MEMS

Part of 1 of 2-part series on MSEC 2019 highlights. Read Part 2. MEMS and sensors are proliferating across consumer, automotive, biomedical/healthcare, robotics, industrial and agriculture applications to harvest sensory data in a hyper-connected world and meet demand from consumers and organizations alike as they clamor for more intelligence in electronics.Take the ubiquitous iPhone. Shipped in 2007, Apple’s first iPhone sported five sensors. By contrast, the most feature-packed smartphones will embed up to 20 sensors by 2021, according to Yole Développement’s Jérôme Azémar. He estimates that the devices will feature four MEMS microphones, four CMOS image sensors (CIS), a RGB color sensor, a laser rangefinder, an infrared sensor, a gas sensor, a heart rate monitor and a fingerprint sensor, not to mention the MEMS inertial sensors that device users have come to know and trust.The MEMS market is expected to reach $18.5 billion in 2024 [1], up a whopping 60 percent from $11.6 billion in 2018, according to Azémar, who presented at MEMS Sensors Industry Group’s 15th annual MEMS Sensors Executive Congress (MSEC) in late October in Coronado, Calif. Add other types of sensors to the mix – CIS, environmental sensors, LiDARs, radars, ultrasonics, and fingerprint sensors – and the market will mushroom to $93 billion by 2024, said Azémar.Since MEMS Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) joined SEMI as a Strategic Association Partner three years ago, SEMI has expanded its MEMS and sensors programs to Europe and Asia while continuing to grow its U.S. conferences. “SEMI is continually investing in MEMS and sensors innovation across the supply chain,” said Dave Anderson, president of SEMI Americas and host of MSEC. “For example, MSIG is contributing to the development of the Heterogeneous Integration Roadmap, an initiative designed to drive heterogeneous integration technology development and accelerate electronics innovation. The roadmap spans device design, test and fabrication, ecosystem development, R D, equipment and materials. “At MSEC, executives and other speakers explored how AI and blockchain are remaking the food supply chain, air transportation and other sectors as MEMS and sensors improve the quality of our lives,” said Anderson.Sensing at the EdgeThe concept of artificial intelligence (AI), that a machine can harness intelligence that rivals or outperforms humans – and act without human intervention – has been a feature of the human imagination since at least the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey. MEMS and sensors facilitate intelligence in a wide range of electronics such as smartphones, healthcare wearables, robots, industrial predictive maintenance systems, and cars. AI is sure to augment that functionality.MEMS and sensors are now in their third wave of evolution, a focus on edge AI, Bosch Sensortec CEO and General Manager Stefan Finkbeiner told MSEC attendees. For its part, Bosch is working to add AI to MEMS devices. The first wave integrated software with MEMS sensors, and the second, sensor fusion, enabled designers to allocate performance and power strategically to tune MEMS for resource-constrained devices. The third wave is “an active-learning phase in which MEMS facilitates real-time learning at the edge to promote greater personalization, environmental feedback, privacy of user data and improved battery life,” said Finkbeiner.Small sensor nodes with edge AI exemplify third-wave applications. Integrating low-power environmental sensors (e.g., gas, temperature, pressure, humidity and air-flow sensors), the nodes could be deployed in fire-prone forests to assess fire risk and support early detection. Access to this real-time environmental information could prove invaluable to residents and public-safety personnel alike.Google takes another tack, applying machine learning to resource-constrained devices, said Nick Kreeger, a senior software engineer at the Internet giant. The company’s Google Brain creates machine learning models that can run on inexpensive, low-power microcontrollers using Google’s TensorFlow Lite, an open-source machine learning tool that’s been deployed on a multitude of mobile devices. Inferencing is done at the device’s edge, rather than transmitted to the cloud.Meeting the power constraints of battery-powered sensing devices is another matter that starts with minimizing energy and data waste. “Deep learning is compute-bound and runs well on existing microcontrollers,” Kreeger said. “Because it’s all arithmetic, it’s low-power compared to storage access.”Already Google has worked with Plant Village, a research unit at Penn State University, and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to help farmers improve food production by using machine learning and cheap sensors to spot and manage planet diseases in developing countries. And that production chain is in dire need of a boost, according to Rajendra Rao, general manager of IBM Food Trust, an enterprise-class blockchain solution.“We are on the cusp of complete failure of the food system,” Rao said. “One out of 10 people gets sick each year from foodborne illness, 420,000 die from this annually, 80 percent of companies in the food supply chain have not digitized, one-third of all fresh food in the US is thrown away, and one in five seafood samples worldwide is mislabeled.”IBM Food Trust’s work with Sucafina, which manages a global green coffee supply chain, shows how sensors can trace food from the farm to the processing plant to the consumer. With the IBM Food Trust platform, Sucafina can track the origin of the beans used in a cup of coffee – a competitive differentiator to coffee drinkers eager to support fair-trade coffee roasters.ripe.io, one of Forbes’ 25 most innovative AgTech startups, is also tackling the challenges and complexities of the food supply chain.“Our secure blockchain platform creates a digital twin of food items, transparently aggregating foods’ journey in real-time, to provide a harmonized trustworthy platform for multiple stakeholders,” said Rachel Gabato, the company’s COO. The ripe.io blockchain-based platform collects data from various sensors – temperature, pressure, light, humidity and inertial MEMS sensors. Growers, distributors and end customers including sweetgreen – a U.S. restaurant chain that depends on fresh produce – use the information to trace the origin and quality of food.MSEC 2020Mark your calendar for next year’s MSEC, October 12-14, at Coronado Island Marriott Resort Spa in Coronado, Calif. Get updates from MSIG on MSEC and other upcoming events including MSTC 2020.Stay in Touch with MSIGMEMS Sensors Industry Group (MSIG), a SEMI Strategic Association Partner, is the industry association representing the global MEMS and sensors supply chain. To learn how MSIG enables professionals in the MEMS and sensors industry to innovate, address common challenges and accelerate business results, visit us today.Connect with MSIG on Twitter and LinkedIn. Subscribe to SEMI Blog: Technology and Trends.[1] Source: Status of the MEMS Industry report, Yole Développement, 2019Maria Vetrano is a public relations consultant at SEMI.

Software for sensors has evolved from simply reading out and evaluating sensor data to making intelligent decisions based on that data, a transformation enabled by new software synthesis and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Together, they make consumer devices smarter, dramatically improving the user experience through greater interactivity and higher levels of automated personalization.SEMI’s Nishita Rao spoke with Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO and General Manager at Bosch Sensortec, who will explore the topic in his October 23 keynote, How Software Makes MEMS Sensors into Smart Systems, at MEMS Sensors Executive Congress (MSEC), October 22-24, 2019, at the Coronado Island Marriott Resort Spa in Coronado, Calif.Join us at MSEC to meet Bosch Sensortec and other industry influencers driving MEMS and sensors innovations. Registration is open.SEMI: What is the relationship between MEMS sensors suppliers and specialized software synthesis providers?Finkbeiner: Collaboration is a key driver for innovation in sensor software. There are already several fruitful collaborations between MEMS sensors suppliers and specialized software providers, which are mostly startups. Collaborations with providers of simulation and evaluation tools as well as with well-known universities in the field of AI are starting to show positive results.Domain expertise is also critical for developing smart sensor software, making it essential to future sensing solutions.SEMI: How does software synthesis relate to sensor fusion?Finkbeiner: Put simply, software synthesis refers to ways of automatically generating code based on domain knowledge and given constraints for specific product versions. Sensor fusion combines sensor data from different kinds of sources in order to improve the results.Software synthesis techniques enable a level of automation that creates new opportunities for more complex sensor fusion, which was formerly out of reach when using traditional approaches that involved, for example, big data and a large number of potential data sources.The traditional sensor fusion toolset can now be further extended by machine learning techniques that help to determine which sources are more reliable than others and how to combine data streams. This topic and others are still active areas of research. A wearable device with motion detection is a case in point. With unsupervised learning, the device could identify short versus long cyclically repeating motions and treat them differently from other types of motion. SEMI: How is the new software synthesis-AI approach different from previous approaches? To what degree will the new approach open up new applications?Finkbeiner: Traditionally, technology companies have used cloud computing for data storage and machine learning on aggregated user data. In that model, MEMS sensors generate large amounts of data that power-hungry hardware (such as digital signal processors) must process. In addition, machine learning generally requires lots of power-hungry cloud nodes with GPUs. This model, however, is not the best option for many users. Just think for a moment about all the scenarios in battery-powered devices where frequent battery charging frustrates users.Leveraging both software synthesis and AI techniques in MEMS sensors is therefore a very promising approach because it supports improved recognition and learning inside the sensor. This means that user-specific data isn’t transferred to the cloud. Instead, it remains private inside the sensor. This improves existing applications that learn all the time and opens up new opportunities for applications such as smart clothing, predicting a product’s lifespan, detecting whether a window or door is open or closed – all without server connectivity.SEMI: How will such software adapt to the individual user?Finkbeiner: Devices will offer much more personalized information to users. For example, optimizing a step counter to match the height, age or Body Mass Index (BMI) of a user – or to adapt to a user’s environment (is the person running on a beach, hiking up a mountain or strolling in a park?) – will provide more accurate information on calories burned. Not every step is created equal, and both pre-loaded personal data as well as real-world environmental data will prove that some steps consume a lot more energy than others.SEMI: What would you like MSEC attendees to take away from your presentation?Finkbeiner: I want to introduce the journey of software development by illustrating specific use case examples. I would also like to offer my outlook on the role of software and AI in MEMS sensors to help increase their adoption in current and new applications. Ultimately, I think it’s important to raise awareness in our industry on why we should embrace the use of software and AI.Connect with Stefan Finkbeiner at MSEC or via LinkedIn. Get more information on Bosch Sensortec products and solutions online.Stefan Finkbeiner, Ph.D., CEO and General Manager, Bosch Sensortec, was appointed CEO of Bosch Sensortec in 2012. He joined the Robert Bosch GmbH in 1995 and has been working in different positions related to the research, development, manufacturing, and marketing of sensors for more than 20 years. His senior positions at Bosch have included director of marketing for sensors, director of corporate research in microsystems technology, and vice president of engineering for sensors.Finkbeiner received his Diploma in Physics from the University of Karlsruhe in 1992 before studying at the Max-Planck-Institute in Stuttgart, where he earned his Ph.D. in Physics in 1995. In 2015, Finkbeiner received the prestigious lifetime achievement award from the MEMS Sensors Industry Group (MSIG), a SEMI technology community.Bosch Sensortec is a member of MEMS Sensors Industry Group, the industry association representing the global MEMS and sensors supply chain. To learn more about how MSIG enables professionals in the MEMS and sensors industry to innovate, address common challenges and accelerate business results, visit us today.Nishita Rao is marketing manager for technology communities at SEMI.

The evolution of industrial and non-industrial automation, smart manufacturing, and Industry 4.0 technologies have increased demand for vision systems that support robust, reliable imaging industrial applications. What factors are driving growth in the machine vision market today?SEMI spoke with Frederic Laune, Business Manager, European Technology, Corning, about how Corning® Varioptic® Lenses are vital to advancing the speed, efficiency, and integration of products using computer imaging. Laune shared his views ahead of his presentation at SEMI MEMS Imaging Sensors Summit, 25-27 September, 2019, at the WTC in Grenoble, France. Join us at the event to meet Corning and many other key industry influencing players. Registration is open.SEMI: Corning's markets include optical communications, mobile consumer electronics, display technology, automotive, and life sciences vessels. Back in June 2019, Corning Incorporated announced that it had delivered its 2 millionth Corning® Varioptic® Lens for industrial applications. What drove this great milestone?Laune: This milestone was met thanks to the fact that Corning Varioptic’s solution solves several problems generated by classical motorized solutions used in industrial applications: limited number of actuation cycles, poor vibration and shock resistance, size (meaning bulky), and high-power consumption. Before Varioptic, there was no variable focus solution that worked well.In addition, the explosion of the CMOS sensor technology helped drive down the cost of imaging solutions for industrial devices, increasing the number of applications and shipping volumes.SEMI: What inspired Corning Varioptic Lenses?Laune: Varioptic was started in 2002 by Dr. Bruno Berge, a French physicist turned entrepreneur. Inspired by the work of Gabriel Lippmann, the 1908 Nobel Prize winner for the invention of color photography, Dr. Berge explored the shape-altering effects of an electric charge when applied to two liquids, a phenomenon referred to as electrowetting. His research ultimately led to the creation of liquid lenses.Fast forward to 2017, when Varioptic became a part of Corning through an acquisition that included Varioptic and Invenios technologies. We believe the synergies from this acquisition will lead to exciting new liquid lens application opportunities that align with Corning’s growth strategy and core capabilities. Corning is one of the world’s leading innovators in materials science. For more than 165 years, Corning has applied its unparalleled expertise in glass science, ceramic science, and optical physics to develop products that transform industries and enhance people’s lives.SEMI: What differentiates traditional camera systems from adjustable lens solutions?Laune: Traditional industrial cameras are usually fixed focus, meaning that the image is sharp only in a limited distance range. Unlike consumer camera applications, there were no good solutions for variable or auto focus cameras in the industrial space. This is due to the intrinsic limitations of motorized technologies.Therefore, customers were using, for example, several cameras to focus at several distances. This compromises the optical quality by closing the objective in order to increase the depth of field, therefore limiting resolution and leading to a need for more light.The cameras using Corning Varioptic’s technology offer more functionality with their ability to focus, whatever the distance, in a fast, reliable, and accurate fashion, and with lower power consumption than traditional mechanical solutions. The upshot is that the product that can withstand heat, vibration, mechanical shocks, and high numbers of focus cycles in tough industrial environments. SEMI: And how is electrowetting enabling industrial devices to capture images and process information quickly and clearly? Laune: In two words: fast and accurate.Electrowetting has unique features – with our two-liquid solution, we combine fast focus with high vibration and shock resistance, and the added benefit of low power consumption.What’s more, our programmable lens can be reconfigured on demand. The lens adapts rapidly and continuously from diverging to converging and can be modeled to support demanding variable focus applications. Our lenses can change their focus in milliseconds, similar to the human eye, and capture fast-moving objects at varying distances. The use of liquid, over mechanical solutions, allows us to create a small form factor, saving precious space and reducing power consumption.SEMI: What industrial applications are taking advantage of this technology? Can you name one example?Laune: 2D barcode readers and industrial vision are our main markets. There is also a strong adoption of our technology in medical applications.SEMI: What does the rise of machine vision mean for manufacturers? Give us one prediction about the opportunities offered by advanced imaging applications.Laune: A great example is the use of 2D barcode readers and liquid lenses to track your ecommerce order, point to point. Another example is full product traceability by implementing a 2D barcode on every component of a given product globally to improve product quality. The varying and adjustable focus abilities of our liquid lens technology make it possible for barcode scanners to track products of different heights, allowing manufactures to improve their processes and logistics.Beyond these examples, tracking and analyzing are booming, thanks to the combination of low-cost CMOS sensor technology, increasing processing power, innovative algorithms (deep learning, AI, neuromorphic processors, etc.), and better image quality due to the progress of lens technology, Varioptic being one.We see an opportunity to improve people’s lives, such as enabling better analysis of medical images and improving the use of cameras in biomedical technologies.SEMI: Quality inspection and automation, adoption of Industrial 4.0 technologies, government initiatives. If you were to choose one, what main factor will drive growth in the machine vision market?Laune: It is difficult to pick just one. I believe that full traceability (monitoring individual parts throughout the production process) has interesting implications as compliance and regulatory efforts ramp up and stronger security of goods becomes more important, particularly as consumers become engaged in food safety and tracing products throughout the supply chain.SEMI: What are your expectations for the SEMI MEMS Imaging Sensors Summit and why would you invite your peers to attend? Laune: I strongly believe in the power of human interactions in technology and science! Ideas come from discussions and physical interactions. The SEMI MEMS Imaging Sensors Summit is a great place to network, meet people, and think about the future! Frederic Laune is the business manager leading the Corning® Varioptic® Lenses business. Laune joined Varioptic as an R D engineer in 2003 after spending the first eight years of his career developing novel active components for the optical telecom industry. At the time, Varioptic was a newly created start-up aiming to develop liquid lens technology for industrial applications. After designing the first two Varioptic commercial products, the Arctic 320 and Artic 416, Laune stepped up as head of Varioptic’s R D department to focus on product and performance improvements. In 2010, he was appointed sales and marketing lead for the company. Varioptic was acquired by Corning Incorporated in early 2017. Laune received a master’s degree in physics and optics from University Pierre and Marie Curie (Paris) in 1995.Serena Brischetto is a marketing and communications manager at SEMI Europe.

As a top semiconductor manufacturing hub, Korea is poised to lead the world in fab construction spending in 2019 and 2020, accounting for 27 percent of the total market. Little wonder that Korea’s prowess in the semiconductor industry has meant steady membership growth for SEMI Korea, with HD Cho, president of SEMI Korea, putting the average annual jump at about 7 percent.But HD Cho’s focus as he returned to COEX in Seoul, home to SEMICON Korea, in late August was not on membership growth over the years but the future. Cho hosted about 400 SEMI members gathered at SEMI Korea Members Day for insights into the state of the world economy, semiconductor industry outlooks, and perspectives on how South Korean and European microelectronics companies can form stronger ties. Setting the stage with look at macroeconomics, Byung-yeon Kim, team manager of NH Investment and Securities, predicted that, as the global economy continues to falter, 25 of the 58 major countries this year will cut interest rates in a bid to boost prospects for growth. Historically, the global composite leading indicator (CLI), a bellwether for turning points in the economy, has rebounded after 20 months of decline, he said. While the CLI downtrend is now past the 20-month mark, Kim struck a bullish note, predicting that the global economy will bounce back before long.Soo-kyoum Kim, vice president at IDC, referring to the semiconductor industry’s own soft patch, said that total revenue is expected to drop from $475 billion in 2018 to $440 billion this year but should rebound to a new high of $500 billion in 2023. The memory market will be especially hard-hit, dropping more than 29 percent in 2019 and another 14 percent next year before bottoming and then staging a recovery in the second half of 2020. The strength of the rebound will hinge on server market demand, he added.Next year will also see rebounds in semiconductor equipment and materials revenue, with growth of 12 percent and 3 percent, respectively, said Clark Tseng, director of Industry Research and Statistics at SEMI. The increases will follow a 2019 equipment market drop of 18 percent to $53 billion from the previous year while materials this year is expected to remain flat at $52 billion. The semiconductor industry will expand at a modest 2.4 percent this year, jumping to 7.6 percent in 2020, Tseng reported, citing the average growth rate based on data from Gartner, WSTC, IC Insights, VLSI Research and other industry analyst firms. Despite current weak market demand and the ongoing trade war, the long-term outlook for the semiconductor industry remains upbeat, he added.In Europe, semiconductor industry growth continues on the strength of the region’s high strategic importance in the global electronics supply chain, said Laith Altimime, president of SEMI Europe. Fab construction spending in Europe continued to grow in 2018, reaching $300 million, and is expected to hit $1.2 billion in 2019 and $1.6 billion in 2020, with equipment, parts and components driving the surges.To help build stronger ties between European and Korean chip industries, Altimime introduced the SEMI Korea members to SEMI Europe business platforms including SEMICON Europe, the 3D System Summit, ISS Europe, and the MEMS Imaging Sensor Summit. He also encouraged the formation of more business partnerships between companies in the two regions by familiarizing SEMI Korea members with European players in areas such as foundry, MEMS, sensors and wafer manufacturing.And it will be MEMS and sensors that help drive the 4th Industrial Revolution, said Sung-hyuk Kim, a team leader at LG Electronics' Sensor Solution Research Institute. In his presentation Architecting Sensor Solutions for the Next Revolution, he noted that sensors are finding their way into devices where they have never been used before. In household refrigerators, gas sensors help deodorize the inside while distance sensors detect the approach of people. Air conditioners equipped with a camera sensor can pinpoint the location of humans and steer the airflow in their direction. Of course, all these smarts will come in form of data-devouring artificial intelligence (AI), and that data will be generated in massive amounts by MEMS and sensors – placing them at the epicenter of the 4th Industrial Revolution.Jaegwan Shim is a marketing specialist at SEMI Korea.

Despite market saturation and stagnation saddling many business sectors, MEMS remains a shining star in the semiconductor industry. Opportunities in automotive, consumer electronics, mobile, medical are rising. What is supporting this industry growth? Who are the big players on the horizon?SEMI spoke with Dimitrios Damianos, Technology Market Analyst, Photonics, Sensing and Display division at Yole Développement, about MEMS market dynamics and future trends. Damianos shared his views ahead of his presentation at SEMI MEMS Imaging Sensors Summit, 25-27 September, 2019, at the WTC in Grenoble, France. Join us at the event to meet experts from Yole and many other key industry influencers. Registration is open.SEMI: MEMS and sensors is one of the healthiest industries not only in Europe but globally. Despite a global economic slowdown, the MEMS and sensors is still growing. What is fueling this growth?Damianos: The value of the global MEMS and sensor market will almost double from $48 billion in 2018 to $93 billion in 2024. In 2018 the MEMS and sensor market represented more than 10% of the total IC market, as more and more MEMS devices and sensors, such as MEMS, image sensors, and RF filters, are integrated in end products in consumer and automotive. In particular, the value of the MEMS-only market reached $11.6 billion in 2018, with consumer applications accounting for more than 60% of the total market. From 2019 to 2024 the MEMS market will grow 8.3% annually in value driven by pressure (for TPMS), RF (for V2X 5G communications), inertial (for ADAS) and future MEMS (such as pMUT for ultrasonic fingerprint) (Source: Status of the MEMS Industry report, Yole Développement, 2019). SEMI: How are MEMS shaping the semiconductor industry today? Damianos: MEMS have a make-smarter enabling capability. They are providing context for new applications and services in transportation, mobility, health, and security. Large companies such as Alibaba and Google are considering MEMS as a critical element in their business solution domains covering the upcoming smart home, smart campus, smart city and smart industry applications. MEMS have key features that correspond to these companies’ criteria for accuracy, small size (without performance degradation), low power and always on (e.g. microphones). Furthermore, with the advent of sensor fusion and edge computing, more sensor data can be processed, maximizing the qualitative and useful information about us and our surroundings. This has a huge impact in all markets, especially consumer.SEMI: MEMS foundries performed well thanks to the boom in industrial and medical applications. Who are the big players right now?Damianos: During 2018, all foundries saw their revenue increase. STMicroelectronics, Teledyne Dalsa, Silex, IMT, Micralyne and Philips Innovation Service are important MEMS foundry players that offer services for various MEMS devices used in medical and industrial markets, among others. On one hand, medical applications were driven mostly by microfluidics, flowmeters, pressure and inertial MEMS. On the other hand, industrial applications were driven by inkjet heads, microbolometers and pressure MEMS. The market prospect, however, is huge for RF MEMS and oscillators that will be used in next-generation 5G infrastructure. SEMI: What is the current status of MEMS for automotive applications? What are the related market drivers? Damianos: In automotive applications, accelerometers and pressure sensors still account for the lion’s share in units. Pressure sensors will grow at more than 8% with Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) implemented in Chinese vehicles in the near future. After 2019 and 2020, with the new Chinese standard, GB 2614, TPMS will become compulsory: 100% of all new vehicles will have TPMS. Also, automotive MEMS could grow quicker than the corresponding car market (currently at approximately 3%). The reason is a higher number of many different MEMS devices that are being integrated in cars, such as MEMS inertial measurement units (IMUs), TPMS, environmental MEMS for gas and particle monitoring in-cabin and microphones for hands-free voice commands.SEMI: After years of decline, the inkjet heads industry is growing again. What other segments are benefiting from MEMS technology applications? Can you name two examples?Damianos: RF MEMS (BAW filters) is also benefiting from applications in smartphones and will continue to benefit with the arrival of 5G. 5G means additional high frequency sub-6 GHz bands that can only be addressed by BAW filters. Moreover, new infrastructure approach using active antennas will create an expanding market for BAW.Another segment is inertial sensors. Inertial MEMS already have a high potential in wellness and fitness wearables and are gaining support for medical wearable applications to monitor patient activity, with the aim to prevent seizure in cases of epilepsy and other mental disorders. Compared to other types of sensors, MEMS is the golden technology for inertial sensors integrated into medical wearables. They are used for rehabilitation systems, activity trackers and assistance living/fall detection. Specifically, the IMU market will continue to grow for consumer and automotive applications as their price and form factor continue to shrink and they replace traditional standalone MEMS accelerometers and gyroscopes. However, the inertial sensor market will mostly grow for smartphone applications (mostly 6DOF, with 9DOF volumes being comparatively low).SEMI: Give us one prediction about the opportunities offered by the MEMS technology. Damianos: Sensor fusion is becoming more and more relevant since billions of MEMS sensors are made every year. The upcoming 5G revolution will make connectivity easier than ever, creating exponentially more data. To make these data meaningful, data processing is mandatory. Big data is an industry born of recent advancements in AI and machine learning, built upon and fueled by a wealth of new data from ever-expanding sensor applications. An upcoming trend is edge computing, with sensors and MEMS driving a new age of technology. Sensors are digitizing the human experience, and as the real and virtual worlds move closer together, it will be sensors that bind them, enabling new experiences for users everywhere. Running AI at the edge, coupled with sensor fusion, will open new applications for MEMS in audio, motion, olfactometry, and imaging. We also expect that new MEMS devices (microspeakers, ultrasonic fingerprint, pMUT) and piezoelectric MEMS technology could rejuvenate the MEMS market. SEMI: What are your expectations for SEMI MEMS Imaging Sensors Summit and why would you invite your peers to attend? Damianos: SEMI is organizing another very successful event, gathering experts from the Imaging and MEMS industries. We are at a turning point of innovation, with many technological advancements in AI, IoT, AR/VR, biometrics, and other areas where Imaging and MEMS technologies are paramount. Yole is excited to hear the thoughts of many high-profile experts on existing activities and future prospects within their organizations. If you are too, then it is an event that you shouldn’t miss!Dimitrios Damianos, Ph.D. is a Technology and Market Analyst in the Photonics, Sensing and Display division at Yole Développement (Yole). Damianos is a member of a Yole team that produces technology and market reports on the imaging industry including photonics and sensors. Damianos holds a MSc degree in Photonics from the University of Patras (Greece). After his research on theoretical and experimental quantum optics and laser light generation, Dimitrios pursued a Ph.D. in optical and electrical characterization of dielectric materials on silicon with applications in photovoltaics and image sensors, as well as SOI for microelectronics at Grenoble’s university (France). He has also authored and co-authored several scientific papers in international peer-reviewed journals. Learn more! Join the webinar on 5th September 2019. Registration is open! Serena Brischetto is a marketing and communications manager at SEMI Europe.

Shenyang is on an unwavering path to maturing its integrated circuit (IC) equipment manufacturing industry over the next few decades in response to the Made in China 2025 Strategy. Since the strategy’s introduction in 2015, the city, long a transportation and commercial hub of China's northeast, has built out a complete integrated circuit industrial chain integrating technical research and innovation, components and parts processing, and equipment manufacturing. Its ambition is to compete on the world stage.Shenyang has implemented policies and provided funding to support the development of its IC equipment and related industries to buttress the development of emerging industries. Speaking at the SEMI China Members Day 2019 in Shenyang, Zheng Guangwen, secretary-general of ICMTIA and Shenyang IC Equipment Industry Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance, said that the city, as a key IC equipment industry base in the upstream of China’s industrial chain, hopes to enter the international community in part by leveraging SEMI’s global platform. Zheng Guangwen, Secretary General, ICMTIA and Shenyang IC Equipment Industry Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance More than 150 representatives from member companies gathered at SEMI China Members Day 2019 to discuss China’s semiconductor industry investment and capital dynamics and semiconductor market trends. The event sought to promote stronger communication and interaction between the upstream and downstream of the semiconductor industry chain. The forum was co-sponsored by SEMI China and Shenyang Science and Technology Bureau and co-hosted by ICMTIA and Shenyang IC Equipment Industry Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance. Lung Chu, President of SEMI China Opening the event, Lung Chu, president of SEMI China, set stage for the discussion by noting that global semiconductor industry has been booming since 1957, reaching another record high of $470 billion in sales last year as it faced a critical juncture, with industry growth slowing in the first half of 2019. The slowdown was predictable and is temporary, a natural stage in the industry’s cyclicality. From a macro point of view, the development of advanced technology requires huge investment. There was an obvious gap in investment between enterprises, which often leads to the stronger become much stronger. Under these circumstances, it is very important for China to master key technologies and products during the process of catching up and surpassing. Each region should focus on its strengths.Enterprises should do their own business in a low-key way and keep a prudent and optimistic attitude. The number of SEMI China members has reached a new high. SEMI China is committed to becoming the best partner to realize China's semiconductor dreams. In promoting the development of global semiconductor industry and China's semiconductor industry, SEMI has continuously gathered strength and actively organized rich activities to promote the sustainable growth of Chinese semiconductor enterprises through international cooperation. Zhao Rigang, Director of SCTB, Shenyang Science and Technology Bureau Zhao Rigang, director of SCTB at Shenyang Science and Technology Bureau, pointed to the importance of SEMI’s pivotal role and global influence in cultivating cooperation between international and domestic industries including Shenyang’s IC sector. Speaking at the SEMI China Members Day 2019 in early June, Rigang said the growing importance of chips in China is a key catalyst for Shenyang’s rise as semiconductor sectors domestically and abroad invest heavily in a new generation of information technologies such as mobile Internet, cloud computing, big data, Internet of Things. Kang Jin, General Manager, SMIC Beijing For China’s semiconductor industry to flourish, the region must improve its IC supply capacity just as it has brought its PV industry to full maturation, said Kang Jin, general manager of SMIC Beijing. The key to developing China's integrated circuit industry, he said, lies in building a robust semiconductor supply chain. Zong Runfu, Chairman and General Manager, KINGSEMI Semiconductor Equipment Supply Chain DevelopmentLocalization has enabled KINGSEMI to optimize its technology design capabilities to produce high cost-performance equipment for greater competitive advantage, saidZong Runfu, chairman and general manager of KINGSEMI. While the localization rate of supply chain construction was over 50 percent, the localization rate for front-end equipment is still low. Zong Runfu said localization is imperative not only to lowering costs, but also to ameliorating the supply-guarantee rate, maintaining quality and shortening the delivery cycle. Russell Li, VP of Marketing and Business Development, WLCSP Packaging Solutions for 3D Active Sensing DevicesInternet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), 5G and other technologies are starting to become a part of daily life as more sensors find their way into new retail stores and smartphones, a trend that will continue as autonomous transportation begins to take hold, said Russell Liu, VP of marketing and business development at WLCSP. The move to bring more human-like capabilities to technology is driving the implementation of perception function in devices, with passive sensors giving way to active sensors and machines translating the physical world into a 3D view through the eyes of a 3D camera. What’s more, the next generation of IoT devices will feature more integrated processors including signal processors, caches, sensors, photons, RF and MEMS, bringing the challenges of miniaturization to system integration. Liu said miniaturization will only be possible by developing advanced packaging technologies that enable highly integrated processors for mobile devices and intelligent automobiles. Wang Ronghua, VP of Technology, Dalian Xinguan Technology Getting Ready for GaN Power Electronics EraGaN offers excellent performance in optoelectronics, RF and power electronics and will coexist with and complement silicon devices for years to come, said Wang Ronghua, VP of Technology at Dalian Xinguan Technology. However, the industrialization of GaN power devices still faces technical challenges in application, reliability, packaging, epitaxy, device and process – all barriers to market adoption. To overcome these hurdles, GaN power devices must meet the reliability and cost-performance requirements of applications to which they are best suited.Ronghau said that GaN power devices, such as cascade and p-GaN enhanced devices, now support end products, proof that the era of gallium nitride has arrived. “Gallium nitride is quite different from silicon in epitaxy, device design and key technology, which requires close integration of upstream and downstream industry chains for effective promotion,” he said. Billy Feng, Executive Director, J.P. Morgan Is the Semiconductor Industry Still Cyclical? Since 2008, the semiconductor cycle has waned, disrupting the traditional thinking of investors, equipment suppliers and logistics channel providers as investors’ appetite for the chip industry investments has grown, said Billy Feng, executive director at J.P. Morgan. The long-term prospects for the semiconductor industry remain bright. But after reaching historic revenue highs in 2017 and 2018, the industry – and investor expectations – will enter a period of adjustment. Dr. Adam He, Executive Director, CGP Tech Fund The unique gene of the semiconductor industry consists of the blend of its lofty requirements for quality, reliability and consistency; cooperation between upstream and downstream sectors; internationalization; and a powerful ambition to innovate, said Dr. Adam He, Executive Director of CGP Tech Fund. He described Chinese chip enterprises he often encounters as falling into one of two entrepreneurial categories – IC experts and cross-border business people. Both want the answer to "how to make money and how to establish a solid competitive position?” He said. Adam believes that accessing the genes of the semiconductor industry is the answer to both questions and crucial to the maturation of China’s chip industry. The genes must be used to strengthen the Chinese manufacturing and materials sectors. Du Shanshan, Senior Analyst, SEMI China SEMI Market Outlook: Fab Investment, Equipment and Materials Market ForecastsEmerging technologies have sparked explosive semiconductor industry growth, said Du Shanshan, a senior analyst at SEMI China. While the industry will see a slight recession in 2019 due to memory market softness, trade wars and other factors, it is on stable footing for the long run. At the same time, China continues to optimize its IC industry chain, and semiconductor design and manufacturing companies have gradually grown in number. Over the next decade, the average growth rate of China's production capacity is expected to exceed 10 percent. Richard Feldman, VP of Global Expositions and Events, SEMI Richard Feldman, vice president of Global Expositions and Events of SEMI headquarters, presented the new SEMI Asia semiconductor business development plan to members and called on companies in mainland China, Taiwan and Malaysia to participate in SEMICON Europe to strengthen the influence of globalization.After the meeting, participants visited KINGSEMI Co., Ltd., Shenyang Piotech Co., Ltd, Shenyang SIASUN Robot and Automation Co., Ltd., Shenyang Fortune Precision Equipment Co., Ltd. and SKY Technology Development Co., Ltd. The event facilitated communications between upstream and downstream companies. SEMI China Member Day 2019 Group Photo Cherry Sun is a marketing manager at SEMI China.

Tracking and localization technologies typically integrate with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals to pinpoint the location of people and objects. But what if a venue can’t install beacons or routers, or afford to deploy Wi-Fi or Bluetooth networks? Thanks to a combination of proprietary algorithms, advanced sensor fusion and the natural geomagnetic field, GipStech, a spin-off of Università della Calabria, built an indoor localization and navigation technology platform for accurate localization in the absence of an adequate GPS signal.Ahead of the SEMI MEMS Imaging Sensors Summit, 25 to 27 September 2019 in Grenoble France, Serena Brischetto of SEMI spoke with Gaetano D'Aquila, co-founder and CEO of GiPStech, about sensor fusion, augmented GPS applications and the future of indoor localization. Join us in Grenoble to learn more about GiPStech and meet other MEMS, imaging and sensors experts. Registration is open online.SEMI: Early this year GiPStech completed a test deployment of the first high-precision, infrastructure-free navigation system at Tokyo Shinjuku metro station in Japan. This is the busiest transportation hub globally! What were the main challenges you faced and how did your technology enable such a highly complex indoor localization?D'Aquila: As you mentioned, Shinjuku station in Tokyo has been registered in Guinness World Records as the busiest transportation hub globally. With 36 platforms, 200 exits and countless corridors and connections, it is easy to get lost there, especially for foreigners and tourists. On the other hand, this scale and complexity makes it unfeasible and expensive to install Bluetooth or similar infrastructure for standard indoor localization.For this reason, we needed to provide a cost-effective indoor localization technology without installing any kind of artificial supporting infrastructure. Thanks to our GiPStech patented multi-sensor-fusion localization stack and the high density of public Wi-FI networks, it’s possible to determine when passengers are inside the station. The public Wi-Fi networks signals were fused as an additional source in GiPStech's sensor-fusion platform to complement the inertial and geomagnetic engine and deliver very accurate results across the entire station. The tests performed in the station also demonstrated that the localization system can even detect the floors where travelers are walking. Now we are ready to roll out the same setup in other stations and environments.SEMI: You are not the first to pursue infrastructure-free indoor localization, but your technology platform seems to be very accurate in bringing precision, stability and consistency to the user experience. What lead to those advancements and incredible results?D'Aquila: Our key differentiating factors are built in the approach we created after years of research and development. One differentiation, of course, is related to our expertise and know-how about how the geomagnetic field can be used as a driving signal for the localization process.During R D we constructed and patented a modular multi-sensor-fusion software stack to solve any kind of localization problem, mainly in indoor environments. We started from a single-signal approach based on the employment of the geomagnetic field as a localization signal. But, mainly due to the very inaccurate devices chosen to measure the geomagnetic field, such as the smartphones that everyone carries in their pockets, we noticed that this single-signal approach is accurate but not reliable because it is strongly affected by a key weakness – the quality of sensor in the device.SEMI: How long did it take for you to solve this issue?D'Aquila: We started to integrate other signals within a few months after the first field tests related to the employment of the geomagnetic field alone. We also began to develop a software platform that could fuse any signal source (natural or artificial) available in the environment to preserve the reliability and accuracy of the localization system when some of these signals are temporarily affected by poor measurement quality. This is our differentiating factor today. We can re-configure our software platform to provide the best reliability and accuracy with the lowest artificial infrastructure in almost any context – from outdoor in a seamless way to indoor and vice versa.SEMI: GiPStech’s inertial engine is one of your cutting-edge technologies that completes your advanced indoor navigation and localization software stack. How do you see the technology evolving?D'Aquila: The inertial engine was one of our first technology modules mainly developed to enhance reliability, smooth the signals and reduce the computational power requirement of our geomagnetic localization approach.After a while, together with a third party that evaluated the performances of our module, we noticed that this module not only can be used as a self-standing localization technique, but it can also deliver high accuracy mainly in PDR (pedestrian dead reckoning) applications.Today our PDR is itself a black box with embedded subsystems. Besides some filtering modules, it includes a state-of-the-art step detector that detect steps even when the person changes the smartphone position and location (not only in the hands but also in backpacks or pockets) and an advanced step validation module that identifies and rejects fake steps.If you’ve ever used a commercial fitness tracker attached to your wrist, you know that in most cases if you move your arm the device will counts some steps that, of course, are not real. Our step validator solves this problem by detecting only real steps – a very important capability that allows our PDR to be employed as a self-standing inertial navigation system. We developed the PDR with strong attention to maintaining low requirements for the computational power and memory footprint. These additional characteristics makes the PDR very interesting even for a direct integration of the software at the silicon level in modern MEMS sensors.In a nutshell, the ability of MEMS sensors to run directly an embedded software module will drive technology enhancements that will allow some of the functionalities now available through an external application processor, such as those in smartphones, to move to a lower level (in the silicon). This, of course, reduces power consumption while even increasing the number of value-added services, including localization services, that could be built directly on top of the MEMS without requiring external software and/or application processor.SEMI: Do you think indoor localization will be more applicable in the next 10 years in areas such as Smart manufacturing, travel, healthcare, entertainment and retail?D'Aquila: Several market reports and our business development experience lead us to assess which sectors are of greatest interest for the application of indoor positioning technologies. They include the following. Industry (manufacturing logistics) Healthcare (tracking of assets, patients and doctors) Big installations (visit experience for museums, fairs) Airports stations (both for travelers and for resource and operation management) Large distribution (user profiling and influencing of the purchasing behavior) Indoor localization is a key enabling technology. Adoption, mainly in these sectors, was limited by the unfavorable tradeoff between cost and benefits. Our indoor localization technology aims to overcome those tradeoffs to make its adoption much more cost-effective while providing the best possible reliability and accuracy.SEMI: What are your expectations regarding the summit in Grenoble, and for the future of the sensors technology ahead? Where are we heading?D'Aquila: Many sectors would benefit from indoor localization technologies. MEMS, imaging and sensors are driving innovation and explosive demand for transportation, medical, mobile, industrial and other IoT applications. But these devices also constitute the basic building blocks for the development of reliable and affordable localization technologies.In outdoor environments we are pretty covered by the GPS. Indoors, where we spend more than of 80 percent of our time, similar types of services are coming to the market now and becoming more reliable over time.This Summit facilitates the direct interaction between different stakeholders to act at different points in the MEMS sensors value chain. Indoor localization was an emerging technology unrelated to the sensors ecosystem until now. Today, indoor localization must leverage MEMS sensors to be effective and reliable. In the future, localization technologies will be embedded directly in silicon to deliver the best performance at a lower cost to increase their adoption for more applications.Gaetano D'Aquila served as research fellow from 2002 to 2004 at the CNR and as an assistant teacher at the University of Calabria. From 2003 to 2014, he worked in the industry first as a security consultant for Telcos and Banking in Value Team S.p.A. and then as project manager at Infomobility S.p.A., where he coordinated research and development and strategic activities in the automotive and auto insurance industries. In 2014 he co-founded GiPStech and is its current CEO. He has published several papers in scientific journals and has filed for seven patents, three of which have been granted in the U.S. and Europe. Gaetano has a MSc in Computer Engineering and a Ph.D. in Science and Engineering of the Environment, Buildings and Energy from the University of Calabria, Italy.Serena Brischetto is a marketing and communications manager at SEMI Europe.

For nearly two decades, Sean Ding, CTO and chief scientist of Alibaba Cloud IoT, has worked in software and algorithm architectures, sensing, semiconductors, systems and cloud computing – all areas that have contributed to the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT). It’s no surprise, then, that Alibaba is leading next-generation innovation for the IoT. Ding will bring his expertise to his role as moderator of Brave New World - MSIG Conference on AI+IoT 2019, a half-day forum March 20, 2019, at SEMICON China in Shanghai, China. Maria Vetrano of SEMI spoke with Ding about technologies key to the IoT era including MEMS, sensors, artificial intelligence (AI), edge gateways and cloud computing. SEMI: MEMS sensors are widely used in IoT devices. What is the relationship between AI and MEMS sensors?DING: While MEMS sensors and AI will increasingly co-reside in end-user devices, I do not recommend adding AI next to the sensor (in the same package). That’s because designers continue to use the ASIC for signal conditioning, so A/D converters are still required. Rather, we should look to edge gateways to carry the majority of the workload, including deep learning, because this reduces system complexity and power consumption.SEMI: Why are smarter sensors shifting data processing and analytics to the edge of IoT devices?DING: Data processing and analytics are very important for IoT devices, but we need to focus on understanding the data, parameter calibration and more. The MEMS sensor industry should leave big data analytics to edge computing and cloud computing because AI requires deep learning, demanding a huge amount of data.The challenge is to find the sweet spot for data processing right next to the sensor element.SEMI: What is China’s evolving role in innovation in MEMS sensors for IoT devices?DING: At present, the MEMS community in China needs to figure out how to innovate instead of copying existing technologies, a low-margin business that will not help to grow the industry. One reason why I am so pleased to see the MSIG Conference on AI+IoT in China is that it will encourage greater creativity in the MEMS community in China, and this will ultimately lead to Chinese companies and R D institutions leading innovation rather than copying it.SEMI: What is the right approach to combining smart MEMS sensors with AI in IoT devices? Why is this important for both domestic Chinese and international markets?DING: Combining data from sensors with cloud-edge computing is the right approach. As sensor companies increasingly provide end-to-end solutions, such as “sensor+ firmware + SaaS + app,” we will realize easier and faster integration of sensors in IoT applications.This is incredibly important because China today is the world’s biggest market for IoT hardware. China has 2,000-plus design houses, 200-plus OEMs and thousands of distributors. That said, we still see a highly fragmented market that will benefit from a faster integration methodology.Faster integration of MEMS sensors and AI/machine learning for IoT hardware will benefit designers in international markets as well.SEMI: What do you hope MISG Conference on AI+IoT attendees will take away from the forum? DING: MEMS sensors are highly fragmented, reflecting the highly fragmented applications in which they play. The MEMS sensors industry should figure out how to provide one-stop-shopping solutions for vertical markets. This will speed the scalability of applications and expedite the growth of sensor production. Sean Ding (柯镇) will moderate Brave New World - MSIG Conference on AI+IoT 2019 at SEMICON China on Wednesday, March 20, 2019, at Kerry Hotel Pudong in Shanghai, China.This conference has been organized by the MEMS Sensors Industry Group (MSIG). Register today to connect with Sean Ding and featured speakers at the event.Speakers at the MSIG Conference on AI+IoT 2019 at SEMICON China include: Welcome and Introduction / 欢迎辞Carmelo Sansone, Director, MEMS Sensors Industry Group (MSIG), a SEMI technology community AI Needs Accurate Data – MEMS Sensors Can Provide It / MEMS传感器为人工智能提供真实数据Andrea Onetti, Group VP of Analog MEMS Group, GM of MEMS Sensor Division, STMicroelectronics Enhanced IoT Edge by Smart Sensors / 智能传感器助力IoT边缘智Bennini Fouad, Regional President Asia Pacific, Bosch Sensortec Horizon AI Processor Solution, Enable Industries in AI Time / 地平线AI芯片解决方案，赋能千万业Carl Zhang 张永谦, General Manager/VP, Smart Chip Solutions Division, Horizon Robotics Inertial Sensors in AI Applications / 运动传感器AI应用案例Ben Lee 李彬 , CEO, mCube Ultra-Low-Power Solutions: an Ecosystem Approach / 超低功耗的生态链解决方案Carlos Mazure, IEEE Fellow, Chairman Executive Director, SOI Industry Consortium High-Integrity, Fault-Tolerant Open Inertial Measurement Platform for AI-based Vehicle Automation / 适用于人工智能车辆自动控制的高集成及容错的惯性测量开放平台Dan Dempsey, Senior Director of Automotive, ACEINNA Maria Vetrano is a public relations consultant at SEMI.

As group vice president of the Analog MEMS Group and general manager of the MEMS Sensor division at STMicroelectronics, Andrea Onetti brings nearly three decades of experience in MEMS, sensors and audio systems to his leadership role at one of the world’s most successful electronics and semiconductor manufacturers. During his keynote at FLEX and MEMS Sensors Technical Congress 2019, February 18-21 in Monterey, Calif., Onetti will address the criticality of sensor accuracy in advancing automotive, industrial and consumer applications. SEMI’s Maria Vetrano spoke with Onetti recently to give FLEX/MSTC attendees a preview of his presentation. SEMI: What are some promising advancements in sensors for autonomous cars? Onetti: The avionics industry is already successfully applying sensors for autonomous operationl. Inertial navigation systems (INS) support the operation of planes during flight, both after takeoff and before landing. Unfortunately, the technology in these navigation systems is expensive and not scalable, and they are hampered by reliability limitations in an automotive environment.Following the steady progress that we have made with MEMS inertial sensors in consumer applications, we are on the cusp of realizing greater accuracy in temperature and time – finally delivering the performance required for autonomous driving. Because we can scale in production – we’re now manufacturing more than a billion units a year – we can select the cream of this production crop for adoption in cars. Consequently, we should see Level 3 and Level 4 autonomous driving for consumers very soon.SEMI: How are companies using sensors to monitor and track their assets in industrial applications? Onetti: Predictive maintenance and asset tracking are the two main verticals in Smart Industry. The adoption of multiple sensors for condition monitoring is helping to detect the faulty operation of equipment and to detect early signs of issues that are otherwise difficult to capture. Ultrasonic microphones can detect leaks in a pipe at an early stage, accelerometers with high bandwidth can act as micrometers, and accurate temperature sensors can catch overheating. Similarly, in asset tracking, we use temperature monitoring in combination with inertial sensors to detect problems during the transport of goods. Shock sensors with extremely high full scale (up to 8000g) can tell whether a lightweight envelop has been dropped. Pressure sensors can switch off a radio system when a cargo plane takes off and can mute smart trackers in compliance with flight regulations. We really can do almost anything! A full slate of ST sensors and microcontroller units (MCUs) enable WEG’s small but powerful motor sensor, which listens to a motor, feels its pain, and shares that information with engineers, operators and others to diagnose problems before they happen. Image courtesy of STMicroelectronics. High-accuracy motion, environmental and proximity sensors are crucial to VR/AR. Image courtesy of STMicroelectronics. SEMI: How will sensors advance user experiences in consumer electronics, such as VR/AR systems?Onetti: Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are great examples of promising consumer technologies that will become pervasive as performance of inertial sensors improves. First, we need super accuracy in time and temperature to provide the right experience to users. To achieve this level of accuracy, we need a major step forward in performance, and that includes power consumption and miniaturization. Fortunately, we are constantly making progress in the high-accuracy motion, environmental and proximity sensors that are critical to these systems. While the scale is vastly different between VR/AR and automotive, the requirements for AR/VR systems are pretty similar to those that will enable autonomous cars. A growing variety of sensors (environmental, microphone, proximity, motion) – combined with a sensor hub in an MCU – are central to VR controllers (above) and VR head mounted displays (below). Images courtesy of STMicroelectronics. SEMI: We don’t hear much about the criticality of higher accuracy in sensors. Why is improving accuracy in sensors especially important – and what role do calibration routines play in achieving higher accuracy?Onetti: A sensor is more than just the performance of the relevant function. It is also the intrinsic accuracy that it brings. This accuracy is tuned by calibration, which is typically an expensive process done at the end of product manufacturing or – better still – during earlier stages of manufacturing.Today more applications require sensors with higher accuracy, which necessitates investing more time in calibration, leading to higher cost.MEMS technology can help by offering solutions with intrinsic higher accuracy, which reduces the cost of calibration for product manufacturers. This naturally delivers major benefits to OEMs and, ultimately, their customers.SEMI: What would you like FLEX and MSTC attendees to take away from your presentation?Onetti: As attendees explore the wide variety of available sensor solutions for their end products, I would ask them to prioritize the role of accuracy in sensor selection – because improved accuracy means higher quality data, and higher quality data means better decisions with reduced need for data processing.While designers understand the role of calibration routines in qualifying individual components for specific applications, it is the continuous evolution of MEMS technology that offers the best possibility of breakthrough reductions in time and cost of these calibration routines. This makes MEMS sensors more attractive and affordable than similar sensor components based on different technologies. Andrea Onetti will present Accuracy Enables MEMS Sensor Pervasion at FLEX/MSTC on Tuesday, February 19 at 11:00 am.Register today to connect with him at the event. To learn more about STMicroelectronics, click here. Maria Vetrano is a public relations consultant at SEMI.MSTC FLEX 2019 is organized by MEMS Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) and FlexTech.Maria Vetrano is a public relations consultant at SEMI.

Photo on left: My Skin Track pH by L'Oréal Group’s La Roche-Posay – the first wearable sensor and companion app to easily measure personal skin pH levels – leverages two decades of microfluidic and soft materials research in Professor John Rogers’ laboratory at the Center for Bio-Integrated Electronics and the Simpson Querrey Institute. As director of the Center for Bio-Integrated Electronics at Northwestern University, Professor John A. Rogers explores soft materials for conformal electronics, nanophotonic structures, microfluidic devices and MEMS, all with an emphasis on bio-inspired and bio-integrated technologies. During his keynote at FLEX and MEMS Sensors Technical Congress 2019, February 18-21 in Monterey, Calif., Rogers will present examples of the diverse, novel classes of biocompatible electronic and microfluidic systems with skin-like physical properties that stem from his work in materials science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and advanced manufacturing. SEMI’s Maria Vetrano caught up with Rogers to discuss his research, which has already been commercialized by companies such as L'Oréal Group.SEMI: What is the concept behind skin-interfaced electronic and microfluidic devices?ROGERS: Biological systems are mechanically soft, with complex, time-dependent 3D curvilinear shapes. Modern electronic and microfluidic technologies are rigid, with simple, static 2D layouts. We believe that eliminating this profound mismatch in physical properties will create vast opportunities in microsystems technologies (electronics, optoelectronics, microfluidics and microelectromechanical devices) that can intimately integrate with the human body for diagnostic, therapeutic or surgical functions. Skin-like devices that assess blood-glucose levels in real-time or continuously monitor the vital signs of infants in neonatal intensive care are just two examples of non-invasive, wirelessly connected biocompatible devices with the potential to dramatically improve quality of life.SEMI: What are some examples of commercially available biocompatible/microfluidic wearables that have leveraged your research?ROGERS: We’ve been fortunate in that we have been able to translate some of our ideas into commercial products for broad deployment in both life-enhancing and potentially life-saving applications. In sports and fitness, our skin-interfaced microfluidic systems form the basis of soft devices that capture, store and perform in-situ chemical analysis of sweat. These devices have been launched as products in two different categories – cosmetics and athletics – with two global brands. As an example of the former, L’Oréal Group just unveiled at CES 2019 My Skin Track pH, a thin, flexible version of this technology, designed to determine skin pH from measurement of sweat pH. Once armed with this information, L’Oréal customers can choose skincare products matched to their personal body chemistry. See the video on this device. Notably, a globally recognized consumer brand will reveal a product for athletics around the time of the 2019 Super Bowl on Sunday, February 3. A look inside My Skin Track pH, which uses Rogers Research Group technology from the Center for Bio-Integrated Electronics at Northwestern University Our technologies also have applications in clinical medicine and rehabilitation, including soft, skin-interfaced wireless sensors used to assess patient progress in stroke rehabilitation. In contrast with conventional, wired sensors that tether the patient to external boxes of electronics (a design that makes such devices impractical for in-home use), or conventional wearables that are confined to the wrist, our systems apply to the skin like a BAND-AID, and are described as “imperceptible” by stroke patients who are using them during rehab. These platforms measure speech, swallowing capability, movement of limbs, sleep quality, walking and balancing. Healthcare professionals can use the information collected to continue to monitor patients when they leave medical facilities, to understand how patients function in the real world. See video.SEMI: What work are you doing beyond flexible devices?ROGERS: We are pursuing devices that are unique not due to their soft mechanics, but due to their extremely small sizes. A good example is My Skin Track UV, which we recently commercialized with L’Oréal’s La Roche-Posay. This millimeter-scale, wireless, battery-free platform for digital UV dosimetry measures UV exposure dose continuously in real time and provides user access to this information via a smartphone app. My Skin Track UV is now available at all Apple stores across the U.S. and through the Apple website. See video. L’Oréal’s La Roche-Posay My Skin Track UVOther biocompatible/microfluidic devices based on our technology provide functionality that can save lives. Hydrocephalus patients suffer from a condition that, if unchecked, leads to excessive buildup of fluid in the brain. If left untreated, the resulting pressures can prove fatal.Hydrocephalus is treated with shunts, which drain accumulated fluid away from the intracranial space to a distal part of the body, often the abdomen. Unfortunately, however, shunts have a nearly 100 percent fail rate over a 10-year period, and testing them typically requires an MRI, CT scan or even surgery. Our technology serves as the basis of a bandage-sized, skin-like sensor that applies to the surface of the skin on the neck. Within five minutes of placement on the skin, the sensor can test non-invasively to determine if fluid is flowing through the shunt. The net result uniquely supports the rapid evaluation of shunts from home or other non-medical settings. The devices free patients from the constraints of hospitals, giving them a greater sense of security and independence. See video. SEMI: What would you like FLEX and MSTC attendees to take away from your presentation?ROGERS: I would like attendees to know that biocompatible microfluidic and electronic wearables that are flexible and conformal to the human body are no longer risky futuristic technologies that exist only in academic labs: They are emerging right now as key products in commercial markets for flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) and MEMS/sensors. Our group alone is anticipating deployment at the scale of tens to hundreds of millions of units in the markets in which we are seeing traction over the next five years. We believe that the broader area will become a multi-billion-dollar market opportunity in five to 10 years.John Rogers, Ph.D. will present Soft Electronic and Microfluidic Systems for the Skin at FLEX/MSTC on Tuesday, February 19 at 10:30 am.Register today to connect with him at the event. To learn more about Rogers Research Group, click here.MSTC Flex 2019 is organized by the MEMS Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) and FlexTech.Maria Vetrano is a public relations consultant at SEMI.