The Past, Present and Future of MEMS
ABSTRACT
The global MEMS market is expected to reach $20B by 2028. How did we reach this point? From the pressure sensors and inertial sensors of the late 1980’s and 1990’s to the optical sensors, environmental sensors, biomedical devices, RF MEMS, and acoustic/ultrasonic sensors of today, MEMS technology continues to evolve. To stay competitive, MEMS industry business leaders need to understand the strategic technology outlook for MEMS devices over the next five to ten years.
Drawing from two-plus decades of experience in MEMS — and her analysis of recent academic research that’s now on the path to commercialization — Dr. Alissa M. Fitzgerald will share her prognostications for MEMS in diverse applications such as agriculture and food safety, aerospace and autonomous vehicles, neurological devices, and environmental monitoring. She will further explore the commercialization of new thin film materials, LCD-format glass panels, and the potential to use 3D printing for low-volume devices requiring customization.
BIOGRAPHY
Alissa M. Fitzgerald, PhD, has 30+ years of experience in MEMS design, fabrication methods, multiphysics simulation, and product development. She has personally developed over a dozen distinct MEMS devices such as piezoresistive cantilevers, pressure sensors, ultrasound transducers, and infrared imaging arrays, and she holds 11 US patents.
Dr. Fitzgerald advises clients on the entire cycle of microelectronic product development, from business and IP strategy to supply chain and manufacturing operations. In addition to her primary focus on industrial and commercial activities, she continues to engage in collaborative scientific research, serve on academic conference abstract review committees, participate in peer reviewed academic journal articles, and offer guest lectures at academic institutions such as UC Berkeley and Stanford University.
Dr. Fitzgerald is a member of the SEMI-MSIG Standards Committee and served as a board director on the MEMS Industry Group (MIG) Governing Council from 2008-2014. In 2013, she was inducted into the MIG Hall of Fame. She serves as a board director for Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ:RGTI), a full stack quantum computing company. Dr. Fitzgerald received her bachelor's and master's degrees from MIT and her PhD from Stanford University in Aeronautics and Astronautics.