MEMS milestone with 100,000,000th accelerometer

Analog Devices has shipped its one hundred millionth MEMS-based acceleration sensor.

Analog Devices has shipped its one hundred millionth MEMS-based acceleration sensor.

The company achieved the milestone using its focused expertise in high performance analogue and mixed signal technology and proprietary iMEMS (integrated microelectromechanical system) manufacturing process.

The company's iMEMS acceleration sensors are used in many applications including crash detection for airbag deployment in automobiles.

Since entering the field in 1987, Analog Devices has set the standard for quality and reliability in the fast growing, $1 billion MEMS industry.

According to the MEMS Industry Group, there are approximately 1.6 MEMS devices per person in use today in the USA and the number is expected to grow to nearly five devices per person by 2004 - a compound annual growth rate of 45%.

"In the early 1990s, MEMS development was at a stage similar to where the semiconductor industry was in the 1960s", said Marlene Bourne, senior analyst, In-Stat/MDR.

"People were trying to figure out how to use this exciting, new technology.

This announcement demonstrates that MEMS has progressed more rapidly than semiconductor technology and is achieving success in mass market applications much sooner".

By integrating both mechanical sensing elements and electronic signal processing circuits onto a single piece of silicon, the iMEMS process provides advantages in terms of product price, performance, size, quality and reliability.

With over 50 registered patents and many more pending, Analog Devices' iMEMS technology uses surface micromachining to create precisely patterned MEMS structures on a silicon wafer using standard, high-volume IC manufacturing tools.

Analog Devices' smallest iMEMS acceleration sensor is offered in a package that measures only 5 x 5 x 2mm and provides two-axis motion sensing with a digital output, low power and self-test features on a single monolithic chip.

"Analog Devices was the first to commercialise MEMS acceleration sensors when we shipped the first sensors for air bag crash detection in 1993 and there has been a tremendous amount of learning along the way", said Franklin Weigold, vice president and general manager of the Micromachined Products Division, Analog Devices.

"One hundred million units later, we have five hundred people, three R and D centres and three manufacturing sites dedicated to high volume, high quality iMEMS production".

Today, Analog Devices is the leading merchant supplier of air bag crash sensors with an estimated market share of greater than 50%.

The automotive component industry, one of the most demanding customers with respect to quality issues, has embraced iMEMS technology in one of its most safety-critical applications.

Since 1993, Analog Devices has relied on certified QS9000 management and control systems and shipped millions of iMEMS sensors for airbag systems that require signal digit ppm defect rates, 15-year life expectancy and 100% on time delivery.

The company's iMEMS acceleration sensors have been designed into over 145 automobile platforms worldwide.

"Analog Devices' iMEMS quality system is one of the best I've seen in the past 10 years", said Dave Wilson, certification officer, National Standards Authority of Ireland, "Many items are benchmarkable and I was very impressed with their mindset to adhere to procedures consistently.

Not all companies do this".

Analog Devices' advancements in the high volume manufacture of automotive crash sensors have enabled other promising acceleration sensor applications due to product size, cost and performance advantages.

In automobiles, new applications include side impact airbag systems, yaw rate systems, rollover detection systems, stability control systems, navigation systems and car alarms.

As a cost-effective, general-purpose, off-the-shelf motion sensing solution, iMEMS acceleration sensors are enabling emerging consumer and industrial applications including gesture recognition for handheld devices, LCD projector keystone correction, laptop computer security, wearable computer devices, game controllers, and entertainment robots.

The successful integration of advanced signal processing circuits with optical MEMS structures also represents an important capability in all-optical networking systems.

Analog Devices' iMEMS acceleration sensors have received numerous industry awards including two readers' choice EDN "Innovation of the year awards", Volkswagen's Leading Edge 1998 Corporate Supplier Award and the Ernst and Young/Automotive News PACE Award for automotive supplier excellence.

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