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MEMS market set to expand into RF sphere

A WTC Wicht Technologie Consulting product story

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Jun 1, 2005

RF microsystems will present one of the next major opportunities for MEMS, growing rapidly from $150 million in 2004 to more than $1.1 billion in 2009, according to a new study.

Radio frequency (RF) microsystems will present one of the next major opportunities for MEMS, growing rapidly from $150 million in 2004 to more than $1.1 billion in 2009, according to a new study by German-based consulting firm WTC.

"RF MEMS promise to become one the major MEMS product groups", said the report's author, Jeremie Bouchaud.

"By 2004, the market had already exceeded the $110 million we predicted in our first RF MEMS report 3 years ago".

Currently, the bulk of the RF MEMS market services mobile telephony applications, with BAW duplexers and filters supplied largely by Agilent and Infineon.

A second mass market will emerge for consumer and IT applications in 2006.

"There are great opportunities for spinoff applications in consumer and IT sectors following the initial focus on telecom applications", added Bouchaud.

"Here, micromechanical resonators will be used not as filters but as timing devices".

Outside of mass markets, military applications offer the best opportunity, in particular for phased array antennas used in radar and communications.

In terms of products, bulk acoustic wave (BAW) devices and micromechanical resonators - followed by switches - will constitute the largest markets in 2009.

More than 60 companies are currently involved in RF MEMS manufacturing, and around a quarter will ship commercial products or samples in 2005.

The new study details applications, requirements and markets for RF MEMS switches, tunable capacitors, BAW devices including FBAR (film bulk acoustic resonators) and SMR (solidly mounted resonators), in addition to micromechanical resonators, MEMS inductors and cavity resonators.

WTC's comprehensive report features a wealth of information to support manufacturers of RF MEMS components and system designers with strategic planning and business development.

The study profiles 100 companies and research institutions, and breaks down the market for each component and application covering the period 2004 to 2009.

The report will be available in September 2005.