IMU

Areas packed with dense foliage. Mile-deep mines and tunnels. Urban canyons. Indoor environments. Global Positioning System (GPS) technology has long been a boon to location tracking of aerial, terrestrial and aquatic vehicles — as well as to people in motion — but in many cases it can’t function with a high degree of reliability, either because the GPS signal is somehow obstructed, or worse, is jammed or spoofed. Delivering higher precision and higher reliability in GPS-denied environments — as well as immunity to jamming and spoofing — positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) represents the next evolutionary step in location positioning and tracking. With PNT so critical to a range of defense, commercial and industrial applications — and with sensors the building blocks of PNT solutions —the MEMS Sensors Industry Group, a SEMI Technology Community, is ensuring that our members play a transformative role in PNT innovations. We’ve secured $14.9 million in research dollars for PNT R D over the past 18 months, marking Phase I of a project funded through a public-private consortium with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL). With the typical funding structured as a 50/50 cost share with the industry participant, the research dollars go farther, and the level of commitment that each recipient makes is more pronounced. As we look ahead to Phase II of the MSIG PNT R D project, the details of which we’ll announce later this year, we’d like to reflect on the companies and research labs that won bids through a competitive process supported by the SEMI-MSIG PNT Technical Advisory Council and the SEMI-MSIG PNT Governing Council. Winners submitted proposals that both met our criteria for advancing PNT technologies relative to mobility, size and weight, and that laid a path toward greater cost efficiency and lower product price. “PNT doesn’t displace GPS,” said Tim Brosnihan, executive director of SEMI-MSIG. “Rather, getting the two technologies to work together improves position and tracking. While current PNT solutions use inertial measurement units, or IMUs, to effectively maintain positioning accuracy in the absence of a GPS signal, it’s also true that accumulated bias and noise-related errors in the IMUs make positional determination unreliable. Like most great pairings, GPS and PNT can work together. We can use IMUs when GPS is unavailable, and when GPS returns, it can be used to reset the IMU errors. So when the GPS signal is lost again, the IMU can maintain navigation and location. “We’re focusing this PNT project on technologies that will allow accurate positional determination in the absence of a reliable GPS signal for prolonged periods,” added Brosnihan. Here are snapshots of the 10 companies and research institutions that won awards for their PNT-focused developments. Analog Devices is developing an optimal size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) solution for applications requiring high-accuracy navigation and uncompromised reliability. The company’s mode-matched navigation-grade gyroscope with system ID leverages an innovative sensor and its associated process design, a robust high-volume manufacturing flow, and system-control algorithms to achieve very high-performance (0.01 degree/hour bias instability and 0.005 degree/√hr angle random walk). Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is developing a CMOS MEMS high-stability accelerometer through machine learning (ML). If embedded in footwear, these ML-optimized accelerometers could be used in personal navigation. If embedded in a golf ball, baseball or hockey puck, the accelerometer could extract the trajectory of the object in motion by measuring its shock (force). The CMU device validates state-of-the-art performance of the university’s high-dynamic-range accelerometer systems-on-chip. It also validates and tests ML models by measuring the accelerometer and auxiliary sensor output over long time periods (e.g., 1 hour, 10 hours, days) to collect independent long-duration time-series data. By modeling drift from environmental influences — along with possible overall system changes from extreme events, such as high-temperature excursions and shock — designers can dramatically reduce navigation errors to support more accurate navigation over longer time periods. GE Research is developing a novel MEMS gyrocompass that will enable high-end north-finding systems, traditionally unaffordable for automotive and consumer applications. The device will be available in mass-market applications such as robotics and autonomous vehicle navigation in GPS-denied environments. The MEMS gyrocompass enables a 10x reduction in SWAP-C with high accuracy. An additional benefit of this work is that GE will offer a foundry service process development kit (PDK) for its Polaris MEMS process, speeding the development and manufacture of MEMS devices in an advanced processing facility. Georgia Institute of Technology is developing high-aspect-ratio monocrystalline silicon carbide-on-Insulator (SiCOI) MEMS devices that will reduce navigation angle errors, potentially making widescale pedestrian navigation available in mass-market applications such as smartwatches and smartphones. The platform for ultra-high-performance bulk acoustic wave (BAW) gyroscopes and timing resonators will feature material properties that allow a much better structural symmetry and a higher-resonant quality factor (Q) than silicon MEMS (Si MEMS). Honeywell is working to enhance the navigation accuracy of commercial and military vehicles in GPS-denied environments through an innovation that dramatically improves the performance of a MEMS IMU by both refining candidate ML algorithms, including recurrent neural networks (RNNs), and by combining deep neural network (DNN)-based calibration and sensor fusion algorithms. PARC is developing a new materials platform for photonic integrated circuits (PIC). Aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN), an ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor, is epitaxially grown to produce single-crystal layers for fabrication of optical components, such as waveguides and micro-ring resonators for optical signal processing. The project includes design and fabrication of specialized laser diodes at wavelengths needed to probe qubits based on atomic ions (e.g., strontium and ytterbium). The new platform offers several benefits: low optical loss from the ultraviolet (UV) to infrared spectral bands excellent non-linear optical properties for efficient frequency-generation processes (e.g., optical frequency combs); and enabling technology to realize compact, field-deployable quantum systems for PNT applications, such as ultra-fast distance measurements, microcombs for optical atomic clocks, photonic radar, optical coherence tomography, and coherent communications — all applications that benefit from the lower cost and small chip size of these integrated photonic circuits By expanding its proprietary EpiSeal encapsulation process to include new materials and topologies, SiTime is developing low-impedance and low-noise MEMS resonators with an ultra-stable wafer-level package. Because these novel MEMS resonators are highly reliable and very compact — while using less power and providing lower RF noise — they’re ideal for 5G RF timing applications, IoT devices, and smart vehicles. Teledyne Scientific Imaging (CSAC project) is conducting a study to identify paths to reduce the cost of battery-operated chip scale atomic clocks (CSAC) that provide affordable precision timing for denied environments. The project goal is to identify viable paths of reducing cost by an order of magnitude, without sacrificing performance. In addition to exploring design and manufacturability solutions, project researchers are performing short loop experiments as proof-of-concept validation. Through a second award, Teledyne Scientific (IMU project) is advancing packaging and integration for compact, navigation-grade six degrees of freedom (DOF) MEMS IMUs. Featuring reduced bias instabilities associated with packaging stresses and ambient temperature influences, the Teledyne Scientific IMUs promote environmentally robust low-stress packaging of wafer-level vacuum packaged (WLVP) MEMS gyro resonators, facilitating a lower-cost, smaller and more accurate IMU for performance-driven PNT applications. Twinleaf is developing a new light source module ideally suited for integration directly into quantum sensors. This project integrates a bright, tunable distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) near infrared (IR) 795nm wavelength laser made by the project’s subcontractor (Photodigm) into a package that locks the laser to an atomic reference line in a microfabricated vapor cell. The laser module’s high-output intensity and low magnetic signature will enable breakthrough performance levels for Twinleaf’s magnetometer and other quantum sensors requiring the light source integrated into the sensor module. Request for Proposal for Phase II of SEMI-MSIG PNT Program Opens Q4 2021 SEMI-MSIG will accept request for proposal (RFP) submissions for Phase II of its PNT program starting in Q4 2021. This year, in addition to funding IMU and timing device projects, MSIG will also consider proposals on imaging-based navigation solutions. If you’d like to submit for Phase II, sign up to receive more information on the RFP by visiting SEMI’s R D Programs page. You can also connect with Paul Carey by email, [email protected] or LinkedIn. Paul Carey, Ph.D., is the director of the MEMS Sensors Industry Group. With deep domain expertise in X-ray imaging backplane platforms — and their supply-chain technologies such as flexible substrates, laser annealing for semiconductors and silicides, thin film transistors (TFT) for flexible OLED displays, and polysilicon-on-plastic TFT technology — Carey has held technical leadership positions at dpiX, Applied Materials, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He received a double-major B.S. from UC Berkeley in Electronical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), and Materials Science and Engineering (MSE). Carey holds an M.S. in EECS from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. in MSE from Stanford University.

The automotive industry is changing. Our vehicles are getting electrified, connected and automated. As this trend is accelerating, it’s having an impact on how semiconductor devices, including MEMS sensors, are designed and qualified for automotive. As automotive semiconductor designers carefully consider product definition, product validation, and long-term reliability, MEMS sensor suppliers are responding to new opportunities created by electrified and automated vehicles by developing inertial measurement units (IMUs) for automated driving as well as battery pressure monitoring sensors for Li-ion EV batteries. The most complex MEMS device of all The automotive MEMS IMU is probably the most complex MEMS device that will be used inside a vehicle. This type of IMU is a System-in-Package (SiP) comprised of multiple gyroscope and accelerometer sensing elements plus a signal processing ASIC, integrated into one package that creates an inertial sensor able to measure up to six degrees of freedom (6DoF): yaw, roll and pitch for rotational movements, and lateral, longitudinal and vertical acceleration for linear movements. Degrees of freedom in a vehicle For vehicles with Level 3 autonomy and above (per SAE definition), the IMU is mandatory for taking over the trajectory control of the vehicle in case other sensors, such as the camera, radar or LiDAR, become impaired. Should such a failure occur, the IMU will function as a guidance sensor to bring the car to a safe stop within a short period of time and distance. The IMU is also used to control the regular movement of the car while driving in automated mode. While IMU technology already exists for aerospace applications, there are significant challenges to adapting it for automotive. The automotive IMU requires high performance at costs that are compatible with the automotive industry. Because automotive life cycles are long, MEMS sensor suppliers must produce the device in high volume for an extended period of time. They must also guarantee the sensor’s performance and reliability over a 10- to 15-year lifetime with no maintenance or recalibration of the sensor required. Only a few MEMS suppliers have the capability and willingness to embark on this kind of journey. Electrification is creating new applications for MEMS sensors The conversion from internal combustion engines to electrified propulsion is going to affect the powertrain MEMS market. For example, pressure sensors used in engine management for air pressure and fuel pressure will simply go away with electrification. However, the use of large Li-ion batteries in electrified vehicles has created a new application for MEMS sensors. One of the known risks of Li-ion batteries is the small probability for a battery cell to go into a thermal runaway situation that will lead to a fire. The press has reported multiple cases of EV batteries catching fire. Thermal runway effects When it comes to thermal runaway events, every second counts. Detecting the event as early as possible enables the vehicle safety system to take all necessary measures to warn occupants of an imminent fire and activate timely countermeasures (e.g., trigger fire extinguisher and call fire brigade) to mitigate the impact of the fire. Published studies have shown that measuring the pressure inside the battery pack is a good indication that a thermal runaway is starting. The outgassing of a battery cell, plus a sudden rise in temperature, will increase pressure inside the battery pack, which will generate a pressure pulse. To detect such a pressure pulse, a MEMS pressure sensor must permanently measure the pressure inside the pack. It must also report to the battery management system any suspicious change in pressure, independent of atmospheric pressure changes. It’s important to keep this kind of sensor on all the time to detect any pressure anomaly in the system, even when the vehicle is completely off. NXP has developed a pressure sensor to specifically address this new safety application in EVs, and several automotive manufacturers are already using this solution. NXP battery pressure management sensor The quest for zero defects While the automotive industry is targeting zero fatalities as its ultimate goal, the semiconductor industry and module suppliers are targeting zero defects for each and every semiconductor device. For safety-critical automotive MEMS sensors complying with the Automotive Electronics Council (AEC) Q100 qualification for semiconductors, it’s necessary but clearly not sufficient to guarantee a zero defects production launch and long-term reliability of the device. To boost the reliability and robustness of automotive sensors, NXP has developed Above and Beyond (AaB), a new methodology that studies advanced reliability and robustness well ahead of the device’s qualification and production release. Based on risk-mitigation analysis, AaB consist of extensive testing, such as test-to-fail, corner lot testing, and new use-case testing combined with advanced statistics, all of which help NXP understand how these different parameters interact with each other. As sensor suppliers must integrate AaB into their project planning, it does add time and cost to the project. The upside is that this early investment pays off as long as weaknesses in the device can be detected and corrected before a production launch. Field failures, on the other hand, can lead to unplanned redesign and requalification of a device. Worst-case, they can lead to a recall campaign that costs a huge amount of money. We’re systematically using the AaB methodology at NXP for safety-critical MEMS sensors because its potential benefits far outweigh its costs. For more information about NXP MEMS sensors, register for the upcoming webinar series, MEMS to Market: Ingredients for Success, where NXP will discuss The Growing Importance of MEMS Reliability (May 5, 2021). Register by March 10 to watch all the webinars LIVE. Each webinar will also be available to watch on-demand at your convenience. Contact the author via LinkedIn or learn more about NXP sensors. About the Author With nearly 30 years of experience in the field of automotive and MEMS sensors, Marc Osajda is responsible for European automotive MEMS sensors business development activities at NXP Semiconductors. Osajda holds an engineering degree in mechanics and electronics from the French Ecole Nationale Superieure d’Arts et Métiers (ENSAM). NXP Semiconductors is an active member of MEMS Sensors Industry Group®(MSIG), a SEMI technology community that connects the MEMS and sensors supply network in established and emerging markets to enable members to grow and prosper. Visit us today.

PNI Sensor, a member of the SEMI-MSIG Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Technical Advisory Council, is developing advanced tracking systems that promise to increase industrial worker safety.The availability of low-cost GPS jamming and spoofing technologies renders GPS-only solutions for location and navigation an increasingly dangerous and ineffective choice for the dismounted soldier in a battlefield environment. This threat to armed forces has spurred development of new self-contained location and navigation technologies for defense applications — an innovation that offers significant advantages for commercial applications.Though not as complex and mission-critical as in defense, self-contained location technology is also essential in commercially available industrial applications. That’s particularly true for workers in industrial sectors such as utilities, mining, and construction, and in environments with lone or remote workers, such as first responders. While jamming and spoofing are not a threat in the industrial sector, determining the precise location of workers in GPS-denied environments is fundamental to ensuring their safety. This makes it a priority to adapt any self-contained, non-infrastructure-based location technology — which was first developed for the modern dismounted soldier — to industrial applications.Bodies in MotionInertial solutions are very difficult to implement properly, even without the challenges uniquely created by human motion dynamics. On a construction site, for example, workers tend to cover a wide range of disciplines: supervisors, electricians, iron workers and equipment operators, among others. While performing their jobs, construction workers change locations, both indoors and outdoors, and perform dynamic motion such as crawling, ducking and climbing. These are all motions that are very difficult to model using traditional adaptive filtering techniques, which are typically applied in vehicular inertial navigation platforms, such as aircraft, ships and tanks. Even if existing inertial navigation systems could be made size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C)-compatible to be body-worn, their performance accuracy would still need to satisfy the application’s requirements. To properly determine a worker’s precise location to ensure safety on job sites and in remote locations, we must tackle the combined challenges of SWaP-c and human dynamic motion. That’s the most effective approach for creating a complementary positioning technology that augments GPS or other infrastructure-based location systems.To address these challenges, we need to build a high-performance inertial measurement solution using commercially available MEMS inertial sensors. The issues of bias drift error and low sensitivity have traditionally made such sensors practically useless for any meaningful inertial tracking. Fortunately, this is no longer the case. We now have sensors that already conform to the necessary SWaP-C requirements for the application, and have the additional advantage of high dynamic range of measurements without saturation errors, which helps to reduce high-force and rapid movement-induced errors, promoting greater accuracy.Thus, a path forward is emerging. The current generation of high-performance MEMS gyros can now inertially track workers’ locations to step-level resolution very well for up to 30 minutes — without significant location errors due to bias or scale errors. That’s an order of magnitude better than previous generations. With the new MEMS gyros, errors typically remain less than 2% of distance travelled over that time period. Strategically applying algorithm improvements with higher levels of magnetic corrections has the potential to bring that accuracy down even lower, to less than 0.5% of distance traveled for durations of one hour or more. What’s more, the improved gyro and accelerometer bias, gain, and signal-to-noise (SNR) performance allows for better magnetic anomaly rejection. This enables finer and more sustained gyro bias corrections in the fused solution, which creates a system greater than the sum of its parts. We believe that these newer systems will promote greater worker safety at a truly affordable price.PNI Sensor, a member of the SEMI-MSIG PNT Technical Advisory Council (TAC), is developing a tracking system that combines the best elements of the newest-generation MEMS devices with an electronic compass that uses advanced magnetic anomaly detection and rejection algorithms. Based on PNI’s latest attitude and heading reference system (AHRS), the novel PNT system employs a unique Kalman algorithm that intelligently fuses its reference magnetic sensors with gyros and accelerometers. In conjunction with this work, PNI Sensor has developed advanced pedometry functionality for use in its tracking system for very high dead-reckoning tracking performance used in defense industry applications. PNI is initially designing that system to track dismounted soldiers and special forces operating in GPS-denied or contested environments.For more information about PNI Sensor’s advanced location and navigation technology, please visit PNI Sensor. To learn more about the SEMI-MSIG PNT TAC, please contact Carmelo Sansone, director, MEMS Sensors Industry Group.George Hsu is a founder and CTO of PNI Sensor. He has focused his career on the sensor industry, having invented several magnetic sensor breakthroughs, including the magneto-inductive technology, the core of today’s electronic compassing in the automotive, consumer, scientific and military markets. Hsu is a graduate of Stanford University School of Engineering, holds several patents, and is a much-published author of technical articles on sensor theory, design and applications. He is an active member of the MEMS Sensors Industry Group PNT TAC.About the SEMI-MSIG Positioning, Navigation and Timing ProjectMEMS Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) created a member-based PNT TAC to identify and pursue PNT system innovations for GPS-denied environments. To that end, MSIG solicited proposals from its membership for the SEMI-MSIG PNT Project, a U.S. Army Research Laboratory-funded R D project. PNT committee members that have secured funding are pursuing R D platforms that improve accuracy and performance. Platforms may include software, hardware, and advanced packaging requirements of optical and MEMS-based positioning and timing systems.

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.

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.