Microelectromechanical systems promise revolution

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Oct 25, 2001

Microelectromechanical systems promise to revolutionise a multitude of product categories by uniting silicon-based microelectronics and micromachining technology, making systems-on-a-chip possible

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) promise to revolutionise a multitude of product categories by uniting silicon-based microelectronics and micromachining technology, making possible the production of the complete system-on-a-chip.

Growth of MEMS applications has been slower than many had anticipated.

However, new research by Technical Insights found the $2 billion MEMS technology sector has finally started moving forward at pace.

"During the past decade, MEMS research centres have proliferated at major universities and industries, but only in the past two years have the commercial applications increased," says the report's author, Technical Insights Analyst Jim Smith.

"Until then, these applications had been limited to a few niche markets, and only a few products found large-scale success.

However, MEMS technology has finally entered into a rapid growth phase.

"At this time, a large array of MEMS products are moving into production, and these will impact a large range of industries during the next few years.

The industry will look far different in the next five years." With all the technological developments, the market is expected to quadruple by 2004.

The study found the telecommunications segment is expected to increase by 30 to 40 percent each year, up from less than one percent last year.

Photonic switches, tunable lasers, and optical networking filters are the most promising MEMS products in this segment.

The study found growth in information technology is estimated to increase by 25 percent each year and automotive and traffic control by 20 percent.

Other segments studied by Technical Insights include medical and biomedical applications, environmental applications, domestic, aeronautics, space and military applications.

MEMS manufacturing capacity appears to be strong.

"Many new fabrication facilities are now on line, and traditional semiconductor foundries are now getting involved with MEMS," Mr Smith continues.

!Any manufacturing capacity constraints that may appear due to changes in the industry focus will be short-lived.

Venture capitalists are very supportive of the advancing technology, he says.

"Despite the venture capital crunch and recent high-tech slowdown, venture capitalists have remained supportive of MEMS start ups.

They have invested nearly $510 million in MEMS companies during the first quarters of 2001, nearly as much as they did in all of 2000.

"In the mid-1990s, most MEMS firms subsisted on a couple of million dollars in DARPA grants." MEMS are micron-sized devices, most with moving parts, which can sense or manipulate the physical environment.

They are found in cars (used to respond to accidents and help deploy airbags), inkjet printers, blood pressure monitoring equipment.

Millions of MEMS mirrors are used in displays and projections for presentations, movies and videos.

Future MEMS-enabled applications include using MEMS mirrors to switch voice and data signals on optical fibre networks and MEMS labs-on-a-chip that will give a physician immediate test results while patients are still in the office.

Other promising next-generation products include mirror arrays for use in photonic switches, projection systems, and wearable displays; cellular telephones, relays and biochips.