Integration has long been the key to the adoption and growth of microelectromechanical-systems (MEMS) technology. MEMS-based devices are already used in a broad range of electronic products, from audio microphones for sound to optical components for displays and vision, and should only continue to expand into different application areas.
With a growing number of commercial MEMS foundries, opportunities are increasing to experiment with MEMS design approaches. Future success may depend on how well they can combine MEMS technology with their current blend of semiconductor and other electronic technologies.
MEMS devices are chips that combine electronic and mechanical functions. They can be mass produced using modified semiconductor processes using substrate materials such as silicon to form mechanical parts, like switches and sensors, on the same chip as transistors and ICs. Three-dimensional (3D) structures are typically formed on the substrates for the mechanical portions of the device, which may include levers, hinges, and gears, with actuators controlling mechanical motion.
Actuators may control motion by means of electrostatic, magnetic, or thermal energy. A human body can even be the source of energy for a MEMS device. The MEMS structures can be used for small machines that produce different motions or for sensors that detect and measure small motions, such as acceleration in car engines and blood pressure in medical applications.
The largest market for MEMS technology right now is at audio frequencies for microphones in smart phones and other portable communications devices. MEMS-based sensors are already well established and widely used in many consumer electronics applications, including gaming consoles, computer tablets, and navigation devices. MEMS pressure sensors are also used extensively throughout modern automobile designs for measuring different fluids and gases, such as air-conditioner systems (see “MEMS Technology Gears Up For Big Innovations”).
Improvements among the largest MEMS applications such as microphones areas are taking place on a regular basis. According to Knowles Corp., its SPH0641LM4H-1 digital MEMS microphone consumes a third the power of other digital MEMS microphones and boasts high signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) performance in low-power mode (Fig. 1). It provides a low-power alternative to the use of an analog microphone and analog-to-digital converter (ADC).
source: http://electronicdesign.com/components/mems-move-multiple-markets
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