sensors

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

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

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

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

Over the last three years the number of battery-operated electronic-component solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial IoT (IIoT) applications has been increasing steadily. This trend will continue for years to come, particularly with the growing popularity of mobile devices of all flavors. Addressing power consumption for battery-powered always-on IoT/IIoT devices – which rely on dozens of electronic components, including sensors — is critical to their commercial success.The demand for ultra-low-power sensors has accelerated the race to squeeze every last mW from components. Compared to previous-generations of sensors, semiconductor suppliers have managed to drastically reduce power by as much as 50%-60% over older solutions. Leveraging new state-of-the-art analog design techniques, we have effectively optimized capacitive readings of MEMS structures. How effective are they? We estimate that with the right mix of our company’s power-saving technologies, it is possible our customers could save 3MW/year globally[1].What’s next?While the semiconductor industry continues to investigate novel technologies, approaches and analog IP for greater energy efficiency, we believe that bigger gains in reducing power consumption will come from thinking at the system level. The sensor node is a good place to start.A typical IoT node is composed of a set of sensors, a microcontroller, a radio frequency (RF) link, and a power-supply system, often based on Li-Po batteries.Of these, the microcontroller and RF link consume the most energy and, in the RF link, power consumption is a function of the distance between end point and receiver and of the amount of data transmitted. Thus, at longer distances reducing the amount of data transmitted can save power. We can achieve this by including some pre-elaboration capabilities on-board and by extracting more meaningful information from the raw sensor data.We address this by moving some computation and data analysis inside the sensors, where smart hardware “digital blocks” perform faster and more efficiently than software-based routines running in the microcontroller. We can achieve this by using dedicated hardware resources to reduce overall system power consumption. The beauty of this solution is that it allows the microcontroller to operate in low-power states by only transmitting significant information in batches. The SensorTile development kit can speed up prototyping of ultra-low-power IoT devices by integrating an ultra-low-power MCU and BlueNRG Bluetooth radio with sensors. Some examples of these advanced digital blocks are the Advanced Embedded Pedometer, the Finite State Machine and Decision Tree, and Compressed FIFO in an IMU.The Advanced Embedded Pedometer is a hard-wired step counter that works independently inside the sensor, without CPU intervention: By comparing sensor outputs to pre-defined and -loaded patterns, it autonomously decides whether the user is walking or running to start and stop counting the user’s steps. The sensor then makes this information available to the microprocessor for further elaboration or for simple notification to the user.The Finite State Machine and Decision Tree are new functions dedicated to pattern recognition (machine learning) and decision-making: They can perform complex classifications and state detection, and can send dedicated warning and signaling to the microprocessor. A good real-world example is industrial predictive maintenance, where the sensor can categorize and identify different malfunctioning states in the equipment before waking the microprocessor to react.Our products, on average, save about 1 mA (1e-3) over competitive devices or over our previous-generation parts. So 2.0 x 1e-3 x 1.5e9 = 3MW. Programmable Sensor and Decision Tree Finite State Machine Integrating programmable sensors and decision trees as well as finite state machines in the sensor allows the sensor to do more of the work while the MCU sleeps. Source: STMicroelectronics Another example is compressed FIFO (first-in, first-out) buffer, which can store sensor data in the sensor, not in raw format, by using efficient compression algorithms. In addition to saving memory (and therefore silicon area) inside the sensor chip, it also saves power by reducing the number of bytes transferred to the processor and by shortening the communication data flow, which reduces processor-active time.These examples – the Advanced Embedded Pedometer, the Finite State Machine and Decision Tree, and compressed FIFO buffer – are just some showing that we can develop low-power IoT/IIoT devices through intelligent management of sensors, microcontrollers and other components in any given system. Your starting point is an IoT/IIoT node that lets you selectively allocate some power-hungry tasks — such as computation and data analysis — to sensors instead of the microcontroller. Leveraging data blocks that reside in the sensors alleviates the microcontroller’s typical power drain, allowing the microcontroller to operate with maximum efficiency.[1] ST sells about 1.5 billion pieces/year (1.5e9), which typically run from a 2V supply. Luca Fontanella joined ST Microsystems in 1995 as an analog designer. In 2001 he joined the MEMS team in a marketing role and today he is marketing manager in the MEMS Sensor Division. Luca has contributed to 25+ international patents and has presented at multiple conferences. He earned a degree in Electronic Engineering from Padua University. Simone Ferri joined STMicroelectronics in 1999 as Central R D engineer, moved to the Audio Division as a digital designer and is now director of the Consumer MEMS Business Unit. He holds a degree in Electronic Engineering and an MBA from the Polytechnic of Milan. _______________________________________________________________________________________________Brush up on the latest MEMS and sensors trends and gain a new perspective on emerging applications. Register today!

Sensors are inextricably linked to the future requirements of partially and fully autonomous vehicles. From highly granular dead-reckoning subsystems that rely on industrial-strength gyroscopes for superior navigation to more intelligent and personalized cockpits featuring intuitive human machine interfaces (HMIs) and smart seats, new generations of partially and fully autonomous cars will use sensors to enable dramatically better customer experiences.Dead reckoning, or, where am I, exactly? Dead reckoning is the process of calculating one’s current position by using a previously determined position, and advancing that position based upon known speeds over a time slice. As a highly useful process, dead reckoning is the basis for inertial navigation systems in aerospace navigation and missile guidance, not to mention your smartphone.Today’s best-in-class MEMS gyroscopes can offer 30-50 cm resolution (this is the yaw rate drift) over a distance of 200 meters — a typical tunnel length where a GPS signal is lost. For semi-autonomous (L3) or autonomous (L4, L5), the locational accuracy is well below 10 centimeters; that’s an accuracy usually reserved for high-end industrial or aerospace gyroscopes with a raw bias instability ranging from 1°/h and down to 0.01°/h. These heavy-duty gyros command prices from $100s up to $1000s. Current performance levels of different gyroscopes by application and performance measure in terms of bias drift (IHS Markit). This poses an interesting potential opportunity for both industrial-performance MEMS-based gyroscope sensor-makers, such as Silicon Sensing Systems, Analog Devices, Murata, Epson Toyocom and TDK InvenSense, and for broader-based sensor component-makers such as Bosch, Panasonic, STMicroelectronics, and TDK (InvenSense and Tronics).While MEMS can master performance, size and low weight, cost remains the challenge. The fail-operational mode requirement for autonomous driving will accommodate higher prices, at least in the beginning, probably in the $100+ range at first, even for the relatively low volumes of self-driving cars anticipated by 2030. Nonetheless, automotive volumes are very attractive compared to industrial applications and offer a lucrative future market for dead-reckoning sensors.Your cockpit will get smarter Automakers are banking on the idea that people like to control their own physical environment. Interiors already feature force and pressure sensors that provide more personalized seating experiences and advanced two-stage airbags for improved safety. In some vehicles, automakers are using pairs of MEMS microphones for noise reduction and image or MEMS infrared sensors for detection of driver presence. Eventually, we might see gas sensors that monitor in-cabin CO2 levels, triggering a warning when they detect dangerous levels that could cause drowsiness. These smart sensors would then “tell” the driver to open the window or activate an air-scrubbing system in a more complex solution. While today’s CO2 sensors are still relatively expensive, we may see them designed-in as lower-cost versions come to market.Future cockpits will need to go beyond such concepts in the lead-up to fully automated driving. Seats could contain sensitive acceleration sensors that measure heart and respiration rates as well as body movement and activity. Other devices could monitor body humidity and temperature.We need look no further than Murata, a supplier initially targeting hospital beds with a MEMS accelerometer as a replacement for pulse oximeters. That same Murata accelerometer could be placed potentially in a car seat to detect heart rate. It’s not the only way to do this: another sensing approach for heart-rate measurement comprises millimeter wave radiation, a method that can even look through objects such as books and magazines.Augmenting sensor-based body monitoring, automotive designers will use cameras to fuse information such as gaze direction, rate of blinking and eye closure, head tilt, and seat data with data gathered by sensors to provide valuable information on the driver’s physical condition, awareness and even mood. Faurecia’s Active Wellness concept—unveiled at the 2016 Paris Motor Show—proves that this technology might be coming sooner than we think. Active Wellness collects and analyzes biological data and stores the driver’s behavior and preferences. This prototype provides data to predict driver comfort based on physical condition, time of day, and traveling conditions, as well as car operating modes: L3, L4 or L5. Other features such as event-triggered massage, seat ventilation and even changes in ambient lighting or audio environment are possible. Faurecia’s “cockpit of the future,” announced at CES 2018. (Faurecia) Meanwhile, there are other commercial expressions of more advanced HMI as well as plenty of prototypes. Visteon’s Horizon cockpit can use voice activation and hand gestures to open and adjust HVAC. Capacitive sensors are already widely used for touch applications, and touchless possibilities range from simple infrared diodes for proximity measurement to sophisticated 3D time-of-flight measurements for gesture control.Clearly, automotive designers will have a lot more freedom with HMI in the cabin space, providing a level of differentiation that manufacturers think customers will appreciate—and for which they will pay a premium.Managing sensor proliferationResearchers are investigating ways to solve the issue of high-functionality vehicles containing myriad sensing inputs, i.e., when we have so many sensing inputs, designers must address wiring complexity and unwanted harness weight. Faurecia, for example, is considering ways to convert wood, aluminum, fabric or plastic into smart surfaces that can be functionalized via touch-sensitive capacitive switches integrated into the surface. These smart surfaces could reduce the explosion of sensing inputs, thereby diminishing wiring complexity. With availability from 2020, Faurecia’s solutions are approaching the market soon.Beyond functionalized switches, flexible electronics and wireless power sources, and even energy harvesting (to mitigate power sources), could provide some answers. Indeed, recent research has shown that graphene-based Hall-effect devices can be embedded in large-area flexible Kapton films, and eventually integrated into panels. OEMs such as Jaguar Land Rover are interested in such approaches to address the downsides of electronics and sensor proliferation, especially in luxury vehicles. While smart surfaces would represent a big change in sensor packaging and a disruption in current semiconductor processes, they remain a long way from commercial introduction.By 2030 or thereabouts, fully autonomous cars that detect our mood, vital signs and activity level could well be available. Cabins could signal us to open the window if CO2 levels become dangerous. HVAC systems could increase seat ventilation or turn up the air conditioning (or the heat) based on our body temperature. Feeling too hot or too cold in the cabin could become a thing of the past, at least for the driver, whose comfort level is the most important! We could feasibly feel more comfortable in the car than in our office, our home or at the movies. Perhaps our car will become our office, our entertainment center and our home away from home as we take long road trips with the family, without a single passenger uttering, “Are we there yet?” Bio: Richard Dixon, Ph.D., is a senior principal analyst for MEMS research at IHS Markit and author of more than 50 MEMS-related consulting and market research studies. He is a renowned expert on automotive MEMS and magnetic sensors used in safety, powertrain and body applications. Along with supporting the overall activities of the MEMS and sensors group, his responsibilities include the development of databases that forecast the markets for more than 20 types of silicon-based sensors in more than 100 automotive applications. In addition, he has supported organizations with future scenarios for sensors in cars and has supported many custom projects for companies in the automotive supply chain.In his prior post at Wicht Technologie Consulting (WTC), Dixon was a senior MEMS analyst where he led research on physical sensors and was the co-author of the NEXUS Task Force Report for MEMS and Microsystems 2005-2009. He has also led commercialization and road-mapping activities on European Commission-funded technology projects, including detailed MEMS chip cost analysis studies.Dixon worked previously as a journalist in the compound semiconductor industry and has five years of experience as a technology transfer professional at RTI International, where he provided business and market intelligence for early-stage technologies.Dixon graduated from University of Greenwich with a degree in materials science and earned a doctorate from Surrey University in semiconductor characterization. He speaks English and German.For more information, visit https://technology.ihs.com/Categories/450486/mems-sensors. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Want to hear more from IHS Markit on MEMS and sensors devices and their applications? Top thinkers from IHS Markit will be speaking at upcoming SEMI events. Register today!Disruption in the authentication sensor market Manuel Tagliavini, Principal Analyst, MEMS Sensors, IHS Markit Autonomous and Electric Cars: What's in for Conventional MEMS SensorsJeremie Bouchaud, Director and Senior Principal, MEMS Sensors, IHS Markit

2017 was a good year for the MEMS and sensors business, and that upward trend should continue. We forecast extended strong growth for the sensors and actuators market, reaching more than $100 billion in 2023 for a total of 185 billion units. Optical sensors, especially CMOS image sensors, will have the lion’s share with almost 40 percent of market value. MEMS will also play an important role in that growth: During 2018–2023, the MEMS market will experience 17.5 percent growth in value and 26.7 percent growth in units, with the consumer market accounting for more than 50 percent(1) share overall. Evolution of SensorsSensors were first developed and used for physical sensing: shock, pressure, then acceleration and rotation. Greater investment in R D spurred MEMS’ expansion from physical sensing to light management (e.g., micromirrors) and then to uncooled infrared sensing (e.g., microbolometers). From sensing light to sensing sound, MEMS microphones formed the next wave of MEMS development. MEMS and sensors are entering a new and exciting phase of evolution as they transcend human perception, progressing toward ultrasonic, infrared and hyperspectral sensing.Sensors can help us to compensate when our physical or emotional sensing is limited in some way. Higher-performance MEMS microphones are already helping the hearing-impaired. Researchers at Arizona State University are among those developing cochlear implants — featuring piezoelectric MEMS sensors — which may one day restore hearing to those with significant hearing loss. The visually impaired may take heart in knowing that researchers at Stanford University are collaborating on silicon retinal implants. Pixium Vision began clinical trials in humans in 2017 with its silicon retinal implants.It’s not science fiction to think that we will use future generations of sensors for emotion/empathy sensing. Augmenting our reality, such sensing could have many uses, perhaps even aiding the ability of people on the autism spectrum to more easily interpret the emotions of others.Through my years in the MEMS industry, I have identified three distinct eras in MEMS’ evolution: The “detection era” in the very first years, when we used simple sensors to detect a shock. The “measuring era” when sensors could not only sense and detect but also measure (e.g., a rotation). The “global-perception awareness era” when we increasingly use sensors to map the environment. We conduct 3D imaging with Lidar for autonomous vehicles. We monitor air quality using environmental sensors. We recognize gestures using accelerometers and/or ultrasonics. We implement biometry with fingerprint and facial recognition sensors. This is possible thanks to sensor fusion of multiple parameters, together with artificial intelligence. Numerous technological breakthroughs are responsible for this steady stream of advancements: new sensor design, new processes and materials, new integration approaches, new packaging, sensor fusion, and new detection principles.Global Awareness SensingThe era of global awareness sensing is upon us. We can either view global awareness as an extension of human sensing capabilities (e.g., adding infrared imaging to visible) or as beyond-human sensing capabilities (e.g., machines with superior environmental perception, such as Lidar in a robotic vehicle). Think about Professor X in Marvel’s universe, and you can imagine how human perception could evolve in the future! Some companies envisioned global awareness from the start. Movea (now part of TDK InvenSense), for example, began their development with inertial MEMS. Others implemented global awareness by combining optical sensors such as Lidar and night-vision sensors for robotic cars. A third contingent grouped environmental sensors (gas, particle, pressure, temperature) to check air quality. The newest entrant in this group, the particle sensor, could play an especially important role in air-quality sensing, particularly in wearable devices.Driven by increasing societal concern over mounting evidence of global air-quality deterioration, air pollution has become a major topic in our society. Studies show that there is no safe level of particulates. Instead, for every increase in concentration of PM10 or PM2.5 inhalable particles in the air, the lung cancer rate is rising proportionately. Combining a particle sensor with a mapping application in a wearable could allow us to identify the locations of the most polluted urban zones.The Need for Artificial Intelligence To realize global awareness, we also need artificial intelligence (AI), but first, we have challenges to solve. Activity tracking, for example, requires accurate live classification of AI data. Relegating all AI processing to a main processor, however, would consume significant CPU resources, reducing available processing power. Likewise, storing all AI data on the device would push up storage costs. To marry AI with MEMS, we must do the following: Decouple feature processing from the execution of the classification engine to a more powerful external processor. Reduce storage and processing demands by deploying only the features required for accurate activity recognition. Install low-power MEMS sensors that can incorporate data from multiple sensors (sensor fusion) and enable pre-processing for always-on execution. Retrain the model with system-supported data that can accurately identify the user’s activities. There are two ways to add AI and software in mobile and automotive applications. The first is a centralized approach, where sensor data is processed in the auxiliary power unit (APU) that contains the software. The second is a decentralized approach, where the sensor chip is localized in the same package, close to the software and the AI (in the DSP for a CMOS image sensor, for example). Whatever the approach, MEMS and sensors manufacturers need to understand AI, although they are unlikely to gain much value at the sensor-chip level.Heading to an Augmented WorldWe have achieved massive progress in sensor development over the years and are now reaching the point when sensors can mimic or augment most of our perception: vision, hearing, touch, smell and even emotion/empathy as well as some aesthetic senses. We should realize that humans are not the only ones to benefit from these developments. Enhanced perception will also allow robots to help us in our daily lives (through smart transportation, better medical care, contextually aware environments and more). We need to couple smart sensors’ development with AI to further enhance our experiences with the people, places and things in our lives.About the authorWith almost 20 years’ experience in MEMS, sensors and photonics applications, markets, and technology analyses, Dr. Eric Mounier provides in-depth industry insight into current and future trends. As a Principal Analyst, Technology Markets, MEMS Photonics, in the Photonics, Sensing Display Division, he contributes daily to the development of MEMS and photonics activities at Yole Développement (Yole). He is involved with a large collection of market and technology reports, as well as multiple custom consulting projects: business strategy, identification of investment or acquisition targets, due diligence (buy/sell side), market and technology analyses, cost modeling, and technology scouting, etc.Previously, Mounier held R D and marketing positions at CEA Leti (France). He has spoken in numerous international conferences and has authored or co-authored more than 100 papers. Mounier has a Semiconductor Engineering Degree and a PhD in Optoelectronics from the National Polytechnic Institute of Grenoble (France).Mounier is a featured speaker at SEMI-MSIG European MEMS Sensors Summit, September 20, 2018 in Grenoble, France. (1) Source: Status of the MEMS Industry report, Yole Développement, 2018

Ahead of his presentation on the future of wearables at the European MEMS Sensors Summit 2018, 19-21 September in Grenoble, France, SEMI spoke with Dr. Peter Weigand, vice president, Business Strategy and Portfolio Management, Bosch Sensortec GmbH. Dr. Weigand gave a glimpse into insights he’ll share at the event.1. Wearables such as smartwatches, fitness trackers or hearables are becoming ubiquitous – but what are the must-haves for wearables for daily use by wearers?We see that users nowadays want to track their activities such as steps walked, calories burnt and floor levels “climbed” on a daily and holistic basis. “Quantifying yourself” is becoming an overall trend in our society with health, fitness and well-being continuously gaining in importance. This is only possible if information about activities is delivered comprehensively in an accurate manner. Therefore, at Bosch Sensortec we provide MEMS sensors that measure the user’s activity very precisely. For example, the smart sensor hubs BHI260 and BHA260 provide sophisticated in-sensor algorithms (e.g. activity recognition) with very low latency and guaranteed performance due to the real-time nature of the embedded software. From the system manufacturer’s perspective, “quantifying yourself” on a 24/7 basis means that the device has to be “always-on.”However, these always-on functions usually consume a lot of battery power, which poses challenges to the manufacturers and system designers, as the battery capacity is usually small due to the size of the wearable. This shows two other must-haves for the users nowadays. First, the compact size of the device. While smartphones have become larger, users of wearables benefit from the devices’ small size and their low weight, offering the possibility to wear them directly on the body. Therefore, we design the footprint and height of our MEMS sensors as small as possible to ensure the compact size and the ease of integration into new, stylish types of wearables. For example, the BMP388, measuring only 2 x 2 x 0.75 mm³, qualifies as the world’s smallest barometric pressure sensor. The second requirement in this regard is long battery life. Users do not want to charge their wearable device every other day, as this would also impede the always-on activity tracking aspect. At Bosch Sensortec, we hence provide MEMS sensors that run at ultra-low power to ensure always-on endurance and a long battery life. The BMA400 is an ultra-low power acceleration sensor that draws ten times less current than existing accelerometers.2. Are there any other user requirements for wearables?Yes, we see for example that just tracking the number of steps or the calories burnt is not enough anymore. Users require multi-functional devices that also provide information that can be used to monitor sleeping behaviour, navigate in cities, or prepare your smart home for your arrival. We are equipping our sensors with more features and developing new types of sensors that add new functionalities to wearable devices. For example, we have developed a smart watch Projection Module that can project information on the back of the user’s hand for an additional, enlarged display. While smart watches are rising in popularity, demand for basic wristbands is waning. Users are paying more attention to device design. Like clothing, the look and feel of the device should support the user’s individual style.At the same time, with more fashion brands are entering the wearables market we are providing sensors that are easy to integrate into new types of wearables such as hybrid watches. Our products feature a small form factor to ensure flexible, simple design-in. For example, the new BMA400 acceleration sensor easy to design into various applications. Finally, to conform to the user, the wearable must adapt to the user’s individual habits and motions such as learning different gestures, requiring the devices to be not only smart but increasingly intelligent with artificial intelligence (AI). We are providing sensors, such as the BHI260, with embedded, local intelligence with advanced algorithms that enable devices to learn. We are developing intelligent software solutions that use deep learning, enabling device to adapt to the user’s individual behaviour.3. What current techniques are design engineers using to reduce power consumption of wearables?Several techniques are being developed to reduce power consumption. The goal largely is to reduce the power draw of components that are always-on, such as the screen in a smartwatch. In activity trackers, the motion sensor is always on to sense, track, classify and store motion data. Reducing the power needed to operate these features will cut total system power consumption as well. A good example is our BMA400 accelerometer that has a current consumption of less than 1 µA in full operation.At the same time, it independently processes sensor data. For example, the device converts the three-axis motion sensor data stream into step counting events. This allows the main (host) microcontroller to remain in the stand-by mode required for activity tracking and to be activated by the accelerometer to deliver full power only, say, every 100 steps. The sensor, rather than the microcontroller, manages the overall duty cycling of the microcontroller to reduce system power and increase overall efficiency.4. What alternatives are engineers exploring to reduce power consumption? What is the role of intelligence directly within sensors for local processing capabilities in wearables?We have seen how the BMA400 can reduce power by integrating the motion classification functions. We can take this concept further by integrating a microcontroller that’s specifically tailored for low-power sensor data processing, such as the “fuser core” that Bosch Sensortec uses within its smart sensor hubs such as BHI260 or BHA260. The built-in sensor data fusion and machine learning hardware accelerators make it uniquely suited to reduce overall system power. The concept of edge computing has been around for many years, but only in this and the previous sensor generation with built-in local intelligence are we reducing the full power profile of the wearable device. Our sensor architecture design allows us to process the power locally in the MEMS sensor without waking up the main application processor.5. What technologies are you developing to lengthen battery life without compromising performance? We are continuously improving the MEMS and ASIC designs of our sensor portfolio to drive ever higher power efficiency. The BMA400 draws 10 times less current than existing accelerometers while delivering solid high performance (e.g. low-noise data). 6. Wearable device feature and performance requirements are continuously rising. Will batteries need to be larger to support these requirements? Since the beginning of the portable consumer electronics, improving batter life and reducing chip power consumption have been parallel efforts, a trend we expect to continue. However, we expect a greater focus on the overall system power reduction with sensors managing the power, turning on and off microcontrollers, radios (including GPS) and displays in wearable devices.7. What do you expect from European MEMS Sensors Summit 2018 and why do you recommend attending in Grenoble?The European MEMS Sensors Summit is a very important platform for us. It is an opportunity to meet partners, customers, industry leaders, to exchange ideas and to get new insights and thus to ultimately refine our solutions for our global customer base. Our ultimate goal is to improve people’s individual lifestyle and well-being.Serena Birschetto is a marketing communications manager in SEMI Europe.

Self-driving cars have been all the rage in both the trade and popular press in recent years. I prefer the term “autonomous vehicles,” which more broadly captures the possibilities, encompassing not only small passenger vehicles but mass transit and industrial vehicles as well. Depending on who’s talking, we will all be riding in fully autonomous vehicles in five to 25 years.The five-year estimates come from startups eager to raise venture capital while the 25-year estimates stem from Tier 1 automotive suppliers who tend to be more conservative in outlook. Regardless of the timeframe, a multitude of investors – national governments, venture capitalists and companies – are dedicating significant capital and effort to make autonomous vehicles a reality.I must admit that I did not fully grasp the enthusiasm for self-driving cars until last year. First, I’ve always enjoyed driving, unless I’m in stop-and-go traffic, so I couldn’t imagine relinquishing the task. Second, I’ve deliberately arranged my life to spend minimal time in my car. However, traffic has become much heavier in my metropolitan area (Boston), and I know that many people in cities around the world face longer commutes and waste more time in gridlock.What is the solution to this problem that is only getting worse? I had an epiphany while walking through Shinigawa Station in Tokyo, one of the busiest train stations in the world. Dense streams of people crisscrossed the station on their individual paths, managing to avoid collisions without the aid of traffic controls. Evidently, humans have an innate collision-avoidance ability that makes traffic controls for pedestrian crowds unnecessary. If autonomous vehicles could achieve the same excellence in collision-avoidance, we could potentially reduce or eliminate traffic controls for vehicular traffic, providing a huge gain in transportation efficiency and relief from gridlock.Sensors as core building blocksNew and improved sensors, many based on micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology, are key to achieving this vision. While MEMS inertial sensors (such as accelerometers and gyros) are already integral to the core safety systems in conventional vehicles, they are also essential to improved self-navigation in autonomous vehicles.The challenge for MEMS suppliers is to deliver inertial sensors that meet the requirements for self-navigation systems, which are different and more demanding than for safety systems.Pinpointing a vehicle’s position requires “dead reckoning” based on inertial sensor signals as a supplement to GPS input. Undesirable drift in the inertial sensor signals due to mechanical quadrature, temperature sensitivity and noise can quickly add up to a large error in position that may result in a collision. To meet the more rigorous requirements for autonomous vehicles, suppliers must design MEMS inertial sensors that are substantially more precise and resistant to drift. This requires design software that is both extremely accurate and fast, as well as increasingly precise and reliable manufacturing capabilities.Other MEMS-based devices, such as micromirrors and micro ultrasound transducers (MUTs), are also promising options for implementing vision and range-finding systems in autonomous vehicles. These sensing systems are needed for building electronic versions of the human collision-avoidance abilities that I witnessed in Shinigawa Station – and it is these systems that autonomous vehicles must emulate.When will self-driving cars become a reality? Aside from the provocative question that got you to read this far, I don’t have a definitive answer. It will undoubtedly occur in phases, ranging from the driver-augmentation systems available in today’s cars to the full autonomy and ubiquity that will allow reduction of traffic controls in 20 years or more. It is clear that the ultimate goals for autonomous vehicles are highly worthwhile, and that achieving those goals will require better-performing and more diverse MEMS sensors. Stephen (Steve) Breit, Ph.D. is Senior Director, MEMS Business, at Coventor, a Lam Research Company. Steve has been responsible for overseeing development and delivery of Coventor’s industry-leading software tools for MEMS design automation since joining Coventor in 2000. Steve holds numerous patents on software systems and methods for MEMS design automation and virtual fabrication. He holds a Ph.D. in Ocean Engineering from MIT and a B.S. in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from Webb Institute.For more information, visit: https://www.coventor.com

With technology moving at breakneck speed, MEMS and sensors professionals whose job is to stay on top of industry developments must be able to find useful information—fast. Podcasts are one rich source of insight. In All Ears, I share roundups of recent podcast interviews with entrepreneurs and CEOs and episodes covering emerging technologies, breakthroughs and even the unexpected – like a MEMS pinball machine. For the seasoned MEMS and sensors professional or the curious onlooker who loves to learn, here are 5 podcast episode recommendations. 1. Embedded.fm – Episode 214: Tiny Sensor ProblemsChristopher White (@stoneymonster) and Elecia White (@logicalelegance) host Embedded.fm, a weekly podcast about the 5Ws of engineering. They’re both embedded software engineers by trade and their guests include everyone from entrepreneurs and makers to educators and engineers.Tiny Sensor Problems is a good introduction for people who have little to no knowledge of MEMS sensors. Kristen Dorsey, Assistant Professor of Engineering at Smith College, provides a brief overview of MEMS and touches on the manufacturing processes, including temperature sensitivity and sensors hype over the years. You’ll learn facts about interesting MEMS applications that were created, like the pinball machine I mentioned. Dorsey also elaborates on her work in flexible strain and pressure sensors for possible applications in AR and robotics in the future. 2. NPT – Episode 4: MEMS Directional SensorsLet’s dig deeper and learn about some of the applications for MEMS and Sensors. In this case, Erdos Miller, The Drilling Technology Podcast focuses on an extreme niche: oil and gas drilling technology. Ken Miller and David Erdos make up two of the engineering, developers and architect team at Erdos Miller that specializes in creating custom solutions for oil and gas downhole devices. Throughout the episode, they explore surveying sensors starting from the 1920s. History buffs would appreciate the stroll down memory lane and the ingenuity behind the first survey sensor, which involved a glass bottle filled with acid. Texas Instruments’ DLP technology gets a mention towards the end of the episode when micromirrors became a topic of discussion. 3. The Early Stage Podcast – Episode 15: Vesper – Tiny Microphones That Listen ForeverMEMS and sensors are a huge part of IoT—no doubt about it. The Early Stage Podcast captures insights from entrepreneurs into their company’s journey including their innovative approaches to developing cutting-edge technologies and overcome business and technology challenges they encounter. This episode focuses on Matt Crowley, CEO at Vesper, and how piezoelectric microphones will affect the voice interfaces as AI grows more sophisticated. Enthusiastic about the subject, John Valentine, host of the Early Stage Podcast, poses thoughtful questions and Crowley is eloquent and clearly passionate about his trade. They touch upon the race to produce the best voice interfaces for the AI ecosystem and tool kits for companies interested in voice enablement—but lacking a dedicated audio team—and looking for a simple solution. 4. IoT Podcast – Episode 155: New toys, Pi Day and insect-tracking LIDARHost Stacey Higginbotham, a technology journalist covering cloud computing, data centers and IoT, joins IT expert and veteran podcaster Kevin Tofel, in a weekly conversation about IoT developments. They’re entertaining and informative with a knack for making complex concepts easily digestible. In this episode, they discussed their thoughts on how the Broadcom/Qualcomm merger played out. While not explicitly focused on MEMS and sensors, the episode and the podcast in general touches upon overarching challenges the MEMS and sensors industry faces with security, standards, product development and applications usage. The highlight of the show included the guest of this week, Tobias Menne, global head of digital farming at Bayer AG who discusses Agriculture Technology (AgTech). 5. Amelia’s Weekly Fish Fry – Silicon Stagnation: How Emerging Technologies and Non-Traditional Materials Are Changing the Future of MEMSHosted by visionary Amelia Dalton, this episode of Fish Fry addresses the prospect of paper and plastic displacing silicon in MEMS manufacturing. Dalton interviews A.M. Fitzgerald Associates founder Alissa Fitzgerald about her research on the threat of waning research to silicon sensor technology. And more importantly, they discuss its implications for the MEMS and sensor industry 10 to 20 years down the line.Can’t get enough of MEMS? Register to listen in on MEMS and Sensors Industry Group’s free webinar, “Process Control and Root Cause Analysis for More-than Moore and Advanced IC Technologies” on April 25 at 8:00 AM PDT.