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psevalia
Silicon MEMS timing solutions have grown at an annual rate of over 120% since ...
Brutus_II
Don't overlook MEMS-based micro energy generation. There is huge potential for ...
MEMS growth outpacing competitors
R Colin Johnson
11/8/2012 12:45 PM EST
More MEMS types on the way
MEMS microphones, on the other hand, are trending to multiple devices per application. For instance, Apple Inc.'s iPhone 4 had only two microphones, but the iPhone 5 uses four MEMS microphones. Other smartphone, tablet, netbook and laptop makers are following suite, studding the bezels around their displays with MEMS microphones that lower noise, cancel echoes and beam-steer their reception pattern to follow the voice as the user's head moves.
As a result, Bouchaud predicts that 1.8 billion MEMS microphones will ship in 2012—more than double the 700 million that shipped in 2010. And since every smartphone maker worldwide is compelled to copy every capability that Apple introduces into its iPhone, the MEMS microphone market is expected to grow to more than 4 billion units by 2016, according to IHS.
To boot, by 2017 there will be 10 new MEMS device types in mass production, resulting in a worldwide market for MEMS devices of all types of over $21 billion, according to Yole. The new MEMS types, which have already been invented but are following the predicted decade-long development process, include pressure-based altimeters, RF switches, oscillators, camera auto-focus mechanisms, micro-displays, micro-speakers, thermopiles, environmental sensors, touchscreens and joysticks.
Future applications of all these MEMS devices will also vastly expand, according to Stephen Ohr, senior analyst at Gartner Inc., including facial recognition, context aware gesture recognition and personal medical monitoring.
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MEMS microphones, on the other hand, are trending to multiple devices per application. For instance, Apple Inc.'s iPhone 4 had only two microphones, but the iPhone 5 uses four MEMS microphones. Other smartphone, tablet, netbook and laptop makers are following suite, studding the bezels around their displays with MEMS microphones that lower noise, cancel echoes and beam-steer their reception pattern to follow the voice as the user's head moves.
As a result, Bouchaud predicts that 1.8 billion MEMS microphones will ship in 2012—more than double the 700 million that shipped in 2010. And since every smartphone maker worldwide is compelled to copy every capability that Apple introduces into its iPhone, the MEMS microphone market is expected to grow to more than 4 billion units by 2016, according to IHS.
To boot, by 2017 there will be 10 new MEMS device types in mass production, resulting in a worldwide market for MEMS devices of all types of over $21 billion, according to Yole. The new MEMS types, which have already been invented but are following the predicted decade-long development process, include pressure-based altimeters, RF switches, oscillators, camera auto-focus mechanisms, micro-displays, micro-speakers, thermopiles, environmental sensors, touchscreens and joysticks.
Future applications of all these MEMS devices will also vastly expand, according to Stephen Ohr, senior analyst at Gartner Inc., including facial recognition, context aware gesture recognition and personal medical monitoring.
Related stories:
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Brutus_II
11/9/2012 11:20 AM EST
Don't overlook MEMS-based micro energy generation. There is huge potential for MEMS in the area of energy harvesting.
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psevalia
11/9/2012 8:13 PM EST
Silicon MEMS timing solutions have grown at an annual rate of over 120% since 2008. The timing industry as grown at 6% per year and the Japanese quartz oscillator industry has declined for 15 consecutive months.
Clearly, customers are rapidly adopting MEMS timing technology and driving volume.
Piyush Sevalia
Exec VP, Marketing, SiTime Corp.
psevalia@sitime.com
www.sitime.com
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