Marcellino Gemelli, director of global business development at Bosch Sensortec, will present at the upcoming MEMS Sensors Executive Congress on October 29-30, 2018 in Napa, Calif. SEMI’s Maria Vetrano caught up with Gemelli to give MSEC attendees a preview of Gemelli’s feature presentation.Sensor fusion — the integration of different types of sensors through software algorithms to increase overall system performance and/or reduce power consumption— has come a long way since its inception. In those early days, sensor fusion generally involved MEMS inertial sensors only. The advent of new sensor varieties, including environmental sensors, is making new use cases a reality. Gemelli will explore the ways in which the next generation of sensor fusion is improving autonomous mobility devices. SEMI: Why are environmental sensors important to autonomous mobility devices?Gemelli: When most of us think of autonomous systems, we think that they are driven by motion sensors and proximity sensors (e.g., radar, Lidar). When vertical location comes into play, however, in applications such as drones or asset tracking, pressure sensors become an integral part of flight control, navigation and positioning in GPS-challenged areas.While not commonly considered an electronically enabled sense, the ability to “smell” the environment opens new opportunities. The quality of a user’s experience with personal cleaning robots and robo-taxis are good examples of where we might want to enable scent detection.SEMI: I’ve never thought much about using sensors to detect smell. How would a robo-taxi or a cleaning robot benefit from scent detection?Gemelli: Fully autonomous cars will inevitably give rise to robo-taxis. In fact, last month Volvo announced its fully electric robo-taxi, and in March 2018 Waymo announced that Jaguar Land Rover’s SUV would join Fiat Chrysler’s Chrysler Pacifica minivans in its planned fleet of robo-taxis, so we may see robo-taxis in the U.S. within the next five years.With robo-taxis fast-approaching, we need technologies that provide the same level of oversight that a taxi driver once fulfilled. Gas sensors would function like an electronic nose (e-nose) in a robo-taxi to inform the taxi’s owner of prohibited passenger behavior, such as eating, drinking or smoking in the vehicle, which could potentially damage the vehicle’s interior. Camera sensors could record the act as proof of the offense.Cleaning robots would be more sophisticated than they are today. In addition to leveraging image and range-finding sensors to more accurately map the rooms in your house, they could also detect scents from spilled red wine, pet urine or other foreign materials. When the cleaning robot, such as a vacuum, detects the foreign substance, it would navigate around the substance instead of going through it and spreading it all over the carpet.In addition to robo-taxis and cleaning robots, I will also discuss asset tracking and drones.SEMI: What role does sensor fusion play in autonomous mobility devices?Gemelli: Combining sensor fusion with artificial intelligence (AI) will generate new use cases and therefore new markets for sensor suppliers.There is another major benefit as well. With so many connected devices in our lives — including those with cameras, location awareness and always-listening capabilities — we are seeing growing concern about user privacy. Sensor fusion and AI can help to alleviate this concern: By supporting more local processing, they allow for greater control of data, safeguarding personal privacy.SEMI: Who is responsible for the AI part of the sensor-fusion equation?Gemelli: AI is a new frontier for MEMS and sensors suppliers. It benefits us and our customers to embrace AI algorithms through in-house development and/or partnerships.SEMI: What would you like MEMS Sensors Executive Congress attendees to take away from your presentation?Gemelli: I plan to issue a call to action to increase research in hybrid sensor-fusion software architectures, including AI, as suppliers’ collaboration will benefit the industry at large.Marcellino Gemelli is currently based in Palo Alto (CA) responsible for business development of Bosch Sensortec's MEMS product portfolio. He received the ‘Laurea’ degree in Electronic Engineering at the University of Pavia, Italy while in the Italian Army and an MBA from MIP, the Milano (Italy) Polytechnic business school. He previously held various engineering and product management positions at STMicroelectronics from 1995 to 2011 in the fields of MEMS, electronic design automation and data storage. He was contract professor for the Microelectronics course at the Milano (Italy) Polytechnic from 2000 to 2002.Marcellino Gemelli will present Environmental Sensors Systems Enabling Autonomous Mobility on Tuesday, October 30 at MEMS Sensors Executive Congress in Napa Valley, Calif.Register today to learn more about the connection between sensor fusion, AI and next-generation autonomous mobility devices.Maria Vetrano is a public relations consultant at SEMI.

SEMI spoke with Antoine Amade, Regional Senior Director EMEA at Entegris, about the challenges set by the car industry, and the concept of “zero defect” and the need for a collaborative approach ahead of his presentation at the Strategic Materials Conference at SEMICON Europa 2018, 13-16, November 2018, in Munich, Germany. To register for the event, click here.SEMI: The automotive industry is setting new challenges. This is very exciting source of growth for the global supply chain, but what are in your opinion the automotive requirements of the future?Amade: By 2030, 50% of the car cost will be electronics related. With the autonomous cars, there will be no tolerance for any type of chip defects because it will have a direct impact on human safety. With that in mind, higher reliability, increased efficiency and control across the supply chain will be the main requirements of the automotive industry.SEMI: Is the New Collaborative Approach the solution to overcome the challenges related to the automotive requirements of the future such as defects and contamination? What can you tell us about this approach?Amade: The automotive industry presents a great challenge to all of us, reaching the ppb level in terms of defectivity. In other words, this zero defects objective requires a collective awareness and understanding: Within an aging and more complex manufacturing environment, we all need to challenge the status quo and go for a new collaborative approach.SEMI: What does Entegris propose?Amade: We trust that contamination control has a major role to play to reach the zero defects. We are now in the 3rd generation of contamination control. After the focus on the cleanroom environment and equipment, materials are now at the center of the attention. With Entegris offering the broadest portfolio in terms of advanced chemicals, filtration and purification, and materials handling, we’re uniquely positioned to address precision, purity, integrity, and safety challenges.SEMI: How could this support fab managers in their daily challenges and mid-term future objectives?Amade: The new collaborative approach is a journey. It is a consultative process to provide a fresh set of eyes and expertise on the key areas of concerns in the fabs. It is a multidisciplinary approach with zero defectivity as the main goal. It is focused on base line improvement, better process control, more uniformity and prevention of excursions.SEMI: What do you expect from SEMICON Europa Strategic Materials Conference?Amade: It's the perfect platform to deliver our message in front of the whole ecosystem. It obviously concerns the fabs, but also material suppliers, and even carmakers. We expect this new view of collaboration will create an engagement from all parties. It is not a coincidence that this is called New Collaborative Approach. Antoine Amade joined Entegris in 1995 as an application engineer in its semiconductor business. In his current role as EMEA Sr. Regional Director, Mr. Amade manages a sales, customer service and marketing team responsible for growing the semiconductor business in Europe and Middle East.Mr. Amade held leadership positions at Entegris including gas microcontamination market management, strategical account management and regional sales management. He has a degree in Chemical Engineering from ENS Chimie Lille and is a member of Semi Electronic Materials Group for Europe. Serena Brischetto is a marketing and communications manager at SEMI Europe.

DARPA’s Vision of Cross-CollaborationRon Polcawich, program manager, DARPA Microsystems Technology Office, will give the closing keynote at MEMS Sensors Executive Congress on October 29-30, 2018 in Napa, Calif. SEMI’s Nishita Rao spoke with Polcawich about the MEMS workshop on rapid innovation that he held earlier this year and his interest in continuing that conversation with a broad audience of MEMS and sensors suppliers attending MEMS Sensors Executive Congress. SEMI: What is your vision for the Rapid Innovation through Production MEMS (RIPM) concept and why does the MEMS and sensors industry need it?Polcawich: The goal behind our RIPM concept is to advance the state of MEMS device technology by creating enhanced access to mature process flows for utilization by military, academic and commercial MEMS designers.Compare MEMS to IC development and you will see much more rapid innovation in ICs. In many cases, IC designers can get through four design cycles in a calendar year because the process technologies are so mature.In contrast, it can take three to four years to develop the process flow for a MEMS device. I believe that we can do better. With so much process-flow development in MEMS having taken place over the past 15 years, we now have plenty of commercial designs out there. How do we capitalize on these existing production process flows so we can rapidly innovate to avoid those painfully long production cycles?With this question in mind, we launched a campaign to solicit feedback from small, medium and large foundries, integrated device manufacturers (IDMs), systems designers and integrators, and academic stakeholders. Our effort culminated in a May workshop where we were able to bring many of the same groups to the table. During one intensive day, we discussed challenges to the RIPM concept and what we would need to make it work.SEMI: What were some of your areas of focus?Polcawich: We covered a range of topics, from improving access to sophisticated packaging technology, such as advanced interposer technologies, to IP entanglement and the role of process design kits (PDKs).SEMI: In an industry historically defined by competition over collaboration, how do you hope to convince MEMS supply-chain members to work together?Polcawich: We see benefits from the proposed RIPM concept across the board. Foundries would benefit from outputting higher volumes of devices as well as charging for more sophisticated PDKs and process flows — which would comprise a new source of revenue for them.From our discussions at the workshop and throughout the summer, we understand that certain technology sectors are going to be more willing to engage with the community than others. Notional examples that we highlighted at the workshop include the possibility of manufacturing high-performance inertial sensors, oscillators and pressure sensors within the same process flow. The challenge to the community is having the MEMS designers work within a locked-down process flow and not requesting different material layers, gaps and critical feature dimensions for each device type, which is very common within our industry. We asked everyone the question, “If there were broader access to production process flows, would faster technology transition and innovation cycles enable a more rapid time-to-market for a wider range of products?”SEMI: What would you like MEMS Sensors Executive Congress attendees to take away from your presentation?Polcawich: We welcome additional feedback on the RIPM concept to help shape any potential program ideas. Furthermore, we would like assistance in identifying tipping-point technologies on each sector’s/foundry’s/IDM’s technology roadmap. We could use that information to determine mutual investment opportunities that could shift the roadmap timelines to the left, enabling more rapid production and commercialization timelines. Dr. Ronald Polcawich joined DARPA as a Program Manager in the Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) in August 2017. His research interests include advanced materials processing, micromechanics for small-scale robotics, device designs, and miniaturized position, navigation, and timing (PNT) systems. Read more.Polcawich will present Rapid Innovation with Production MEMS Workshop Outbrief on Tuesday, October 30 at MEMS Sensors Executive Congress in Napa Valley, Calif.Register today to connect with Ron and learn about DARPA’s rapid innovation in MEMS concept.Nishita Rao is a marketing manager at SEMI.

Nicolas Sauvage, senior director of Ecosystem at TDK InvenSense, will present at the fast-approaching MEMS Sensors Executive Congress on October 29-30, 2018 in Napa, Calif. SEMI’s Nishita Rao spoke with Sauvage to offer MSEC attendees advance insights on Sauvage’s feature presentation.SEMI: What is “autonomy value” and why is it important?Sauvage: How do you increase the perceived value of an electronic device? If it’s an autonomous car, its value is closely tied to the autonomy level — i.e., the independence — that it offers people. Higher autonomy value for a self-driving car, for example, means that even a blind person could use it. It’s been almost two years since Waymo demonstrated this, and here’s the video that shows it.Countless other sensor-based electronic products have their own “autonomy value.” Imagine the need to get medicine to people during a humanitarian health crisis. Drones could be your best option because they can deliver to inaccessible or remote locations. Unlike older drones, which require active piloting by a person, a drone with higher autonomy value could deliver medicine to Doctors Without Borders without ongoing human intervention.This drone could navigate objects, such as trees and birds, and would have excellent location-awareness. It could fly through any landscape in bright sunlight or during the night. To increase the drone’s autonomy value, you would need better sensors, including those sensors that can enable sensing in sunny conditions or in pitch-black night, as well as better machine learning.SEMI: In this example, what types of sensors would the drone manufacturer need?Sauvage: The manufacturer would need a “surrounding-sensing” solution that includes ultrasonic and pressure sensors as well as image sensors. Start with high-quality image sensors combined with ultrasonic range-finding sensors — high-accuracy devices that function in all lighting conditions and can detect objects of any color. Add motion sensors and a pressure sensor, which would capture the height of the drone to make known the drone’s location in space. The drone would need this combination of sensors, plus smart sensor fusion, because GPS alone cannot avoid obstacles: its signal can be sporadic in certain parts of the world or in certain terrain, making it unreliable.A key attribute of all these sensors would be low power consumption since the drone would run on battery.SEMI: To what extent might autonomy value cause manufacturers to consider multi-vendor solutions?Sauvage: I would like to see it inspire the MEMS and sensors ecosystem to work together, to arrive at multi-vendor solutions that will benefit humanity through greater autonomy value. Whether we’re looking at autonomous cars, drones, robotics or other applications, there are cases where we need to prioritize safety and security over industry competition. SEMI: Where are we today in terms of achieving true autonomy value – and where are we going?Sauvage: The sky is the limit, literally. Machine learning and surrounding-sensing solutions applied to cars, drones and robots will increase autonomy value to the point where we can justifiably call it artificial intelligence.SEMI: What would you like MEMS Sensors Executive Congress attendees to take away from your presentation?Sauvage: I hope that attendees will recognize the value of ecosystem solutions in increasing autonomy value. Together we can expand the variety of sensor types that address novel use-cases and jobs-to-be-done. Instead of waiting for customers to ask for ecosystem-level solutions, we need to articulate a complete MEMS and sensors supply-chain ecosystem if we want the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial IoT (IIoT) to grow more quickly. As senior director of Ecosystem, Nicholas Sauvage is responsible for all strategic relationships, including Google and Qualcomm, and other HW/SW/System companies. He is also responsible for strategic and market-driven goal-setting of our SensorStudio developer program, and driving select partnerships with SoC sensor hub platforms. Prior to joining InvenSense, Nicolas was part of NXP Software management team, responsible for worldwide sales, as well as for P L and product management of their OEM Business Line. Nicolas is an alumnus of Institut supérieur d’électronique et du numérique, London Business School and INSEAD. Register today to connect with Nicolas Sauvage at the event. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn.Nishita Rao is a marketing manager at SEMI.

You’re super busy. We know - it’s hard to take time away from work. So an industry conference must offer compelling value to justify your time. Whether you are brand new to MEMS Sensors Executive Congress (MSEC) or a veteran of the event, you’re sure to find a unique convergence of networking, learning, and fun in a single venue. This year’s theme is “Sensor Systems Enabling Autonomous Mobility” and we’re gearing up to make this event bigger and better than ever.Taking place on October 28-30, 2018 in Napa, Calif., this event is the most relevant, timely and authentic event of the year. Don’t just take our word for it. Look at what last year’s attendees said about MSEC.Here are the top three reasons we think MSEC is a must-see.Elevate Your NetworkWhere else but MSEC can you spend 2 days with industry executives from a broad spectrum of industries including automotive, communications, consumer goods, environmental, industrial, Internet of Things and biomedical. At this event, you’ll get many opportunities to mix and mingle with influential leaders who drive their company’s technology roadmaps and industry growth. Who knows, at a breakout session, you may find yourself sitting next to your future employer/employee, business lead for a new project or mentor.Stay Sharp with Powerful ContentThere's a wide range of sessions on the agenda with insightful topics such as the analysis of megatrends, production work flows and privacy challenges in the MEMS sensors business. You will get an inside view into what’s possible in this industry, so you can shape innovative solutions and drive early adoption. This is your chance to examine the enabling role of MEMS and sensors in diverse intelligent applications and gain actionable insights to advance your business.Encounter Emerging ApplicationsDiscovering unique applications for your business is necessary to thrive as technology changes at an unprecedented pace to drive rapid development of new products and applications. Our Technology Showcase session will feature 5 finalists who will be displaying a compelling and diverse set of demos. You’ll get the chance to interact with the newest MEMS/sensors-enabled applications and cast your vote for the winner. You will witness firsthand the edge of innovation in your field that will remind you why you love doing what you do.Jump ahead of the pack and register today!Nishita Rao is a marketing manager at SEMI.

Last week, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), on instruction from President Trump, notified Congress that the administration intends to begin bilateral trade negotiations with Japan, the European Union (EU), and the United Kingdom.SEMI stands strong for free trade and open markets, and roundly supports efforts to increase market access and tap into more foreign economies, especially economies like Japan and the EU, both of which are central to the semiconductor industry. The semiconductor industry, which enables the $2 trillion electronics market, is built on global commerce. SEMI members rely on a vast network of supply chains that span the globe, bringing together components and tools made all around the world and assembled into a single sub-system that is then integrated into a larger tool used in the chipmaking process.These free trade agreements will reduce tariffs, which will result in cost savings and productivity gains, and allow SEMI members to expand and grow. But the benefits of modern free trade agreements extend well beyond tariff reduction. Indeed, these trade deals will establish and enhance global trade rules that enable companies to innovate and compete fairly on a level playing field. Trade agreements strengthen certainty and further business continuity.While the exact nature and negotiation timelines for the talks remain unclear, SEMI will engage the administration, urging it to maintain high standards in these agreements, such as: Maintain strong respect for intellectual property and trade secrets through robust safeguards and significant penalties for violators Remove tariffs and non-tariff barriers on semiconductor products as well as products that depend on semiconductors Simplify and harmonize the customs and trade facilitation processes Combat any attempts of forced technology transfer Prevent use of data localization measures and enable the free flow of cross-border data flows End discriminatory and/or burdensome regulatory practices Ensure standards in all forms are market-oriented Create rules for state-owned enterprises to ensure fair and non-discriminatory treatment of all companies According to Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), the U.S. law that guides trade votes in Congress, negotiations with each country can only begin 90 days after last week’s notification. During that period, there will be intensive consultation with Congress and stakeholders. This means, at the earliest, talks can start on January 14, 2019. (Bear in mind that discussions with the UK can only begin in earnest once the UK has formally left the European Union on March 29, 2019.)The Trump administration’s announcement comes after the U.S. imposed or threatened tariffs on imports on all trading partners, including the EU and China. All told, the U.S. has imposed tariffs on more than $300 billion worth of goods. SEMI has weighed in on the detrimental nature of tariffs, arguing that tariffs on China will ultimately do nothing to address the concerns with China’s trade practices. This sledgehammer approach will introduce significant uncertainty, impose greater costs, and potentially lead to a trade war, ultimately undercutting the ability of semiconductor companies to sell overseas, stifling innovation and curbing U.S. technological leadership.Elsewhere, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, the multilateral trade deal that links 11 Asia-Pacific economies, is well on its way to taking force. Canada will be taking its final steps to ratify the deal, joining Mexico, Japan and Singapore. The deal, formerly known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, should take effect by the first half of 2019.SEMI will continue tracking ongoing trade developments. Any SEMI members with questions should contact Jay Chittooran, Public Policy Manager at SEMI, at [email protected].

ULVAC Technologies’ David Mount is working with The CIA. Is he the Jack Reacher of the MEMS and sensors industry, jetting around the world to secret meetings, you wonder? While David isn’t quite the super-spy that you might have imagined, he is doing some fascinating work on behalf of ULVAC Technologies, the world leader in vacuum technology.ULVAC has been collaborating with The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) on Menus of Change, “a ground-breaking initiative from The Culinary Institute of America and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health that works to realize a long-term, practical vision integrating optimal nutrition and public health, environmental stewardship and restoration, and social responsibility concerns within the food service industry and the culinary profession.”ULVAC also partners with Menus of Change (MOC) University Research Collaborative, a group of elite universities and food-service executives working together to “accelerate efforts to move Americans toward healthier, more sustainable, plant-forward diets.” MEMS Sensors Industry Group’s Nishita Rao caught up with David, a featured speaker at MEMS Sensors Executive Congress on October 29-30, 2018, in Napa, Calif. to give MSEC attendees a preview of David’s talk. SEMI: How did ULVAC get involved with The CIA on Menus of Change?Mount: People in the MEMS sensors industry may not know that ULVAC started as an equipment supplier to the food industry. In 1952 ULVAC began supplying freeze-drying equipment – which relies on vacuum technology — to food companies tasked with providing long-lasting foods and beverages for the U.S. military under the Marshall Plan. Think instant soup, ramen noodles and Tang. While ULVAC’s technology portfolio is now very broad — spanning deposition equipment for the semiconductor industry, vacuum brazing for automotive, and even vacuum freeze-drying of vaccines that can be shipped dry but combined with distilled water for administration — the company has kept a hand in food technology. ULVAC’s vacuum cooling equipment rapidly and safely cools foods, dramatically increasing shelf life.The CIA is at the forefront of innovation in food technology, so we worked with them to test a vacuum cooling system that can also be used in the kitchen or in the field. In the Central Valley of California, for example, it can be 104ºF in the fields where lettuce is picked; our vacuum cooling system can cool that lettuce down to 47ºF in minutes.The CIA is also developing prepared foods for industrial settings such as university cafeterias and airlines. A prepared chicken dish, for example, might be cooked at 350ºF and then cooled to refrigeration temperatures. The potential problem is that bacteria can grow when you cool that food for storage. Some of The CIA test kitchens in California are using ULVAC’s vacuum cooling system to quickly and safely cool prepared foods.Vacuum-cooling is just one stage in food production, of course. Sensors are also widely used in food production and safety.SEMI: How do The CIA test kitchens use sensors?Mount: Nearly all aspects of production, processing and management in agricultural and food systems involve measurement of product and resource attributes. Sensors are a natural fit here as they can provide inspection capabilities that are accurate, fast and consistent. I plan to dive into some specific examples of the ways that The CIA and the MOC Research Collaborative are employing sensors to increase the safety of food and agricultural production.SEMI: What would you like MSEC attendees to take away from your presentation?Mount: I love knowing that the work that we do in this industry can benefit humanity. Applying our various technologies to food and agricultural production is just one way to do that. I encourage MSEC attendees to explore those markets that improve human quality of life – as well as the life and health of our planet and its other inhabitants. ULVAC Technologies senior advisor David Mount is a 35-year veteran of the vacuum and thin film equipment industry. He tried to retire from ULVAC but they would not let him go! David consults with ULVAC on strategic projects such as the company’s collaboration with the CIA.He will present Sensors in Food and Agriculture on Tuesday, October 30 at the MEMS Sensors Executive Congress.Register today to learn more about how sensors are transforming the food industry.Nishita Rao is a marketing manager at SEMI.

Cynthia Wright, a retired military officer with over 25 years of experience in national security and cyber strategy and policy, now Principal Cyber Security Engineer at The MITRE Corporation, will give the opening keynote at the upcoming MEMS Sensors Executive Congress, October 29-30, 2018 in Napa, Calif. SEMI’s Maria Vetrano interviewed Wright to give MSEC attendees an advance look at Wright’s highly anticipated presentation.SEMI: MEMS and sensors suppliers provide intelligent sensing and actuation to hundreds of billions of autonomous mobility devices – but historically, our community has not been at the forefront of cybersecurity. Why is now a good time for us to get involved?Wright: From wearables, smartphones, refrigerators and agriculture to medical devices and military hardware, autonomous mobility devices pervade our lives. At the same time, Internet of Things (IoT) botnet attacks like Mirai — and other demonstrated cyberattacks on home devices, vehicles and infrastructure — highlight the increasingly urgent need to address cybersecurity and privacy in MEMS/sensors-enabled devices.As building-block players in autonomous devices, MEMS and sensors suppliers have several good reasons to get involved.The number of IoT cyber security bills before state and federal legislatures suggest that regulation is coming, and it is in everyone’s best interest to prepare. While original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) would generally be held liable in cases of component malfunction or data breach, if insecurity stems from a microelectromechanical component, OEMs would most likely choose component suppliers with secure products.Beyond legislation and competitive advantage, we must consider that people’s well-being, even lives, could be at stake. Imagine what could happen if someone hacks into an insulin pump, the accelerometer on a train, or the LIDAR of an autonomous car. Intrusions of this sort could prove catastrophic.SEMI: Where do you perceive the biggest potential threats to consumers, industry, government?Wright: In good military fashion, I would say that it depends. If a person is a consumer of medical implants, that’s a big threat. On the government side, we could be talking about networked devices involved in military situational awareness. In industry, it could be sensors governing critical manufacturing or safety processes.I am not saying that every sensor must be secure. In every sector, there are areas of greater or lesser vulnerability, depending on context. SEMI: What is security or privacy by design?Wright: Addressing security flaws is cheaper and more easily accomplished at the design stage and not after the vulnerabilities are discovered. At MITRE, we practice systems- and design-oriented thinking as we consult with people doing development. We help them to develop security standards and approaches that are broadly applicable, rather than focusing on a specific product.For example, MITRE looks at the ways that a person might hack into a car to steal location and life history data — or alter its functions — to facilitate general standards and approaches that will help manufacturers better ensure the privacy and security of autonomous vehicles. Hackers have demonstrated that they can interfere with vehicle transmissions and brakes. Ignition, steering and other critical systems are theoretically accessible through the same types of attacks. To what degree can MEMS/sensors suppliers help automotive manufacturers ensure the privacy and security of autonomous cars, and the safety of their drivers? SEMI: What would you like MSEC attendees to take away from your presentation?Wright: MEMS/sensors suppliers are on the leading edge of computing and should take some responsibility for considering cybersecurity and privacy, for the safety of their customers and their own competitive advantage. Recognize which devices should be secure and act accordingly. Get involved at the design stage. The market for secure microelectronics is only going to grow, and this will benefit suppliers who take secure design seriously.Cynthia Wright will present Cyber Security and Privacy in the Age of Autonomous Sensing on Monday, October 29 at MEMS Sensors Executive Congress in Napa, Calif.Register today to connect with her at the event. Maria Vetrano is a public relations consultant at SEMI.

Electronic EquipmentGlobal electronic equipment production is in its traditional “fall busy season” as the consumer driven end markets ramp up for the holiday season (Chart 1). Both normal seasonality and organic growth are driving this year’s upturn. September 2018 electronic equipment output was up almost 10% over the same month last year. This actual year-over-year growth when overlaid on an autumn seasonal upturn is providing a nice end of year finish. Source: Custer Consulting Group based on regional data American Electronic Supply ChainChart 2 shows the annualized (12/12) and 3-month (3/12) growth of the U.S./North American supply chain. Aside from the computer sector, all the domestic end markets are expanding driven by defense, electromedical, instruments and control equipment. Total domestic electronic equipment orders were up 8.2% in August 2018 versus August 2017.For components there are clear indications of slowing growth. Printed circuit board orders eased to a +2.7% expansion rate on a 3-month basis and passive component orders contracted 0.2%.The semiconductor industry appears to be coming down from its recent bubble as domestic SEMI capital equipment growth cooled to +3.8% and chip shipments to North America also slowed (to a still respectable) +15% on a 3-month (3/12) basis. Source: Custer Consulting Group based on U.S. Department of Commerce, IPC, SIA/WSTS and SEMI data Geographic ShiftsSemiconductors and semiconductor capital equipment shipments provide good insight into the changing center of gravity of world electronic production.Chart 3 shows semiconductor shipments to each region. This is not regional production but rather consumption -- an indication of regional demand. It effectively measures electronic assembly activity by area. In August over 62% of the world’s chip value was consumed in in Asia/Pacific with another 8.1% used in Japan. Europe consumed 8.5% and North America 21.9%. Chart 4 shows geographical shifts over time for semiconductor capital equipment. Although more volatile month-to-month than semiconductors, the SEMI Capex shift to Asia is obvious. Source: SIA and WSTS Walt Custer of Custer Consulting Group is an analyst focused on the global electronics industry.

SEMI spoke with Udo Gómez, senior vice president at Robert Bosch GmbH, about MEMS technology requirements relative to standard IC design and manufacturing. Gómez highlighted solutions to challenges of MEMS technology development and manufacturing ahead of his presentation at the 22nd Fab Management Forum at SEMICON Europa 2018, 13-16, November 2018, in Munich, Germany. To register for the event, click here.SEMI: Regarding standard processes for MEMS, the situation used to be known as the MEMS law: "one product, one process." Today, the variety of MEMS sensors and their application requirements have drastically increased. What is the status of process standardization today?Gómez: Today, standardization in MEMS is certainly not as advanced as it is for conventional semiconductor processes and model environments. However, MEMS technology has developed very much in recent years. The understanding of the numerous interactions between mechanical, chemical and electrical parameters has grown enormously. Improved process tolerances and optimized simulation tools already allow the design of standard components and their manufacture using largely standardized processes and systems.This also enables standardized MEMS process platforms in foundries for fabless suppliers, since adapting process parameters to standard designs no longer means maximum effort. But the situation changes significantly if you want to implement more powerful MEMS components for demanding applications. In this case, much effort is still required in technology development to bring new and innovative designs to mass production readiness.SEMI: How does this situation interfere with the need for a fast, market-driven product development and production ramp-up?Gómez: The constant advancement of (MEMS) technology to new limits requires enormous efforts and time. Thus, fast product cycles in consumer electronics (CE) pose particular challenges. Close interaction between product and technology development is a key success factor here, as well as a deep understanding of the cause-effect relationships. This is the only way to identify and minimize process risks at an early stage.However, the steep product ramp-ups usually required in CE also offer advantages, since learning curves are run through at much shorter time-intervals than, for example, the comparatively slow ramp-ups in the automotive industry. In this way, automotive products benefit directly from the results of CE components. Conversely, CE products benefit from the higher requirements in the automotive sector, whose technologies can be developed and tested on longer time scales.SEMI: What are the critical and different design and manufacturing requirements for MEMS products versus standard IC products, which typically run in highly standardized processes?Gómez: A very special feature of MEMS devices is their multi-physics character – mechanical, electrical, magnetic, fluidic, and even chemical and/or optical effects may play a role. This is very different from standard semiconductors. Depending on the type of sensor or actuator, dedicated and often quite sophisticated models need to be developed to ensure proper function of the device – and not least to ensure full functionality after misuse. For example, shocks or drop events are usually not relevant for standard ICs but they may be extremely relevant for MEMS devices with their fragile mechanical structures.Similarly, the influence of packaging effects like bending or thermomechanical stress may be much more significant in MEMS devices than for standard semiconductors. And last but not least, a physical/magnetic/chemical/optical … stimulus usually needs to be applied when testing MEMS devices. All of this adds complexity to the manufacturing flow and requires dedicated know-how both during the engineering stage and in mass production.SEMI: BOSCH is working to extend the process platform to include complex 3D structures. What are the advantages and benefits of using 3D structures compared to standard 2D structures? Are there 3D structured products already in mass production?Gómez: We have recently extended our well-established surface micromachining process for MEMS inertial sensors (which basically uses one functional silicon layer for the movable MEMS device) to an advanced process using a second functional micromechanical layer. This opens up a large variety of design options and allows the realization of entirely new sensor topologies. For example, our most recent z-axis accelerometers for automotive and CE applications have 3D-like structures for the movable mass.This has several advantages: Firstly, the sensors can be further miniaturized as they now have fixed electrodes for capacitive readout above and below the movable mass, i.e. a larger capacitance per area. Secondly, due to their improved symmetry, these sensors have greatly improved immunity against several parasitic effects, e.g. mechanical stress from soldering or bending on a PCB. Overall, this technology enables us to offer better performance at still very competitive product size and cost. Both automotive and CE sensors are in high volume production for different applications and customers. SEMI: What do you expect from SEMICON Europa 2018 and why do you recommend attending the Fab Management Forum?Gómez: After our very positive impressions of SEMICON Europa 2017, we are convinced that SEMICON 2018 will again meet with widespread interest within the semiconductor industry. SEMICON is an excellent opportunity for us to meet our customers and partners. The Fab Management Forum, which ideally takes place parallel to SEMICON, is a highly valuable addition for us to exchange ideas with leading industry partners and to gain new insights into current trends and technical progress. Within that context, the Forum will make a valuable contribution toward strengthening the European position in semiconductor and MEMS manufacturing. As senior vice president of Robert Bosch GmbH, Dr. Gómez heads Sensor Engineering at Bosch Automotive Electronics (AE/NE-SE) in Reutlingen, Germany, the world’s largest MEMS supplier serving the Automotive, Consumer Electronics and IoT industry. Dr. Gómez started his career at Robert Bosch GmbH in 1999 at Corporate Sector Research and Advanced Engineering (MEMS technology) after completing his doctorate in physics. Before joining Bosch Automotive Electronics in April 2018, he worked in various management positions at Bosch and also held the position of Chief Expert for MEMS sensor technology. From 2013 to March 2018, he was Chief Technical Officer of Bosch Sensortec GmbH - a fully-owned subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH, responsible for research and development of micro-electro-mechanical sensors (MEMS) for consumer electronics, smartphones, security systems, industrial technology and logistics.Dr. Gómez has served as Deputy Chairman of the Board of VDE/VDI-Society Microelectronics, Microsystems and Precision Engineering (GMM) since 2014 has been a member of the GSA (Global Semiconductor Alliance) EMEA Leadership Council since 2015.Serena Brischetto is a marketing and communications manager at SEMI Europe.