE is drifting from the MEMS industry to 

the IC world for 3D TSV. As for bonders and thin 

wafers handlers. 

• 2010: Airbag accelerometers have saved more 

100s of thousands lives. MEMS market is booming 

thanks to the consumer application. Disruptive 

technologies bring more and more functionalities 

and added value through the integration of new 

technologies (micro source of energy, wireless 

communication, sensor fusion …). 

In this issue, you will discover we are introducing a 

new column “inside”. The “Inside” article will present 

an end-product with an analysis of the internal 

WITH MEMS, 

THINGS WILL 

BE SMARTER 

YOU NEED 

ONE IN YOUR 

BRAIN ! 

workings of the the micro/nano technologies. In this 

issue, we present what’s “inside“ a Wii accessory. 

It is our goal to always broaden the scope of our 

analysis, not only focusing on devices, but also on 

applications, markets and of course people! As 

always, we aim at being the first to identify and 

present to you what the new disruptive technologies 

breakthroughs will be! 

2010 is close to the end, and with 2011 right around 

the corner. Stay tuned to our Media activities. You 

will discover new exciting content in the next 

months! 

Dr. Éric Mounier 

Editor-in-chief 

TO MEET US 


MEMS Technology Summit - Stanford, CA - 

October 19-20, 2010 

The event will feature more than 30 speakers 

and panelists over two days that will represent 

the "who's who" of the MEMS community. The 

conference organizers include Janusz Bryzek, 

Joseph Mallon and Kurt Petersen, the founders 

of NovaSensor, and Roger Grace, a key fi gure 

in the MEMS Industry. 

Semicon Europa - Dresden, Germany - 

October 19-21, 2010 

SEMICON Europa is the industry’s leading 

European forum for addressing the challenges 

GOLD PARTNERS 

facing today’s global semiconductor industry. 

SEMICON Europa 2010 will be located again in 

Dresden at the heart of the Silicon Saxony, this 

time co-located with the Plastic Electronics 

Europe Conference under the umbrella of 

"Converging Electronics Week 2010. 

LOAC World - San Diego, CA - October 28-29, 

2010 

Select Biosciences is pleased to announce their 

second annual Lab-on-a-Chip World Congress. 

This year's event is being held in the fabulous 

location of La Jolla, San Diego. The congress 

is being co-located with Microarray World 

Congress, Molecular Diagnostics World 

Congress and Single Cell Analysis Summit. All 

delegates will have access to all four meetings, 

and the large combined exhibition, ensuring a 

very cost effective trip. 

CONSULTING 

2



INSIDE… 

Inside… Nintendo Wii MotionPlus 

Consumer electronics is the most dynamic market for motion sensing: accelerometers, gyroscopes & magnetometers. 

Yole Développement forecasts the gyros market value for consumer is growing from US$251M in 2009 to US$1B in 2015. 

Competition is tough between STMicroelectronics, Panasonic, Invensense, Epson Toyocom and Sony. Here the Reverse 

Engineering made by our partner System Plus Consulting shows the Wii accessory integrates both Epson Toyocom single 

axis and InvenSense dual-axis gyroscope. 

In the game console field, the Nintendo Wii 

MotionPlus accessory was the first to utilize high 

volumes of MEMS gyro sensors. 

This accessory comes as a supplement to the 

standard remote controller, bringing a higher accuracy 

to movement detection, especially suited for sport 

games. It was introduced to the market in the spring 

of 2009. 

When we look INSIDE the device, we see 2 gyroscopes 

on the PCB: 

• The Epson Toyocom X3500W is a single axis 

gyroscope. It offers an integration of a QMEMS 

gyroscope and a control ASIC in one package. 

The gyro sensor is processed using a bulk 

micromachining process of a Quartz wafer 

(QMEMS process). The component is provided in 

a standard ceramic LCC 8-pin hermetic package. 

• The InvenSense IDG-600/650 is a dual-axis MEMS 

gyroscope using bulk micromachining process. It 

offers a 3-D integration of a MEMS gyroscope and a 

control ASIC in one package. The component is 

provided in a standard QFN 28-pin package. 

More than 50 million Motion Plus controllers have been 

sold since their introduction in June 2009. 

However, this is just the beginning, since new motion 

sensing solutions with MEMS gyroscope are now being 

released in the market. For example, released in 

September 2010, Sony Move game controller integrates 

9 degrees of freedom with the use of accelerometers, 

gyroscopes and compass. Utilizing complex sensor 

fusion algorithms creating more precise gesture 

recognition, more immersive gaming experiences are 

3A 

3A 

3A 

G 

MEMS & Sensors 

© October 2010 

Hokuriku 

Murata 

ADI 

2006 2008 

produced. And now, Nintendo plans to add motion 

sensing features in portable game stations, with the 

integration of accelerometers and gyroscopes in the 

3DS to be released in February 2011. 

Yole sees believes 2 gyroscope providers will benefit 

from these changes in the industry: 

• The 2-axis gyro in the Move controller is from Sony, 

a newcomer in the MEMS gyroscope landscape. 

Sony has developed 2-axis solution that is now 

Motion sensors for gaming 

Supply chain 

2G 

ST 

G 

InvenSense 

Epson Toyocom 

Kionix 

Epson Toyocom 

Legend: 

3A: 3-axis accelerometer / G: single axis gyroscope / 2G: 2-axis gyro / 3G: 3axis gyro / 3M: 3-axis magnetometer 

2010 

3A 

2G 

3M 

3A 

3G 

3G 

Kionix 

Sony 

AKM? 

ST? 

Panasonic? 

Invensense 2-axes gyroscope 

Epson – Toyocom 1-axis gyroscope 

integrated in its own DSCs since end 2009 in all Sony 

DSCs except high-end products. Those parts are also 

sold to few DSC manufacturers in Japan, and now 

integrated in the PS3 Move game controller, which 

means that Sony now has a very large gyro market 

share! 

• Panasonic has recently launched its 3-axis gyroscope 

and is actively promoting it in the gaming and mobile 

phone industry. Yole expects to see Panasonic 3-axis 

gyroscope integrated in the future Nintendo 3DS 

Competition is gaining in intensity as the gaming 

gyroscope market becomes increasingly attractive. 

Established players (ST, Epson Toyocom, InvenSense) 

are also pushing hard to introduce 3-axis gyroscopes 

to this market while new large players such as (Bosch 

Sensortec) are also expected to enter this market. It is 

possible that a unique 3-axis gyro could be in the works 

to replace the 2-axis gryo + single axis gryo of the 

Motion Plus controller 

Current integration of several types of sensors opens 

the way for even more technology or capability. Yole 

forecasts increased market traction for MEMS IMUs 

within one or two generation of products, provided that 

the cost of such package becomes more attractive 

compared to the simple addition of accelerometer and 

gyroscope discrete sensors. 

www.systemplus.fr 

www.yole.fr 


3




4

THE DIS RUPTI VE SEMICONDUCTOR TECH N O LOGIES MAGAZI N E 



REVERSE ENGINEERING 

New Apple iPod Nano showcases 2x2mm 3-axis accelerometer by 

STMicroelectronics 

Chipworks finds STMicroelectronics design win in Apple's new Nano with stealth-mode 2x2 mm accelerometer. 

Recently Apple launched a range of updated 

products, including the sixth-generation 

iPod Nano MP3 player (Fig. 1). Chipworks 

performed our usual teardown and found 

some new design wins not seen in earlier models. 

Notable fi ndings include a touchscreen controller by 

Cypress Semiconductor, package-on-package (PoP) 

assembly containing the Apple processor and 

Samsung DRAM, an FM tuner from Silicon labs, and 

the first-of-its-kind 2 mm x 2 mm 3-axis MEMS 

accelerometer by STMicroelectronics (ST). 

On the circuit board from the Nano, the largest chip is 

the PoP with the Apple applications processor and 128 

MB of Samsung mobile DRAM, and we have highlighted 

the A2L accelerometer chip (Fig. 2). The package mark 

is obscure, but the Nano has a rotating display and is 

tap-sensitive, so there has to be an accelerometer 

present, and this looked the most likely. 

A sideview x-ray (Fig.3) clears up any doubt that the 

A2L is a MEMS, with an ASIC on top, and a notably 

tight wiring profi le to help achieve the 2 x 2 mm footprint 

package height is ~1 mm). The dark line between the 

cap and the MEMS die is the gold hermetic seal for the 

MEMS assembly. 

Fig. 4 shows the de-lidded C5L24A MEMS die which 

has been fabbed in ST’s THELMA process, and Fig 5 

the V565A ASIC die. The MEMS die is 1.33 mm x 1.53 

mm (2.03 mm 2 ), and the ASIC is 1.09 mm x 1.59 mm 

(1.73 mm 2 ). 

Given that Bosch Sensortec has claimed industry 

leadership with their 2 x 2 mm BMA220 accelerometer, 

is it surprising that ST appear to have made no 

announcement about this specific device, although they 

did announce a 2 x 2 mm part (but no part number) at 

CES in January. Maybe Apple is enforcing a publicity 

ban on announcing the part; we have heard that when 

Fig. 1 Apple’s 6th-Gen iPod Nano 

an Apple design win is a fi rst for a new part, they like 

suppliers to keep to their non-disclosure agreements, 

even after the public teardowns have appeared. 

The A2L has given the Nano new functionality to go with 

the new display, so ST has helped Apple push the 

product into a new consumer space. Apple must have 

been at the head of the line for this one – the Nano was 

released in the fi rst week of September, and according 

to the CES press release, mass production at ST was 

due to start in Q3. 

By Dick James 

Senior Technology Analyst 

djames@chipworks.com 

Fig. 2 iPod Nano Board and 

A2L Accelerometer 

Fig. 3 Side-View X-ray Image of A2L Accelerometer 

Fig. 4 C5L24A MEMS Die with Lid Removed 

Fig. 5 V565A ASIC Die 

Recent Reports on STMicroelectronics MEMS Devices - Report Code 

• STMicroelectronics L3G4200D MEMS Three-Axis Gyroscope Exploratory Report - EXR-1006-802 

For ordering details, contact Chipworks 

• STMicroelectronics L3G4200D MEMS Three-Axis Gyroscope Layout Analysis (ICWorks Surveyor) - ICS-1006-801 

www.chipworks.com 

• STMicroelectronics LSM303DLH 3-Axis Accelerometer and 3-Axis Honeywell Magnetometer Sensor MEMS Process Review - MPR-1002-801 

• STMicroelectronics LYPR540AH Three-Axis Analog Output Gyroscope MEMS Process Review - MPR-1002-802 

• STMicroelectronics 2-Axis Gyroscopes: LPR530AL, LPY530AL, LPY430AL, and LPR430AL Exploratory Report - EXR-0908-801 

• STMicroelectronics LY530AL Single-Axis Analog and Digital Yaw Rate Gyroscope Exploratory Report - EXR-0904-801 

• STMicroelectronics LIS331DLH 3-Axis MEMS Accelerometer Exploratory Report - EXR-0903-801 

• STMicroelectronics LIS331DLH Three-Axis MEMS Accelerometer Layout Analysis (ICWorks Surveyor) - ICS-0903-801 

Inside Technology 

• STMicroelectronics LIS302DL 3-Axis ±2g/±8g Digital Output “Piccolo” Accelerometer Exploratory Report - EXR-0804-802 


5



MEMS 

Pixtronix and Hitachi Displays announce successful joint development 

From page 1 

In addition, this new class of display offers 

Application Agility to dynamically optimize image 

quality and power consumption for all applications, 

ranging from full speed video to e-reader operation in 

SiTime introduces interactive, online design support tools 

SiTime announced the availability of interactive, 

online Part Number Generator and Cross 

Reference tools that accelerate the 

deployment of SiTime's products. Both these tools 

are closely integrated with a Sample Request page, 

ensuring that customers around the world can 

instantly configure and request the best SiTime 

product for their application and receive them within 

a week. "Simplifi cation, worldwide availability and 

24x7 access are keys to success in the global 

electronics business," said Piyush Sevalia, Vice 

President of Marketing at SiTime. "These new 

a single device. The PerfectLight display is based 

upon Pixtronix's Digital Micro Shutter MEMS 

technology, which is built within LCD infrastructure 

and eliminates liquid crystals, polarizers and color 

New tools accelerate deployment of MEMS-based silicon timing solutions. 

interactive tools enable our customers to rapidly 

replace their legacy quartz-based oscillators with 

SiTime's MEMS-based silicon timing solutions and 

capture their benefi ts more quickly." 

Customers can use the Cross Reference Tool to 

locate the best SiTime product that replaces their 

existing quartz oscillator. Separately, customers can 

use the Part Number Generator, available on each 

product page, to confi gure SiTime's oscillators and 

create the most optimized solution for their system. 

The Part Number Generator has unique features that 

simplify operation, such as: 

filters to enable a highly efficient, programmable, and 

durable display. 

www.pixtronix.com 

• Real time configurability — the generated part 

number changes dynamically with changes in 

selected features 

• "Any Sequence" operation — a customer can select 

features in any convenient order 

• "Active Highlights" — which clearly show the features 

that have already been selected 

• One click reset and one click copy — for use of the 

part number in other applications 

• Mouseover messages — for real time help 

www.sitime.com 

Discera and Si-Ware Systems announce successful delivery of ASIC technology 

for next-generation low-power MEMS devices 

Si-Ware Systems has delivered critical ASIC technology for Discera’s next generation low-power MEMS devices. 

Si-Ware Systems’ ASIC technology advances 

the capabilities frontier for Discera’s next 

generation products by enabling extended 

temperature range and stability and superior jitter 

performance over previous technology. “Delivering 

smaller, lower power products for consumer, mobile, 

and video applications requires the high quality of Si- 

Ware technology,” said Discera CEO Bruce Diamond. 

"Our extensive experience in ASIC technologies for 

MEMS devices allows us to consistently deliver high 

performance, high reliability products with Discera," 

said Si-Ware Systems CEO Hisham Haddara. 

Leveraging its strong expertise in analog, mixed-signal 

and RF design, Si-Ware Systems works with its 

customers to deliver ASIC technology for a broad 

range of markets and applications. Si-Ware has a 

proven track record in providing high quality timing 

solutions, inertial sensing IC's, MEMS electronic 

systems and low power ASICs. 

www.si-ware.com 

www.discera.com 


Microvision raises $12M through equity financing 

Microvision announced that it has raised $12.375 million pursuant to a previously announced equity financing facility with 

Azimuth Opportunity Ltd. 

Microvision issued approximately 6.3 million 

shares of its common stock to Azimuth for 

an aggregate purchase price of $12.5 million. 

Out of those proceeds, it paid a placement agent fee 

of $125,000 to Reedland Capital Partners, an 

institutional division of Financial West Group. 

Microvision intends to use the funds for general 

SPAWAR looks to smart system technology & commercialization center for 

MEMS sensor technology 

Military sensors specialists at the U.S. Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) are looking to 

microelectronics experts at the Smart System Technology & Commercialization Center (STC) to fabricate MEMS 

for military sensor systems. 

Officials of the SPAWAR Systems Center 

Pacifi c announced their plans to negotiate a 

sole-source contract with the STC to provide 

MEMS sensor fabrication and diagnostic support for 

sensors, including starting wafer material and masks 

necessary to fabricate the devices. STC will handle 

wafer sizes as large as 150 millimeters in diameter. 

SPAWAR will ask STC to fabricate intelligence, 

corporate purposes, including, but not limited to, 

working capital and capital expenditures. 

In August, Microvision announced that it had secured 

a committed equity fi nancing facility under which it 

may sell up to $60 million of its shares of common 

stock to Azimuth over a 24-month period. The 

company’s PicoP ® display technology platform is 

surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) sensors; 

inertial sensor components; acoustic sensor 

components; energy-harvesting components; optoelectro-mechanical 

systems; and-resistive heaters. 

Located outside Rochester, N.Y., the 140,000-squarefoot 

STC facility has more than 50,000 square feet of 

certifi ed cleanroom space with 150-millimeter wafer 

production, plus a dedicated 8,000-square-foot 

designed to enable next-generation display and 

imaging products for pico projectors, vehicle displays 

and wearable displays that interface with mobile 

devices. Its projection display engine uses laser light 

sources to create images with high contrast and 

brightness. 

www.microvision.com 

MEMS and optoelectronic packaging facility. STC 

resulted from the 20 Sept. merger of the Infotonics 

Technology Center with the Center of Excellence in 

Nanoelectronics and Nanotechnology at the College 

of Nanoscale Science & Engineering (CNSE) in 

Albany, N.Y. 

www.militaryaerospace.com 

6



when size, performance and robustness matter 

SP100 Digital compensated pressure sensors 

Pressure range: 0,5, 1, 2, 7, 12, 15 bar 

Key features 

Digital interface, SPI 

Calibrated and compensated 

Sensor self-diagnostic 

Unique electronic sensor ID 

High reliability and accuracy over lifetime 

High media compatibility 

Temperature and supply voltage measurement 

Low standby current 

Wide temperature operating range 

SP300 Embedded microcontroller 

Pressure range: 0,5, 1, 2, 7, 15 bar 

Key features 

RISC microcontroller 

ROM library functions 

5 general RC oscillator 

Calibrated and compensated 

Sensor self-diagnostic 

2 channel LF receiver for wireless applications 

High reliability and accuracy over lifetime 

High media compatibility 

Temperature and supply voltage measurements output 

Read more: http://www.sensonor.com/pressure-products/pressure-sensors.aspx 

Sensonor Technologies AS • Horten, Norway • phone: + 47 3303 5000 • fax: + 47 3303 5005 • sales@sensonor.no • www.sensonor.com 


7



MEMS 

Analog Devices’ MEMS digital gyroscope offers higher rate sensing accuracy 

where extreme shock and vibration are present 

ADI’s ADXRS453 digital iMEMS ® gyroscope achieves 0.01°/sec/g sensitivity during linear acceleration,16°/hr null offset 

stability, and is the industry’s most stable, vibration-immune MEMS gyro. 

Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) introduced the 

ADXRS453 iMEMS® gyroscope, the latest 

addition to ADI’s portfolio of fourth-generation 

high-performance, low-power gyroscopes with digital 

output. Specifically designed for angular rate 

(rotational) sensing in harsh environments, the new 

gyro features an advanced, differential Quad- 

Sensor design that enables it to operate accurately 

under intense shock and vibration conditions. 

The ADXRS453 is the most stable, vibration-immune 

MEMS gyro available, with sensitivity to linear 

acceleration specifi ed at only 0.01 °/sec/g, vibration 

rectifi cation of only 0.0002 °/sec/g2, a noise-rate 

density specifi cation of 0.023°/sec/√Hz at +105°C, 

null offset stability of 16°/hr and power consumption 

of only 6 milliamps under typical conditions. The new 

gyro is available in a cavity plastic SOIC-16 and an 

SMT-compatible vertical mount package and is 

capable of operating across a wide voltage range of 

3.3 V to 5 V and an extended temperature range of 

-40°C to 125°C. The ADXRS453 is well suited for 

industrial and defense applications. 

“The ADXRS453 features an innovative Quad- 

Sensor design that rejects the infl uence of linear 

acceleration caused by intense shock and vibration,” 

said Kelly Atkinson, defense electronics marketing 

manager, Analog Devices. “This enables the 

ADXRS453 to enable complex navigation and GPSaided 

dead-reckoning in exceedingly harsh 

environments like unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), 

platform stabilization in land- and sea-based military 

vehicles, and avionics equipment where shock and 

vibration are present and can cause measurement 

errors in less capable gyros.” 

The digital output ADXRS453 is capable of sensing 

angular rates up to ±300°/sec and its angular rate data 

is presented as a 16-bit word within a 32-bit serial 

peripheral interface (SPI) message. The ADXRS453 

utilizes an internal, continuous self-test architecture. 

The integrity of the electromechanical system is 

checked by applying a high frequency electrostatic 

force to the sense structure to generate a rate signal 

that can be differentiated from the baseband rate data 

and internally analyzed. 

The high-performance ADXRS453 and ADXRS450 

iMEMS gyroscopes are available today in sample 

quantities with production release scheduled for 

December 2010. The ADXRS453 comes in a small 

16-lead plastic SOIC package and an SMT-compatible 

ceramic vertical-mount package. 

www.analog.com 

MARKET FOCUS 

IMU & High Performance Inertial MEMS 2010 Report 

Complete review of the 2009-2015 IMU & high performance MEMS market 

Yole Développement updated its market & technologies dedicated to inertial measurement unit (IMU) and high 

performance inertial MEMS devices. The report IMU & High Performance Inertial MEMS 2010 provides worldwide market 

metrics from 2009 to 2015, market shares and key IMU applications. It also gives a deep description of gyroscopes and 

accelerometers technologies and analyzes the level of performance for each application. 


High performance motion sensing is 

gaining interest in many industries 

In the military & aerospace areas, the use of Inertial 

Measurement Units (IMUs) and other systems based 

on high-performance gyroscopes has been 

widespread for navigation, flight control or stabilization 

functions for decades. Today Yole Développement 

now sees many industrial and healthcare applications 

emerging, driven by the possibility to integrate new 

functionality at low cost, mostly thanks to the recent 

developments in MEMS accelerometer and gyroscope 

technology. 

The market for IMUs is estimated to be $1.55B in 

2009, dominated by defense and aerospace 

applications. Yole Développement sees this market 

growing at a 9% annual growth rate, to reach $2.60B 

in 2015. Industrial, commercial naval and offshore 

applications will be the most dynamic with 16.5% 

yearly growth, when the aerospace and defense 

markets will be limited to a 5.5% and 6.8% annual 

growth. 

Several technologies are currently on the market, 

RLG and FOG-based systems being the most 

widespread and still benefi ting from progresses in 

photonics. However the recent and rapid development 

of tactical-grade MEMS gyroscope technologies has 

the largest impact on the market landscape and on 

the competition. It is crucial for the companies 

involved in those markets to invest in the right 

technologies and partners, depending on the endmarkets 

which are targeted. Different strategies are 

observed: some companies carefully invest in 

selected technologies like the market leader 

Honeywell, while others love all inertial technologies, 

like Northrop Grumman. 

MEMS industrial and tactical-grade type 

of sensors, the most dynamic technology 

Yole Développement sees the market growing from 

$361.8M in 2009 to $604.6M in 2015 for single MEMS 

accelerometers and gyroscopes or assembly of 

MEMS accelerometers / gyroscopes. However many 

technical and commercial challenges are predicted 

for the players involved in MEMS: how to guarantee 

a high level of vacuum for keeping high performance 

over the years, how to bring down the costs when 

most of the applications are in the 100 or 1000 unit 

range per year, why is it so important to avoid export 

restrictions like ITAR, what are the best business 

partners to enter new markets which are sometimes 

captive… 

The recent availability of tactical-grade MEMS IMUs 

is clearly attractive for a wide range of applications. 

Indeed many applications will fi nd interest in low-cost 

devices while it also opens new market opportunities 

such as precision guided munitions or small size 

UAVs. This explains why nearly each major IMU 

manufacturer has a MEMS technology today, 

although the status of developments is not the same 

for all players. 

This report is more than a simple update of the “IMU 

market 2007-2012” report. The involvement of Yole 

Developpement on the high-end inertial market has 

continued to grow in the last couple of years, with 

discussions with key companies involved in the fi eld 

all over the world and participation in many 

conferences. 

For more information about this report, please contact 

David Jourdan (jourdan@yole.fr) 

8



24th International Trade Fair 

New Munich Trade Fair Centre 

09–12 November 2010 

Register online and enjoy the benefits: 

www.electronica.de/en/tickets 

e 

explor 

the possibilities of tomorrow. 

Automotive e-Mobility 

Displays / e-Signage Embedded systems / software 

Medical / MEMS Photovoltaics 

Time for electronics. Time for the future. 

Key topics, trends and technologies. The latest components, systems and applications. 

Visit electronica 2010, the international trade fair that will show you today what is 

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electronica 2010 

components | systems | applications 

www.electronica.de/en 

100378 e2010Dach-st_MicroNews_186x132_E.indd 1 30.06.10 11:36 

Dispensing 

Pharmaceutical research 

Industrial and environmental testing 

Analytical devices 

IVD Diagnostic 

ic 

Trends in IVD: 

•Major trend towards point 

of care testing through 

integration of disposable 

biosensors in portable 

devices 

•Combination of 

biosensors and dispensing 

devices for theranostics 

•Increase sensor density to 

enable multiplexing and 

screening 

5000 

4500 

4000 

3500 

3000 

2500 

2000 

1500 

1000 

500 

0 

Kidney Dialysis 

Safety 

Trends in medical: 

•Development of BioMEMS 

lead to a technology shift 

Comfort 

Infusion devices Point of care 

towards “home Care” 

Trends in Home Care: 

through miniaturization and 

•Home care consists today 

integration, from portable 

Blood Monitoring 

mainly in monitoring of 

to implantable 

Surgery , imaging, 

Patient monitoring 

some basic parameters, 

•Combination of diagnostic Camera pills 

such as temperature, blood 

via Bio Sensors and 

Home Care 

pressure, glucose, comfort 

treatment such as drug 

Medical 

Cardiac Monitoring 

and activity. 

delivery systems will lead 

•Development towards 

to improved patient 

Activity Monitoring portable technology will 

Microsystem monitoring devices for healthcare Respiratory applications Monitoring market 2009-2015 in $M 

lead to a transfer of postoperation 

monitoring 

Oxygen concentrators 

Capnographs 

Hearing aids 

towards home care 

•Improvements of sensors 

SEPTEMBER 2010 - BIOMEMS REPORT and bio-sensors will lead to 

Medical devices 

Ventilator and anesthesia 

improved patient 

Home Care 

monitoring and prevention 

In Vitro Diagnostics 

Pharmaceutical and biological Research 

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 



9




10



MICROFLUIDICS 

New microfluidic device helps identify and capture breast cancer cells 

Researchers have developed a new disposable device that could help identify patients with advanced breast cancer 

awaiting drug therapy with trastuzumab, and capture cancer cells that have an abnormal amount of the protein HER2. 

Benjamin Thierry, of the Ian Wark Research 

Institute at the University of South Australia, 

along with his colleagues, has created an 

elastic, disposable microfluidic device that can 

efficiently catch the protein HER2 – which is the 

tyrosine kinase human epidermal growth factor 

receptor 2 – found in "aggressive breast cancers with 

poor prognosis." 

The only way to find out HER2 status in breast cancer 

patients now is through fluorescence in situ 

hybridization (FISH) or immunohistochemistry, both 

of which require biopsies. The problem with biopsybased 

testing is that it could lead to treatment that is 

ineffective, because the HER2 status of the primary 

tumor in 20 percent of breast cancers differs from the 

HER2 status in that of a metastatic tumor. This 

information has led to the idea of isolating circulating 

tumor cells (CTCs), but this is difficult because 

circulating tumor cells exist at very low ratios of 1 to 

10 per billion blood cells. 

Establishing HER2 status is very critical because 

HER2 positive breast cancer patients have benefitted 

from drug therapy with trastuzumab (Herceptin), which 

are humanized monoclonal antibodies against HER2. 

It also decreases recurrence risk by half. Also, the side 

effects and cost makes it a priority to identify patients 

who are HER2 positive. Now, Thierry and his colleagues' 

device has the ability to detect the status of HER2 and 

help capture circulating tumor cells. The device is made 

of organic silicon found in most contact lenses, and 

polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which are shampoos 

that are transparent, permeable to gasses, and 

compatible with soft molding techniques. The device 

also contains a polymeric layer on its surface, which has 

a large number of reactive molecules in it. Through the 

use of a plasma-based polymerization process, this 

layer can attach to proteins that are able to catch cancer 

cells while leaving normal blood cells alone. 

Thierry's device showed an 80 percent immunocapture 

efficacy of HER2 positive cells, and is also 

cheaper and easier to make than previous 

microfabricated devices, which were developed to 

bind to cells of epithelial tissues where the cancer 

originated, ultimately isolating CTCs. 

www.unisa.edu.au 

Lockheed Martin and ZyGEM accelerate DNA identification for law enforcement, 

homeland security and defense communities 

New, fast sample-to-answer DNA analysis platform previewed at 2010 Biometric Consortium conference. 

Lockheed Martin and ZyGEM Corp. Ltd. are 

unveiling a new DNA analysis system that has 

potential to transform how law enforcement, 

homeland security and defense communities use 

DNA-based identification in support of their missions. 

The prototype, called RapI.D., will be previewed at 

a 2010 Biometric Consortium Conference special 

session on Rapid DNA. 

Developed in collaboration with ZyGEM as a Lockheed 

Martin Technology Innovation Initiative, RapI.D. 

leverages the latest in microfluidic research and 

development to accelerate the DNA identification 

process – essentially building a laboratory on a small, 

single chip that reduces the processing steps and time 

needed for analysis. The RapI.D. platform is 

currently in prototype at ZyGEM's Charlottesville, Va., 

MicroLab laboratories, with a Beta version expected 

to be released for testing in select laboratories early 

next year. The cost and complexity of current forensic 

DNA analysis methods has contributed to significant 

processing backlogs throughout the criminal justice 

system. Data from the Justice Department's FY 2009 

Forensic DNA Backlog Reduction Program suggest 

that the backlog has increased in recent years, 

indicating that the 2008 backlogged cases reported 

by state and local government applicants for funding 

under the program had nearly tripled compared to 

comparable data from 2005. 

www.lockheedmartin.com 

www.zygem.com 

Pacific Biosciences to raise up to $230 M in IPO 

Pacific Biosciences of California Inc said it 

expects to raise up to $230 million in an initial 

public offering of its common stock. The Menlo 

Park, California-based company expects to offer 

12.5 million shares at $15-$17 each, with an overallotment 

option of 1.9 million shares, it said in an 

amended filing. 

The life sciences company, which designs machines 

to speed up DNA sequencing in labs, sees net proceeds 

of $182.5 million, assuming the offering priced at $16 

per share, the mid-point of the range. The company 

plans to invest about $60-$70 million of the proceeds 

in its technology platform called single molecule, realtime, 

or SMRT technology. Pacific Biosciences initially 

filed for an IPO in August. The amended filing detailed 

the expected pricing of the common stock sale. 

JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank and Piper 

Jaffray are underwriting the IPO, the company said. 

Pacific Biosciences plans to list its shares under the 

ticker symbol "PACB" on Nasdaq. 

www.pacificbiosciences.com 

FluimediX closes financing round 

Funding Supports continued development of the NanoCycler platform to include a Warfarin Diagnostic Test. 

FluimediX announced that it has received 

funding for the continued development of the 

NanoCycler, a diagnostic platform for the 

measurement of relevant genetic mutations in 

patients. The proceeds of this financing round will be 

dedicated to developing a diagnostic test for Warfarin 

metabolism. The investment round was led by SEED 

Capital Denmark, a leading early stage investor 

managing more than € 200 million in total assets. 

Existing shareholders also participated in the 

financing. The size of the round was not disclosed. 

Tomas Ussing, CEO and founder of FluimediX, 

commented: “Firstly, it is comprised of low cost, wellestablished 

components. Secondly, the use of 

plastic disposables enables extremely competitive 

molecular diagnostic testing, and will thus bring this 

type of testing closer to the patient. Thirdly, the built-in 

broad versatility of the NanoCycler device will allow 

other tests to be transferred to or developed for the 

NanoCycler platform in the future.” 

The use of a diagnostic test for Warfarin metabolism 

would deliver important clinical benefits and cost 

savings to the healthcare system. Approximately two 

million people start taking Warfarin each year in the 

U.S. Unfortunately, the optimal dose differs significantly 

due to patient-to-patient genetic variation in how 

quickly Warfarin is metabolized, and the medical 

consequences of under- or over-dosing the drug 

can be severe. Roughly one-third of the population 

carries a genetic mutation that results in slow 

metabolism of the drug, so the identification of those 

patients who have this mutation could help avoid the 

consequences of under- or over-dosing. 

FX device lunch-box 

www.fluimedix.com 

FX chip 


11



Register Today 

to explore “Innovations in High Density 

Flowcell Etching” 

Wednesday, 

October 13 

8:00 AM PDT 

NEW LIVE WEBCAST 

Next Generation Flowcells: 

Advanced Fabrication 

and Packaging Solutions 

Moderator & Speakers: 

Frédéric Breussin 

Yole Développement 

Join our panel of experts, led by Frédéric Breussin 

of Yole Développement to discuss these critical issues. 

• Genomics companies are pursuing a cost per sequencing 

curve that can only be achieved with higher data 

density from flowcells. 

Wilbur Catabay 

SVTC Technologies 

• Higher data density requires finer geometries in surface 

patterning as well as improved surface chemistry. 

• Semiconductor tools, process integration know-how 

and understanding the properties of the materials used 

in fabricating and assembling flowcells are required 

to maintain the density curve. 

Chip Spangler 

Aspen Technologies 


For FREE REGISTRATION, please go 

to i-micronews, webcast section or click here. 

Hosted by Sponsored by Partners 

Michael Grimes 

Applied Microstructures 

12



COMPOUND SEMICONDUCTORS 

Sony releases 400mW-output blue-violet laser diode for blu-ray disc 

Sony Corp released the "SLD3237VF," a new blue-violet laser diode expected to be used for recording and playing 

Blu-ray discs. 

It features a pulsed output as high as 400mW and 

supports "BDXL," a new standard for largecapacity 

Blu-ray discs. 

According to Sony, the SLD3237VF is the industry's 

first blue-violet laser diode that has an output of 

400mW or higher. The high output allows to use a 

wider variety of optical components such as lenses 

and prisms and, thus, to design hardware more 

freely. 

To realize the high output, innovative technologies 

are necessary to prevent the end face of a laser 

resonator from being melted by the heat from laser (a 

phenomenon called "catastrophic optical damage" 

(COD)) and to enhance the crystal quality of GaN 

crystal, which is a constituent material for ensuring a 

high reliability, the company said. 

This time, Sony newly developed an end-face coating 

material and a film forming method and succeeded in 

heightening the optical output level that causes COD, 

compared with that of the company's 300mW-class 

laser diode. 

Moreover, to improve the crystal quality, Sony 

developed new MOCVD crystal growth equipment 

that is optimized for producing GaN materials. The 

equipment can grow crystals on multiple substrates 

at the same time and deal with a future increase in the 

demand for laser diodes used for Blu-ray discs, the 

company said. 

Furthermore, Sony developed a process and 

processing equipment that realize a high production 

efficiency in the process of processing wafers, which 

follows the crystal growth process. 

The SLD3237VF is mounted in a standard package 

with a diameter of 5.6mm. Its operating temperature 

range is from 0 to 85°C. 

The "SLD3237VF" with an output of 400mW (left) and the 

"SLD3237VFR" with an output of 350mW. 

This time, Sony also released the "SLD3237VFR," 

which has a pulsed output of 350mW and is mounted 

in a package with a diameter of 3.8mm. Its operating 

temperature range is from 0 to 90°C. 

www.sony.net 

Dow Corning to produce 100mm Silicon Carbide epitaxy 

Dow Corning announced that it will begin production of 100mm SiC epitaxy, providing a single source for SiC substrates 

used in power electronics device manufacturing. 

The new product expands Dow Corning’s 

product line beyond its existing offerings of 

76mm SiC wafers and epitaxy and 100 mm SiC 

wafers. 

Dow Corning supplies SiC and silicone materials that 

can be used in high power applications such as hightech 

communications, solar and wind energy systems, 

large scale electrical distribution grids, vehicles, and 

academic research. 

"We are committed to supporting the success of our 

customers by developing products that enhance 

performance while being cost effective," said Fred 

Buether, Commercial Manager, Dow Corning 

Compound Semiconductor Solutions. "Dow Corning 

is committed to continuing its leadership in supplying 

materials solutions to a broad cross section of the 

global electronics industry. Our global expertise and 

collaborative approach enable us to deliver solutions 

that reliably perform, time after time." 

www.dowcorning.com 

UCSB researchers claim semi-polar nitride light extraction comparable to 

conventional LEDs 

Researchers at the University of California Santa Barbara report substantial improvement in the extraction efficiency of 

LEDs grown on semi-polar nitride substrates. 

The researchers claim that the efficiency's are 

comparable to those of conventional c-plane 

devices. The findings were published in Applied 

Physics Express. 

At a drive current of 20mA, the devices emitted 

SETI drives single chip germicidal UV LED optical output power to a record 100mW 

Sensor Electronic Technology Inc (SETI) says that, in its continuing program to develop UV LEDs for germicidal applications, 

it has achieved single chip constant current performance of 100mW in the germicidal wavelength range. 

According to the firm, this achievement exceeds 

the record for maximum optical power out of 

a single chip device of this type. 

SETI says that although this level of single chip 

performance is not yet available in its production 

LEDs, high power UV LED lamps are available 

under the UVCLEAN trademark with germicidal 

powers up to 50mW. “High power UV LEDs are 

essential to achieve the level of disinfection required 

in point-of-use and point-of-entry water treatment 

systems,” said Remis Gaska, president and CEO 

of SETI. “This ongoing development of large area 

high power UV LEDs will help to reduce the price 

per milliwatt and allow UV LEDs to enter cost 

sensitive disinfection markets.” 

31.1mW, with external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 

54.7%. 

Researchers expect non-polar and semi-polar nitride 

materials to produce improved efficiency LEDs 

because of reduced spontaneous and straindependent 

(piezoelectric) polarization fields. These 

polarization fields tend to pull electrons and holes 

apart in the light-emitting active region, thus reducing 

the chances of recombination occurring as photons. 

www.ucsb.edu 

The firm announced that it had been awarded a 

$475,000 Small Business Innovation Research 

(SBIR) Phase II award from the US National Science 

Foundation (NSF) to develop point-of-use (POU) 

drinking water disinfection systems based on deep 

ultraviolet LEDs (DUV LEDs). 

www.s-et.com 


13



Compound Semiconductor 

Substrates 2010 

A comprehensive survey of usage and markets for: 

GaAs, GaP, InP, SiC, Sapphire and bulk-GaN 


MARKET TRENDS 

“GaAs, GaN, GaP, GaAs, InP, SiC and Sapphire substrates now 

account for 1.1% of the 7,504 million square inches annually 

processed in semiconductor foundries. However, that small portion 

of processed area is compensated by a higher merchant price leading 

to a $880M raw substrate market size in 2009 and reaching the billion 

dollar threshold in 2010” says Dr Philippe Roussel, Project Manager, 

Compound Semiconductors. 

KEY FEATURES 

For each material, the report describes: 

• The main targeted devices and related market size 

• List of the main material suppliers and users with product description, 

market share and ranking 

• Substrate market value and volume 

• Overview of current developments and new innovations 

• Projection of the CS materials market in 2013 and beyond 

CONTACT US 

For more information, feel free to contact David Jourdan: 

Tel: +33 472 83 01 90, Email: jourdan@yole.fr 


14



PHOTONICS 

New markets inspire growth at Modulight 

From page 1 

The company’s red lasers are also gaining 

traction in the medical field, particularly for 

fluorescence, photodynamic therapy (PDT) 

and surgery. 

In the midst of these emerging applications, Modulight 

still goes back to its roots and is developing new 

products for communications. “Today the most 

interesting market segment there is test and 

measurement, specifically the optical time-domain 

reflectometers used to characterise optical fibers,” 

said Petteri. “This is the ideal application for our 

singlemode high-power pulsed lasers emitting 

between 1310 and 1650 nm.” 

www.modulight.com 

OTDR lasers 

UGent and imec launch silicon photonics spin-off Caliopa 

Silicon photonics allows for small, highly integrated & low power optical transceivers for data and telecommunication. 

Ghent University (UGent) and imec announced 

the creation of Caliopa, a spin-off from their 

world leading Photonics Research Group. An 

initial 2 million Euro in funding was raised from 

Baekeland, Fidimec, PMV-Vinnof, a private investor and 

the founders. Caliopa will develop and market advanced 

silicon photonics based optical transceivers for the data 

and telecommunications markets. 

According to the latest Market Forecast from 

LightCounting LLC, the global sales of optical 

transceivers will reach $2.4 billion in 2010, with the 

market posting a 13% compound annual growth rate 

(CAGR) between 2011 and 2014, as the industry 

catches up with the steadily growing demand for 

bandwidth. Caliopa will be able to build on the know-how, 

intellectual property and experience of years of research 

by the world renowned Photonics Research Group at 

Ghent University and imec led by Prof. Roel Baets. In 

addition, it will use the expertise in silicon processing of 

the world-leading nanoelectronics research center 

imec. To develop its first products, the company raised 

2 million Euro in funding from a consortium of investors 

led by Baekeland, Fidimec and PMV-Vinnof. 

www.caliopa.com 

Leti demonstrates the integration of CMOS-compatible plasmonic optical 

waveguides with silicon photonic devices 

Copper waveguides offer potential for developing smaller, more efficient, high-performance photonic components. 

CEA-Leti, a leading European research and 

development institute in the field of silicon 

photonics technology, announced that it has 

demonstrated the efficient integration of silicon 

photonic devices with fully complementary metal-oxide 

semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible plasmonic optical 

waveguides. This new capability sets the stage for the 

fabrication of smaller, faster and more efficient optoelectronic 

interfaces, which could ultimately allow the 

development of significantly higher-performance 

sensors, computer chips and other electronic 

components. Waveguides, including optical fibers, are 

used to transmit signals and power in a variety of radio 

and optical communications uses. Leti's new devices 

channel light through a narrow silicon waveguide 

placed in close proximity to a metal waveguide, causing 

the light to excite small, high-frequency electromagnetic 

waves, known as surface plasmons, in the metallic 

structures. The resulting devices can convert optical 

signals in the 1.5 micrometers (μm) communications 

band into plasmonic electron waves, and convert the 

plasmonic waves back into optical signals. 

Leti's pioneering combination of extremely small 

plasmonic-optical interfaces that connect to standard 

optical fibers provides high coupling efficiencies (up to 

70 percent) over a wide spectral range. And unlike 

previous devices that have relied on metal waveguides 

made from gold, Leti's metal waveguides are fabricated 

with copper, allowing them to be easily integrated into 

standard CMOS chip manufacturing processes. 

The plasmonic-optical devices were designed and 

fabricated by Leti, which collaborated with France's 

Université de Technologie de Troyes (UTT) for 

additional near-field scanning optical microscope 

testing and characterization. The project results were 

presented earlier this month at the Group Four 

Photonics 2010 show in Beijing, and published in Nano 

Letters, a journal of the American Chemical Society. 

www.leti.fr 

Quantum signals converted to telecom wavelengths 

Using optically dense, ultracold clouds of rubidium atoms, three key elements needed for quantum information systems 

have been advanced — including a technique for converting photons carrying quantum data to wavelengths that can 

be transmitted long distances on optical fiber telecom networks. 

The developments move quantum information 

networks — which securely encode information 

by entangling photons and atoms — closer to a 

possible prototype system. Researchers at the Georgia 

Institute of Technology reported the findings Sept. 26 in 

the journal Nature Physics, and in a manuscript 

submitted for publication in the journal Physical Review 

Letters. 

The advances include: 

• Development of an efficient, low-noise system for 

converting photons carrying quantum information at 

infrared wavelengths to longer wavelengths suitable 

for transmission on conventional telecommunications 

systems. The researchers have demonstrated that 

the system, believed to be the first of its kind, maintains 

the entangled information during conversion to 

telecom wavelengths — and back down to the original 

infrared wavelengths. 

• A significant improvement in the length of time that a 

quantum repeater — which would be necessary to 

transmit the information — can maintain the information 

in memory. The Georgia Tech team reported memory 

lasting as long as 0.1 second, 30 times longer than 

previously reported for systems based on cold neutral 

atoms and approaching the quantum memory goal of 

at least one second — long enough to transmit the 

information to the next node in the network. 

• An efficient, low-noise system able to convert photons 

of telecom wavelengths back to infrared wavelengths. 

Such a system would be necessary for detecting 

entangled photons transmitted by a quantum 

information system. 

www.gatech.edu 

Experimental equipment used to study quantum 

information systems at Georgia Tech 


15



PHOTOVOLTAIC 

Satcon expands partnership with GCL Solar to include strategic manufacturing 

agreement 

Additional 500 megawatts in expected annual production capacity beginning in March 2011 increases worldwide 

manufacturing capacity to over 2 gigawatts. 

Satcon Technology Corporation, a provider of 

utility scale power solutions for the renewable 

energy market, announced a strategic 

manufacturing agreement with GCL Solar Systems 

Limited, one of China's largest utility solar power plant 

developers, to enhance production of their industry 

leading 500 kilowatt (kW) PowerGate Plus line of solar 

PV inverters for the Asia Pacific market. 

Under the terms of the agreement, GCL Solar is 

commissioning a manufacturing facility in Nanjing, 

China, which is expected to be capable of producing 

over 500 megawatts (MW) of production of the 500kW 

PowerGate Plus inverters in 2011. Satcon is expected 

to provide GCL Solar with the core manufacturing 

processes and technologies for the PowerGate Plus 

solutions for final assembly at the GCL Solar plant. 

GCL Solar has agreed to purchase from Satcon the 

capacity to produce a minimum of 300MW per year 

out of the GCL Nanjing operation. The PowerGate 

Plus 500kW inverters manufactured at the Nanjing 

facility under this Agreement are expected to be sold 

by GCL Solar into the Chinese solar PV market, and 

used on GCL Solar funded utility solar developments 

around the world. 

Production out of the Nanjing manufacturing facility 

is expected to begin in March of 2011, and when 

combined with the expanded Burlington, Ontario 

operations is expected to increase worldwide 

manufacturing capacity to over 2 annual gigawatts. 

www.satcon.com 

PowerGate 500 kW PV Inverter 

Dow Corning unveils plans for new solar energy exploration & development center 

Announcement event followed by roundtable discussion on innovation as driver of sustainable growth. 

Dow Corning today unveiled plans for its $13 

million investment in a Solar Energy 

Exploration & Development Center (SEED) 

at its European headquarters in Seneffe, Belgium. 

This investment expands the company’s ability to 

innovate with a broad range of European customers 

using its silicon-based materials while also enhancing 

the company’s European-based solar energy 

research and development capabilities. 

Following a ceremony, which included the unveiling 

of the investment plans, political representatives and 

business leaders shared their views on the role of 

innovation as a key driver for economic growth in the 

21st Century in Belgium and Europe. The dialogue 

created an opportunity for participants to present their 

opinion on ‘Plan Marshall 2.Vert’ (Marshall Plan 

2.Green) launched by the Walloon government in 

September 2009 to boost Wallonia’s economic 

growth, including the sixth competitiveness pole 

announced by Jean-Claude Marcourt, Vice-President 

and Minister of Economy of the Walloon region, earlier 

this year as well as the upcoming innovation strategy 

and the revision of the EU’s industrial policy. 

The investment in SEED includes two new buildings 

that will complement the company’s existing Business 

& Technology Center in Seneffe, increasing 

capabilities and capacity for research and development 

in Europe. 

One facility, a Synthesis Technology Center for the 

European area, will house laboratories and chemists 

focused on increasing Dow Corning’s innovation 

portfolio of silicon-based materials and boosting 

research in sustainable technologies. A second 

facility, a European Solar Solutions Application 

Center, will seek to advance the company’s technology 

for use in photovoltaic cells. Construction is expected 

to begin later in 2010. 

The Walloon region has granted Dow Corning 

€ 7.5 million of subsidies to help the company with 

its investments. 

www.dowcorning.com 


Tigo Energy ® teams with SCHOTT Solar to bring electronic intelligence to 

photovoltaic projects 

The companies are working together to bring electronic intelligence to the solar module and increase power output. 

As part of the partnership, SCHOTT Solar has 

extensively tested and established system 

compatibility, including the frame mounting 

procedure, with the Tigo Energy Maximizer Solution 

and SCHOTT’s industry-leading solar photovoltaic 

(PV) modules. Additionally, Tigo Energy will be 

actively supporting the SCHOTT Solar initiative to 

include intelligent electronics in next-generation 

module design. 

The Tigo Energy Maximizer Solution creates smart 

modules that provide up to a 20 percent increase in 

energy production, active management capabilities 

and enhanced safety for utility, commercial and 

residential solar arrays. The implementation of the 

Tigo Energy PV-Safe feature, which enables the 

deactivation of all high voltage DC on the rooftop, was 

reviewed by local fire agencies and recognized to 

significantly reduce risk during a fire emergency. 

As part of the evaluation stage of the partnership, 

SCHOTT Solar and Tigo Energy engaged the 

installation community to validate the customer 

benefits of the solution. “The Tigo Energy Maximizer 

solution keeps the SCHOTT POLY 235 modules 

running at their peak output,” said Jeff Wiggins, CEO 

of SolNV and President of Nevada SEIA. “Tigo Energy 

and Schott Solar give our customers the peace-ofmind 

of being able to watch the energy production of 

each module for the full life of the installation.” SolNV 

completed the 5.7kW system installation earlier this 

year. 

Tigo Energy has developed its innovative Maximizer 

technology aimed at accelerating the adoption of 

today's photovoltaic components and technologies 

increasing system output and maintenance 

effectiveness. Tigo Energy products are available in 

high volume and can be deployed in residential, 

commercial or utility scale systems today. 

www.tigoenergy.com 

www.schottsolar.com 

16

Surface 

cleaning 

> Wet cleaning 

Saw Damage 

Removing 

> Wet surface 

> Etching 

Firing 

> Infra red Belt 

> Furnace 

Texturization 

> Wet surface etching PN Junction 

> Plasma (R&D) Formation 

> Phosphorous 

diffusion 

PSG removal 

> Wet bench 

> PECVD 

Edge Isolation 

> Wet etching 

> Plasma Etching 

> Laser Cutting 

Anti reflective 

coating 

> PECVD 

> Sputtering 

Front Contact Deposition 

> Screen Printing (SP) 

> SP + Electroplating 

> Inkjet (R&D) 

Back Contact Deposition 

> Screen Printing 



MARKET FOCUS 

Photovoltaic Technology Roadmap 

Latest technology trends in crystalline and thin-film solar cells: An overview on the PV industry 

up to 2015 

Get a clear picture of tomorrow’s winning PV technologies. 

Yole Développement announces the release of 

its latest photovoltaic research study, named 

Photovoltaic Technology Roadmap, which 

presents and analyses the latest tech-nology trends 

in crystalline and thin-film solar cells. 

The results were obtained as a result of a meticulous 

data collection process over more than 80 companies 

and R&D labs. 

There is no doubt that the government incentive 

programs helped industrial to achieve, step by step, 

drastic cost reduction and performance improvements 

in a very short period of time but without real 

revolutions. 

The photovoltaic (PV) industry has also seen the 

emergence of large scale production facili-ties, 

international R&D centres, and innovative equipment 

makers thus resulting in the im-pressive cost reduction 

Yole Développement knows. But if large production 

facilities can play the scale effect card to lower the cost 

of raw material and increase their yield, many other 

levers exist in order to reduce the production cost. 

Photovoltaic 

Strategies to reduce production cost 

Price reduction - impact of raw material 

Increased light trapping effect by 

improving surface structuring and 

texturization 

© August 2010 

Crystalline cell manufacturing process 

Crys 

Redistributing the emitter profile on 

the front surface 

Upgrading or changing 

metallization processes in order to 

get thinner contacts with excellent 

electrical properties 

New Step 

Optimizing the passivation layer on 

both surfaces to reduce the 

recombination losses 

In the next slides, further details on each step will be provided 

“In this PV Technology roadmap report, we describes 

all the different aspects linked to pro-duction cost 

reduction, explains Arnaud Duteil, Market & 

Technology Analyst at Yole Développement: from 

cell structure innovations to modification of 

manufacturing proc-esses.” The microtech market 

research company in fact describes all the existing 

technolo-gies: From those developed by the 

University of New South Wales (UNS W), to the metal 

wrap through (MWT) concept developed by the ECN 

and industrialized with Solland, to the new emitter 

wrap through (EWT) technology being developed by 

Bosh Solar. 

Conventional crystalline silicon cells could bump up 

against their theoretical maximum effi-ciency of 29% 

as soon as 2020. Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd., for instance, 

demonstrated ~23% ef-ficiency with a 10cm² R&D 

unit of its heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer (HIT) 

cells last year. 

It figures that thinner surface contacts, better 

transparent conductors, and lower defect density can 

improve performance by several more percentage 

points, to likely get commer-cial efficiency up to about 

as close as practical to the theoretical limit within 

about ten years. 

For more information about this report, 

please contact David Jourdan (jourdan@yole.fr) 

PV Incentive Programs Country Profiles 

Understand the impact of incentive programs on PV installations in more than 25 countries 

After discussing with key experts of each country, Yole has 

analysed their programs to provide an in-depth analysis on the 

PV demand. 

This report provides the best information on each country active 

in the PV field with data summarizing the type and the definition 

of incentive programs in a concise way. 

KEY FEATURES 

For each country the following information is provided: 

• General country data 

• Share of electricity by source 

• Irradiation map 

• Description of the incentive program 

• Breakdown of installation 

• Past amount of installation and forecast of governments 

CONTACT US 

For more information, feel free to contact David Jourdan: 

Tel: +33 472 83 01 90, Email: jourdan@yole.fr 

• Basic data 

• Irradiation 

Population 2006 (million) 61.35 

GDP 2006 (billion 2000$) 1468.3 

Growth of GDP 1990-2006 (%) 2% 

Total Energy production (Mtoe) 137.02 

Energy use (Mtoe) 272.67 

Energy use growth 2005-2006 (%) -1.18 

Electricity production (GWh) 574473 

Electricity consumption (GWh) 429913 

Electric Power consumption per 

7585 

capita (kWh per capita) 

• Source of electricity 

Oil 1.24% 

Gas 3.84% 

Nuclear 78.37% 

Hydro 10.63% 

Coal/pet 4.58% 

Renewable & waste 0.96% 

Geothermal/Solar Thermal/wind 0.37% 

Solar PV 0.0038% 

• Feed-in-Tariffs* -Tariffs* 2010 granted for 20 years: 

Type of 

Type of building 

Feed-in-tariff 

Installation 

Houses, schools and hospitals 

0.58 /kWh 

BIPV installations 

Industrial, commercial and agricultural buildings 0.50 /kWh 

Roof mounted Industrial, commercial and agricultural buildings 0.42 /kWh 

Ground mounted < 250 Kw 0.314 /kWh 

Ground mounted > 250 Kw 0.314 /kWh (High irradiation) 

0.377 /kWh (Low irradiation) 

*Feed-in-tariffs will not change for the next 2 years. They will then be revised in 2012 based on inflation rate 

and price of installation by the Ministry of the environment and sustainable development. 

• Photovoltaic support scheme is today based on the “Decree of July the 10 th , 2006, modified on 

January the 13 th , 2010. 

• Capacity planned by the government (connected installations 

• Type of installations 

in MWp) 

– Grid Connected: 99 % 

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2015 2020 

• Residential (72%) 

• Commercial (15.7%) 

Annual 12 28 97 110 170 270 380 550 550 550 

• Solar farms (12.3%) 

– Rural electrification: 1% 

Cumulative 45 73 170 280 450 720 1100 1650 2750 5500 



17



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18



ADVANCED PACKAGING 

3D-IC memory with wide I/O interface is coming by 2013 says NOKIA 

From page 1 

Kauppi Kujala focused particularly on the “wide 

IO interface” concept, which aims at increasing 

the bandwidth between the memory and its 

driving logic IC thanks to a large “high IO count” data 

bus between the two circuits. M. Kujala announced 

that Nokia is planning to integrate wide IO interface 

structures using TSVs for mobile phones in volumes 

starting in 2013. These integrated solutions will first 

be driven in high end phones addressing the need for 

higher bandwidth between the application processor 

and its DRAMs and for lower power consumption too. 

Nokia’s preference and first target is to integrate a 

stack of 4 DRAMs with TSVs on a processor with 

TSVs, all in a single package. 

www.yole.fr 

Wide IO Package Solutions 

• Single package Wide IO. Logic + 

up to 4 DRAM. F2B connection. 

• Wide IO ogic + 1 DRAM & 

additional DRAM on bord. 

F2B connection, no TSV 

needed for memory. 

• Wide IO POP with Logic + 1 

DRAM in bottom package & 

additional memory as POP F2B 

connection, no TSV needed for 

memory. 

The Wide I/O interface concept to interconnect Logic and stacked DRAM was recently discussed by NOKIA 

Qualcomm defines format for 3-D chip stress 

Qualcomm has teamed up with Synopsys to define a new data exchange format it believes could be critical for supporting 

3-D chip stacks that use through silicon vias. 

Qualcomm has already gotten support from at 

least one foundry and one chip assembler for 

the so-called Stress Exchange Format. 

The new technique is one of many efforts driving 3-D 

chip stacks using through silicon vias (TSVs). 

The Global Semiconductor Alliance announced it is 

forming a working group on TSVs. Nokia said it has 

TSVs on its road map at a recent Sematech meeting 

in Taiwan. And Jedec is defining a standard for memory 

chips using TSVs. Digital cameras already use TSVs 

with 30-50 micron spacing to stack CMOS imagers, 

memories and DSPs. A range of other applications are 

in the labs using TSVs with spacings in the single digits, 

said Nakamoto. "You will see products in the market 

next year," he said. 

SEF is essentially a way existing global an local 

packaging models can share stress data with new local 

models for chips using TSVs. The 3-D stacks face 

stress from a variety of mechanical and thermal 

sources, in part because the stacked dice and vias are 

sometimes made of different materials. SEF calculates 

an overall factor called residual stress based on the 

result of a variety of stress factors. It applies a 3-D 

matrix to the silicon area and defi nes residual strain 

vectors for each sector. The approach requires 

foundries to supply chip designers with 3-D Process 

Design Kits that provide data about the materials they 

use. Synopsys has become the fi rst EDA company to 

automate the process of porting SEF data into a tool, 

in this case its Fammos technical CAD program. 

Qualcomm has created multiple proof-of-concept 

designs using SEF including some fabricated chips 

about which it would not share details. Ultimately, 

Qualcomm hopes all foundries, packaging houses and 

EDA vendors will support SEF. 

www.qualcomm.com 

RUSNANO to open new 3D Assembly R&D center in Russia 

A project to establish technology center for three-dimensional assembly of integrated circuits in Russia has secured 

approval from the Supervisory Council of RUSNANO. 

The technology for three-dimensional assembly 

of semiconductor elements, or 3D assembly, is 

one of today’s most promising methods for 

reducing the size of the integrated circuit. It does this 

by making the substrate more dense, by raising the 

connectivity inside the chip, and by reducing its energy 

consumption. The technology makes it possible to 

combine components—digital and analog circuits, 

memory, and MEMS systems—that have been 

produced with different technologies in one 

encasement. The 3D assembly raises the reliability of 

microelectronic goods and continues the downward 

trend in production costs. 

In 2008 the world market for 3D assembly was $1.3 

billion. Experts forecast that microelectronic products 

manufactured with 3D assembly will grow fi vefold by 

2012 after which the technology will attain widespread 

use. Forecasted volume in 2015 is $42 billion. 

The project that RUSNANO has agreed to support will 

create a center where technological processes for 3D 

assembly will be developed. There the project company 

will organize production of three lines: electrochemical 

materials based on self-optimizing additives used in 

3D assembly of chips with silicon current-conducting 

channels, metallization of integrated circuits, and solar 

elements. In addition, the project intends to produce 

electronic elements for 3D assembly that are formed 

from its own electrochemical materials. 

In 2015 sales of the project company in the 3D assembly 

sector are forecasted at 992 million rubles in the global 

market and 1.13 billion rubles in the domestic market. 

In the sector for electrochemical materials for copper 

metallization, something not done in Russia to date, 

the company will achieve 6.7 percent of the world 

market and 100 percent of the Russian market. Project 

company earnings in 2015 are put at 2.5 billion 

rubles. 

New production will be based on the unique experience 

of the project applicants, Voronezh Semiconductor 

Plant–Assembly and NANO3D SYSTEMS LLC. 

There will be two phases for realization of the project: 

In the fi rst (2010–2012), the company will organize 

production of electrochemical materials and establish 

pilot production of electronic devices using 3D 

assembly. In the second phase (2013–2015), 

production of electrochemical materials will grow and 

commercial production of electronic devices will 

begin. 

The total budget for project implementation is about 

$50Million. RUSNANO will invest up to $10M in equity 

of the project company and, in the second phase, 

extend a guarantee of up to $20M. 

www.rusnano.com 


19



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20



NANOTECHNOLOGY 

Start-up uses a new laser process for the production of highly sterile nanoparticles 

The newest spin-off of the Laser Zentrum Hannover (LZH) is the "Particular GmbH", which uses a new laser process for 

the production of highly sterile nanoparticles made of almost any material. 

The Particular GmbH is a new spin-off firm 

from the LZH, which was started by two LZH 

scientists. Particular uses a new laser process 

for the production of highly sterile nanoparticles made 

of almost any material. There is a high demand for 

nanoparticles for research purposes such as medical 

technology, and Particular can use the new process 

to significantly reduce costs for these high-tech 

particles. Laser-generated nanoparticles are not only 

interesting for medical technology, but also for other 

high-quality products. 

Apart from the good cooperation between Particular 

and the LZH, Bärsch emphasizes the support of the 

promotional program "EXIST-Research Transfer", 

through which Particular receives funding from the 

German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology 

during the start-up phase, up to the end of 2011. 

http://particular.eu/company.html 

Growing nanowires horizontally yields new benefit: 'Nano-LEDs' 

While refining their novel method for making nanoscale wires, chemists at the NIST discovered an unexpected 

bonus — a new way to create nanowires that produce light similar to that from LEDs. 

These “nano-LEDs” may one day have their 

light-emission abilities put to work serving 

miniature devices such as nanogenerators or 

lab-on-a-chip systems. 

Like many vertical growth CVD methods, the NIST 

fabrication technique uses gold as a catalyst for 

crystal formation. The difference is that the gold 

deposited in the NIST method is heated to 900 

degrees Celsius (1,652 degrees Fahrenheit), 

converting it to a nanoparticle that serves as growth 

site and medium for the crystallization of zinc oxide 

molecules. As the zinc oxide nanocrystal grows, it 

pushes the gold nanoparticle along the surface of the 

substrate (in this experiment, gallium nitride) to form 

a nanowire that grows horizontally across the 

substrate and so exhibits properties strongly 

influenced by its base material. 

In recent work published in ACS Nano, NIST chemists 

Nikoobakht and Herzing increased the thickness of 

the gold catalyst nanoparticle from less than 8 

nanometers to approximately 20 nanometers. The 

change resulted in nanowires that grew a secondary 

structure, a shark-like “dorsal fin” (referred to as a 

“nanowall”) where the zinc oxide portion is electronrich 

and the gallium nitride portion is electron-poor. 

The interface between these two materials—known 

as a p-n heterojunction—allows electrons to flow 

across it when the nanowire-nanowall combination 

was charged with electricity. In turn, the movement of 

electrons produced light and led the researchers to 

dub it a “nano LED.” 

Unlike previous techniques for producing 

heterojunctions, the NIST “surface-directed” 

fabrication method makes it easy to locate individual 

heterojunctions on the surface. This feature is 

especially useful when a large number of 

heterojunctions must be grouped in an array so 

that they can be electrically charged as a lightemitting 

unit. 

Transmission electron microscope (TEM) examination 

of the zinc oxide-gallium nitride nanowires and 

nanowalls revealed few structural defects in the 

nanowires and very distinct p-n heterojunctions in the 

nanowalls, both affirmations of the effectiveness of 

the NIST “surface directed” fabrication method. 

www.nist.gov 

Transmission electron microscope image 

of “nano LEDs” emitting light. 

Insight into using graphene in electronics 

New findings from the laboratory of ECE Professor Joseph W. Lyding, a researcher in the Beckman Institute, are 

providing valuable insight into graphene, a single two-dimensional layer of graphite with numerous electronic 

and mechanical properties that make it attractive for use in electronics. 

Lyding, who heads the Nanoelectronics and 

Nanomaterials group at the Beckman Institute, 

and his lab report using a dry deposition 

method they developed to deposit pieces of 

graphene on semiconducting substrates and on the 

electronic character of graphene at room temperature 

they observed using the method. 

The researchers wrote this of graphene’s potential, 

especially as compared to its elemental cousin, 

carbon nanotubes, for use in electronics and other 

applications: “Unlike carbon nanotubes, graphene 

can be patterned using standard e-beam lithographic 

techniques, making it an attractive prospect for use 

in semiconductor devices.” To reach that goal, 

issues associated with graphene must be overcome, 

and this paper gives insight into a much-needed 

step in that direction: understanding substrategraphene 

interactions toward integration into future 

nanoelectronic devices. The project investigated 

the electronic character of the underlying substrate 

of graphene at room temperature and reports on “an 

apparent electronic semitransparency at high bias 

of the nanometer-sized monolayer graphene pieces 

observed using an ultrahigh vacuum scanning 

tunneling microscope (UHV-STM) and corroborated 

via first-principles studies.” This semitransparency 

was made manifest by observation of the substrate 

atomic structure through the graphene. 

Lyding’s research group had developed a nonchemical 

(dry) technique for depositing carbon 

nanotubes (CNTs) on a surface called Dry Contact 

Transfer that allowed the CNTs to maintain their 

electronic properties. They later applied the method 

to graphene and were able to deposit pristine, 

nanometer-sized graphene pieces in situ onto 

atomically flat UHV-cleaved Gallium arsenide and 

Indium arsenide semiconductor substrates with low 

amounts of extraneous contamination. 

The electronic semitransparency of the graphene 

pieces was observed when the UHV STM probe 

pushed the graphene 0.05 nm closer to the surface, 

causing its electronic structure to mix with that of 

the surface. 

www.ece.illinois.edu 

Visualization of nanoscale interaction between a 

semiconducting substrate (below) and graphene 


21



POWER ELECTRONIC 

Toyota, Daihatsu team up on light cars, EV/HEV business 

Toyota Motor Corp and Daihatsu Motor Co Ltd announced that Daihatsu will supply its light cars to Toyota, which 

will sell them under the Toyota brand in the Japanese market. 

As the market for light cars is expanding, an 

increasing number of Toyota customers are 

willing to buy a light car, the companies said. 

Daihatsu will supply the Move Conte and Hijet Cargo 

light cars to Toyota from the fall of 2011 through the 

end of 2011. And, in 2012, Daihatsu will supply another 

type of passenger car to Toyota though the type of the 

vehicle has not been determined yet. 

"Though their Daihatsu logos will be replaced with 

Toyota logos, they will have the same specifications," 

said Koichi Ina, president of Daihatsu. "We consider 

it as OEM supply of existing vehicles. But, if they are 

fully remodeled, we will supply the new models." 

Toyota and Daihatsu have a contract called TAD 

(Toyota Alliance with Daihatsu), under which their 

outlet stores introduce their customers to each other. 

The number of light cars sold at Toyota's outlet stores 

under the contract is about 30,000 per year. In 

consideration of the expanding light car market, Toyota 

expects that the number will increase to 100,000 per 

year in about 2012 (40,000 under the TAD contract 

and 60,000 due to the OEM supply). Toyota will sell 

the three types of vehicles supplied by Daihatsu at its 

"Corolla" and "Netz" outlet stores across Japan. And, 

in some areas where the ratio of light cars is high, 

Toyota will also sell them at its "Toyota" and "Toyopet" 

outlet stores. This time, Toyota and Daihatsu agreed 

to collaborate on EVs and HEVs. Toyota will provide 

EV/HEV technologies to Daihatsu, and Daihatsu will 

consider releasing light EVs and HEVs. Daihatsu 

plans to decide the kinds of technologies and the types 

of light EVs and HEVs by the end of 2011. 

www.toyota.co.jp 

www.daihatsu.com 

Toyota, Daihatsu team up on light cars, EV/HEV business 

Power MOSFETs pack dual chips in small package 

Renesas Electronics Corp. presents the RJK0222DNS and RJK0223DNS, two power semiconductor devices with 

ultra-compact packages for use in DC/DC converters that provide power to the CPU, memory, and other circuit blocks 

of products such as servers and notebook PCs. 

The power semiconductor products each 

integrate a pair of power MOSFETs into a 

single package, enabling designs of DC/DC 

converters that are more compact with higher 

mounting density. 

The compact, low-loss, 11th generation power 

MOSFETs are contained in an ultra-compact package 

measuring only 3.2mm × 4.8mm × 0.8mm (max.), 

making it possible to reduce the mounting area by 

about half compared with previous Renesas 

Electronics power MOSFET products. At a switching 

frequency of 300kHz, the power MOSFETs claim a 

maximum efficiency of 95.2 per cent (input voltage: 

12V, output voltage: 3.3V) which contributes to 

improved overall power supply efficiency and reduced 

power consumption. Within the pair of power 

MOSFETs used for voltage conversion, the one used 

for synchronous rectification (low-side) incorporates 

an on-chip Schottky barrier diode. During the DC/DC 

converter's dead time, the faster current switching 

time from the power MOSFET to the Schottky barrier 

diode reduces power loss. In addition, it effectively 

suppresses the spike voltage when the power 

MOSFET switches on, reducing the electromagnetic 

noise. Like Renesas Electronics' existing WPAK 

package, the HWSON3046 package offers heat 

radiation and has a die pad on the bottom of the 

device that allows heat to pass to the printed wiring 

board while the power MOSFET is operating, enabling 

the power MOSFET to handle large currents. 

Renesas Electronics plans to develop a full line-up 

of dual-chip products using the HWSON3046 

package for a variety of DC/DC converter 

specifications. 

Samples of Renesas Electronics' power MOSFETs 

are currently available. Mass production is scheduled 

to begin in December 2010 and is expected to reach 

a combined volume of 20 lakh units per month after 

July 2011. 

www.renesas.eu 

Dual chips in small package 


Diamond-based SBD eliminates need for cooling 

Japanese researchers made a Schottky barrier diode (SBD) by using diamond semiconductor. 

When they checked the temperature 

characteristics of the SBD, they found that 

its current characteristics (when it is turned 

off), etc do not have a temperature dependence 

within a temperature range of 25-200°C. 

This was announced by Osaka University and Japan's 

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and 

Technology (AIST) at the 71th Autumn Meeting 2010 

of the Japan Society of Applied Physics, which took 

place from Sept 14 to 17, 2010, in Japan. 

The university and AIST made a SBD by combining 

diamond semiconductor and Schottky electrodes 

made by using ruthenium (Ru) and checked its 

switching performance. As a result, they confirmed 

that the SBD is capable of high-speed switching of 

0.01μs and the recovery current dependent on the 

rate of change (di/dt) of current and parasitic 

inductance is as small as 40A/cm2. Therefore, the 

loss of the SBD is low. The switching performance 

did not change when the temperature was changed 

between 25-200°C. So, the university and AIST 

concluded that the SBD using diamond semiconductor 

can potentially be applied to electric power conversion 

systems that do not use a cooling system. 

Some SiC-based power semiconductor chips stably 

operate at temperatures higher than 200°. However, 

in such high-temperature environments, it becomes 

important to ensure the heat resistances of solder, 

elemental devices (including packages), peripheral 

circuits and so forth. 

www.osaka-u.ac.jp 

www.aist.go.jp 

The diamond SBD 

22

Kongsberg 



YOLE LIFE 

O U R R E P O R T S 

Discover our latest reports 

© 2010 

IMU & high performance 

inertial MEMS 2011 

Complete review of inertial sensors market 2009-2015 

SensorDynamics Airbus InterSense 

Boeing KVH Honeywell US office secretary of defense 

45 rue Sainte Geneviève, F-69006 Lyon, France 

Tel : +33 472 83 01 80 - Fax : +33 472 83 01 83 

Web: http://www.yole.fr 

IMU & High Performance Inertial MEMS 2011 

Complete review of the inertial sensor market 2009-2015 

Although this market remains very complex to monitor, Yole has been able to make a few modifi cations 

since the last version to be closer to the reality when it comes to IMU prices, penetration, number of systems 

in each vehicle, and market shares. Moreover a complete analysis of the impact of MEMS technology and 

on the geographic description of the market (including the dynamic Asian and Israeli markets) has been 

included. Yole also had the chance to have Mike Perlmutter, who has more than 30 years of experience in 

the inertial navigation industry, provide an important contribution to this report. 

Released in October 2010 – For more information, feel free to contact David Jourdan (jourdan@yole.fr) 

Also available… 

Status of the MEMS industry 2010 

«Status of the MEMS industry 2010» is providing a unique 360° analysis of the evolutions of the MEMS applications and markets, with updated data on 

MEMS markets, analysis of the evolution of the industry from the manufacturing and innovation points of views, analysis of the strategies of the main 

players… For the 7th consecutive year, «Status of the MEMS industry» is the only publication which is analyzing the MEMS industry and its evolution, from 

key technical aspects to business strategies of the TOP30 MEMS companies. 

Released in September 2010 

Uncooled IR Cameras & Detectors for Thermography and Vision 

This report provides market data on both camera and detector levels (unit shipments and revenues, sales and price evolution by format, market share of 

the detector manufacturers). The overview of the IR camera supply chain will allow you to identify the main camera players in each market, manufacturers 

business models evolution. Finally, it analyzes the main technological trends for detector/microbolometer. 

Released in June 2010 


About Yole Développement 

Created in 1998, Yole Développement is a market research and strategy consulting firm analyzing emerging applications using silicon and micro 

manufacturing. With 20 full time analysts tracking MEMS, Microfluidics, Compound Semiconductor, Power Electronics, Photovoltaic, Advanced Packaging 

and Nanomaterials, Yole Développement supports companies and investors worldwide to help them understand markets and follow tech nology trends. 

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