The SAES® Getters Group and STMicroelectronics have signed a co-operation agreement that will support development and production of next generation MEMS gyroscopes. STMicroelectronics’ gyroscopes will integrate SAES’ PageWafer®, the most advanced getter thin-film solution for high vacuum maintenance in wafer-level packaged MEMS, to deliver higher device sensitivity and stability.
Integrated circuits containing MEMS are revolutionizing the semiconductor industry by exploiting both the unique electrical and outstanding mechanical properties of silicon. While the electrical properties have served as the foundation of the semiconductor business for the past 40 to 50 years, exploiting silicon’s mechanical properties is a relatively recent phenomenon, which the two companies are eager to exploit.
The gyroscope market is growing fast in a number of application segments. In addition to automotive electronic stability systems and GPS receivers, industry analysts predict MEMS gyroscopes will take off in the consumer segment, including motion-user interfaces in portable communication devices and image stabilizers in camcorders and digital cameras. ST’s MEMS will be targeted at these applications and the company expects to ramp to industrial volume production in the first half of 2008.