MEMS Require 3D Field Solver for Accurate Cap Values

MEMS Require 3D Field Solver for Accurate Cap Values
by Tom Simon on 02-18-2015 at 9:00 am

MEMS devices have become extremely important and common. Freescale last year reported its combined MEMS shipments exceeded 2 billion units. If we just examine how many accelerometers we each probably own today, it is easy to see why the market for these products is growing so rapidly. The first and most obvious device is our cell… Read More


What makes the world smart?

What makes the world smart?
by Pawan Fangaria on 11-25-2014 at 4:00 pm

The simple answer is when everything in the world is smart. But if you think deeply, you would find that the continuous progression to make things easy in life is what makes the world smarter day-by-day – the sky is the limit. In the world of computing, consider the 17[SUP]th[/SUP] century era when humanbrain was used as a computer … Read More


Money for data and your MEMS for free

Money for data and your MEMS for free
by Don Dingee on 11-10-2014 at 12:00 am

An ongoing IoT debate centers on the notion that just because we can do something does not mean we should. From discussions at the recent MEMS Executive Congress, looking at what TSMC and some others see as the endgame for a trillion sensors signals possible trouble ahead.… Read More


GNSS, dead reckoning, and MEMS IMUs

GNSS, dead reckoning, and MEMS IMUs
by Don Dingee on 10-31-2014 at 4:00 pm

GNSS is a wonderful invention, and low cost receivers have crept into smartphones and other mobile devices. However, GNSS does not solve all problems, especially in urban environments. The canyon effect blocks signals at street level between tall buildings, and signals do not penetrate to the interior of parking garages, tunnels,… Read More


MEMS+, Bringing MEMS into the Electronic World

MEMS+, Bringing MEMS into the Electronic World
by Paul McLellan on 09-19-2014 at 1:59 pm

One of the things about MEMS devices is that they almost always live on a chip that also contains the electronics necessary to process the output from the sensor. For example, an on-chip accelerometer for a car airbag deployment will contain the electronics necessary to process the signal from the sensor and end up with something… Read More


Coventor Brings More Accuracy & Performance into Design of MEMS Devices

Coventor Brings More Accuracy & Performance into Design of MEMS Devices
by Pawan Fangaria on 07-06-2014 at 9:00 am

Although MEMS devices in various forms are now found in most electronic devices, predominantly in mobile, automotive, aerospace and many other applications, their major revolution, I believe, is yet to happen. We are seeing rapid innovation in MEMS reflected by their improvements in precision, performance, size reduction,… Read More


MEMS Update from DAC

MEMS Update from DAC
by Daniel Payne on 06-11-2014 at 11:32 am

DAC has an interesting mix of vendors each year, and some of them are outside of the expected digital, analog or IP space. Last Tuesday at DAC I visited a company called Coventor that has three product lines:

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A Re-look at TI’s Businesses, Strategies & Future

A Re-look at TI’s Businesses, Strategies & Future
by Pawan Fangaria on 06-09-2014 at 8:00 am

In recent days I’ve seen several long discussions about Texas Instrumentslosing its grip in semiconductor industry when it came out of a business it was strong in, i.e. wireless business. It seems the semiconductor community has not digested the fact that TI, very rightly, came out of the OMAP business at the right time. The smartphone… Read More


New Frontiers in MEMS and Their Enablers

New Frontiers in MEMS and Their Enablers
by Pawan Fangaria on 05-11-2014 at 10:00 pm

With the 51[SUP]st[/SUP] DACapproaching quickly, I spent some time last week-end to look around about what new trends, technologies and innovations will be most talked about during DAC. Every year, I find some exciting new technologies in the semiconductor industry and the overall semiconductor ecosystem that get wider exposure… Read More


Evaluate MEMS Devices out-of-fab Before Fabrication

Evaluate MEMS Devices out-of-fab Before Fabrication
by Pawan Fangaria on 03-21-2014 at 10:30 am

MEMS design and fabrication is highly complex in the sense that the fabrication process heavily depends on the design, unlike IC fabrication which has a standard set of processes. A slight change in MEMS design can alter its fabrication steps to a large extent. For example, setting device parameters such as capacitance or linear… Read More