Unlocking Novel Opportunities: How 300mm-capable MEMS Foundries will Change the Game
ABSTRACT
Although the semiconductor industry began manufacturing on 300mm wafers in the early 2000s, benefiting from economies of scale, design standards, and standardized process nodes, the MEMS industry has lagged. In MEMS, it’s still a single product, single process world – making it time-consuming and expensive to bring new devices to market. As the number of 300mm CMOS fabs continue to increase, so does the demand for 300mm-capable MEMS foundries to support critical technology integration, scalability, and efficiency.
For the MEMS industry, the adoption of 300mm wafers will signify a substantial leap forward in manufacturing automation and cost-effectiveness, yet it still presents many challenges. MEMS processing frequently utilizes non-CMOS compatible materials for metallization, sensing and actuation, making it nearly impossible to support both CMOS and MEMS manufacturing in the same facility. To be successful on a 300mm platform, MEMS foundries will need to manufacture a high mix of products to ensure their facilities run efficiently and at capacity.
This session will explore how Rogue Valley Microdevices – a pureplay, full-service precision MEMS foundry – has reacted to this need for 300mm MEMS with the construction of its second fab, a flexible, 300mm-capable MEMS foundry in Palm Bay, Florida with production set to begin in 2025. Rogue Valley Microdevices expects to address multiple areas of need, including thin film deposition, through-silicon via (TSV), RDL, UBM, wafer level packaging, and is poised to leverage 300mm technology to propel MEMS sensor development to unprecedented heights.
Join us as we explore how flexible, 300mm-capable MEMS foundries promise to revolutionize the integration of microsensors into the supply chain, fostering innovation and unlocking new possibilities for transformative products.
BIOGRAPHY
As founder and CEO of Rogue Valley Microdevices, Jessica Gomez has created a world-class precision MEMS foundry in the heart of Southern Oregon, with a second foundry under construction in Palm Bay, Florida. Integral to her role as CEO, Ms. Gomez practices a business philosophy of offering best-in-class process technology and R&D expertise to customers, to help them achieve the highest quality and reliability in their products. Prior to founding Rogue Valley Microdevices in 2003, Ms. Gomez honed her experience in semiconductor processing and production management through positions at Standard Microsystems Corporation, Integrated Micromachines, and Xponent Photonics.
Ms. Gomez plays an active leadership role within and beyond the technology industry. She is a board member of the prestigious SEMI Board of Industry Leaders, and she is the first executive selected for Spotlight on SEMI Women, which honors accomplished women in the global microelectronics industry.