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August 26th, 2005
Akustica, Inc., a company that has popularized the microphone-on-a
chip has aligned with SigmaTel, Inc. (NASDAQ:SGTL), known for its market leadership in the MP3 music machine chip market.
The two have collaborated on a high definition PC based VoIP solution for the voice communications market. That design solution
incorporates Akustica’s CMOS-MEMS silicon microphone and SigmaTel’s audio codec chip, used in the conversion of
voice-to-data and data-to-voice.
The two companies already have come a long way to simplify the design
process for system engineers. As Akustica and SigmaTel have now have in their hands a digital microphone array reference design
for PC notebook implementation. Furthermore, SigmaTel has released new high definition audio codecs that have been specifically
designed to interface directly with Akustica’s microphone on-a-chip.
The market for such a solution is expanding, according to James
Rock, CEO of Akustica, "As seen in Real-Time-Communication programs like MSN Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, and Skype,
speech enabled applications are clearly gaining momentum and, together with SigmaTel, we will enable consumers to experience
superior voice quality. Consistent with their reputation for innovation and creativity, SigmaTel is the first company to demonstrate
a fully integrated and cost-effective digital microphone array solution for notebook computers."
The new solution is also expected to improve Internet based voice
communications according to Phil Pompa, VP at the Integrated Components Group, SigmaTel, "The relationship with Akustica
reinforces our commitment to innovation and providing customers with advanced technology to overcome the design obstacles
many system developers face. In addition, the simplicity and flexibility of Akustica's CMOS-MEMS technology combined with
SigmaTel's new HD Audio codecs enables next generation platforms to support greatly improved voice communications."
August 25th, 2005
SENSE Holdings Expands on MEMS Agreement with Oak Ridge
National Laboratories
SENSE Holdings, Inc. (SENSE) (OTCBB:SEHO) has expanded on its recent patent agreement with
Oak Ridge National Laboratory with a Joint Development Project. That project expands on SENSE Holdings recent acquisition
of the patent rights of Oak Ridge’s MEMS technology for security applications. As part of the agreement, the first phase
of the project will involve the selection of a MEMS platform to develop future technology for handheld explosive detection,
which have potential applications in the detection of unmarked landmines left after wars end.
The MEMS technology for the project involves microcantilevers, which
sway from the molecular force of chemical vapors. Dr. Bruce Warmack, Principal Investigator at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
remarked on the potential of the microcantilever sensors, "Our experience in pioneering microcantilever sensors as well as
recent scientific advances by Dr. Lal Pinnaduwage and coworkers are very encouraging for the future of explosives detection,
and we feel that Sense Holdings is an outstanding commercial partner to bring this technology to market."
August 24th, 2005
DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, has awarded
Symmetricom $3.4 million in Phase-III funding. As part of the agreement, Symmetricom is to further reduce the size and power
consumption of its atomic clock. Goals are to shrink the chip scale atomic clock device to a size that is less than a sugar
cube. The technology being used to develop the technology is based on Symmetricom’s “proprietary coherent population
trapping (CPT) atomic interrogation technology and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication techniques.”
The company indicated that although atomic clocks are exceedingly
accurate, historically they have been hundreds of times larger than that of quartz based clocks and consume power equivalent
to that of today’s notebook computers. As part of Phase II of the project, Symmetricom has already demonstrated an atomic
clock that is ten times smaller and lower in power than any other atomic clocks. In Phase III of the program, Symmetricom
will again reduce the power by a factor of ten, reduce the size and improve the accuracy and stability, all with the goal
of reducing the size to that of a sugar cube and powering the atomic clock with a size AA battery.
Applications for such a device are for portable instruments used
in navigation, positioning, communications and other areas were an ultra-stable frequency reference is needed – like
secure communications.
Others that Symmetricom is working with on the project include the
Charles Stark Draper Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories, both, which have a history in advanced semiconductor and
technology research.
August 24th, 2005
Biomedical Test Uses Urine
Based Battery
In the August 15th, 2005 issue of Journal of Micromechanics and
Microengineering, Ki Bang Lee of the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in Singapore divulged an inexpensive
fabrication process for the construction of paper batteries that use urine as an active ingredient. The battery, which is
compatible with plastic molding production techniques, is based on a magnesium layer and copper chloride doped paper. The
battery is reported to have a power capacity of greater than 1.5 milliwatt and has the potential to be integrated into bioMEMS
devices used for home diagnostic and medical tests.
August 23rd, 2005
ISSYS, a company with operations in the microfluidic micro-electro-mechanical
market, has reported on the development of small-methanol concentration sensors for applications in the Direct Methanol Fuel
Cell (DMFC) market. The company indicated that is working with Kyoto Electronics Manufacturing Company (KEM) on the development
of different versions of the device.
The devices besides fuel cell applications also have applications
in the industrial and analytical applications market where low-cost, accurate, small, inline density or chemical concentration
sensors are needed. Commenting on that market, the commercialization date and the company’s venture campaign was Dr.
Douglas Sparks, ISSYS' Executive Vice President, "The small industrial density / concentration sensors will be ready for sale
by the first quarter 2006. ISSYS is in the process of recruiting capital investment in order to commercialize the low-cost
(and high volume) methanol concentration sensors that are expected to be ready for sampling by third quarter of 2006 and for
high-volume sales by 2007.”
August 22nd, 2005
Harris & Harris Group (NASDAQ: TINY), an investor in micro-electro-mechanical
and nanotechnology has priced a public offering of its stock. The company plans to offer 3,050,000 shares of its common stock
at $11.25 per share in order to raise $31,913,750.
August 15th, 2005
RoseStreet Labs has opened a 3D Research and Development laboratory
in Phoenix, Arizona focused on the development of advanced semiconductor packaging technology. At the facility, RoseStreet
and its subsidiary FlipChip International will develop new materials and processes for the packaging of wireless devices.
As well, through an alliance with SUSS MicroTec, the facility is expected to be equipped with a full range of lithography
and 3D packaging equipment from SUSS. The laboratory offers R&D contract services for polymer, metal deposition, lithography,
3D packaging, System-in-Package, MEMS packaging and interconnect development. Summing up the five year plan was Bob Forcier,
CEO of RoseStreet Labs, "This opening of our new R&D lab and our alliance with our close partner, SUSS MicroTec, is part
of our five year technology roadmap to provide next generation solutions to our valued customers in the areas of wafer level
MEMs, sensor, System-In-Package and advanced 3D packaging. We are very excited by this milestone and will continue to invest
in advanced technology."
RoseStreet Labs, LLC, bills provides its services and products
for applications in the life sciences, wireless and renewable energy markets. RoseStreet in April of this year entered
into a solar cell commercialization agreement with Cornell University.
August 12th, 2005
WiSpry Operations Expand Into
New Facility – Open-House Scheduled for August 16th
WiSpry, Inc., a company with tunable RF-MEMS technology for the wireless
industry, has moved into a new location. The new location, a 7,000 square foot facility, is the new home to the over 20 employees
at the company. Commenting on the new facility was CEO of WiSpry, Jeff Hilbert, "The new location is centrally located in
Orange County, with easy access for employees and customers from two major highways and is ideally located to attract the
top talent that Orange County has to offer."
The new building, which is located at 20 Fairbanks, Irvine, California,
includes a state-of-the-art custom built RF lab used for the development of WiSpry's RF-MEMS-based switch and filter components
and modules.
WiSpry will be hosting an Open House at the new facility on August
16th at 5.00 p.m.
AUGUST 11th, 2005
Xerox Selects DALSA for Low Cost MEMS Collaboration
DALSA Corporation (TSX:DSA), a diversified electronics company with
operations in integrated circuits, the life sciences. Machine vision and digital imaging, has entered into an agreement with
Xerox Corporation to develop Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) that have dramatically improved cost/performance ratios.
Xerox Corporation, which through its Xerox Intellectual Property Operations has optical MEMS and the microfluidic MEMSJet,
plans to utilize DALSA’s MEMS and High Voltage manufacturing expertise in conjunction with its own technology for the
development of the new low-cost, high performance MEMS microsystems.
According to Steven B. Bolte, Vice-President and manager of the Xerox
Wilson Center for Research and Technology in Rochester, New York, ""We chose DALSA because we needed a supplier who had the
capability to integrate MEMS, and High Voltage CMOS, and that could do wafer level packaging. We have been working with DALSA
for nine months on prototype short loop experiments which will enable more rapid product Time-to-Market as technology matures."
Ralf Brooks, President of the DALSA Semiconductor division, commented
on the announcement, "We are pleased to be working with Xerox, a company with a strong track record for innovation. This collaboration
will utilize our toolbox of integratable, advanced MEMS process modules and our capability to integrate CMOS and/or High Voltage
circuitry produced from in-house manufactured wafers or from third party deep sub-micron sources."
August 4th, 2005
IntelliSense Introduces Complete
Top-Down Design Tool – Ties System Architectural Level to MEMS
and Nanotechnology Levels - Includes Features for Package, Process and Test Engineers
IntelliSense has made available IntelliSuite v8, a tool it calls
a bottom-up process-driven design and top down synthesis tool. The tool has been designed to meet the needs of a wide variety
of engineers across a technology organization. Program managers, system architects, electronic designer, package designers,
device level designers, process engineers, test engineers and manufacturing engineers can all access the Living Design Environment
of the tool to determine how their design contributions will affect the final viability of the design.
The IntelliSuite also includes a simulator, called SYNPLE, that
has been designed for the implementation of micromachine and nanotechnology oriented structures into digital and mixed signal
integrated circuits. The simulator ships with element libraries that range from standard analog and digital electric circuit
design blocks, to mechanical inertia devices needed for MEMs design to biological modules used for the implementation of microfluidic
based microsystems. The tool also includes the MEMS-SoC Constructor Kit -- System-on-a-Chip design kit, which includes a library
of Verilog-A models that is used to create mixed signal integrated chips complete with on-chip MEMs devices.
There are many other features of the new design tool. For the process
engineer, there is the RIE/ICP and Bosch process etch simulator. For the layout engineer, there is IntelliMask Pro, a MEMS
layout tool, which combines IC and MEMS layout together.
For those concerned with cost and manufacturing economics, the tool
also includes a Cost Model tool, which permits managers and engineers to determine the best manufacturing process development
and production strategy to maximize yield and minimize production costs.
IntelliSense, besides its integrated MEMS / IC design software also
offers design, IP licensing and consulting services.
JULY 19th, 2005
IRMA Signs MEMS Licensing Agreement with University of Michigan
IRMA America has entered into a license agreement with the University
of Michigan for technology incorporated into IMRA’s laser based micromachining station. The technology revolves around
United States patents RE37,585 and 5,656,186, "Method for controlling configuration of laser induced breakdown and ablation,"
that have been assigned to the University of Michigan.
The IMRA station can be used for applications such as mask repair,
glass repair, semiconductors and microfluidics. Takashi Omitsu, President of IMRA, emphasized that the agreement, two years
in the works, protection for its customers, "We are making available the best product, best protection, and best value for
femtosecond micromachining by extending this license to our worldwide customers. I really appreciate the work of the University
of Michigan Technology Transfer Office and their cooperation."
Hermetic Switch Offers Zero-Power Reed Switch Replacement
for MEMS Device
Hermetic Switch, Inc. reports that its Reed Switch devices are
an alternative to solid state switches, such as MEMS switches, used in defibrillators. The company indicates that its PRX+2450
overmolded Reed Switch is about the same size as the tiny MEMS magnetic switches that have been vying for market position
in the medical device market.
Hermetic states that its Reed Switches have been used in implantable
pacemakers and defibrillators for over 30 years. Besides reliability, the company also notes that Reed Switches don’t
consume power and are not sensitive to Electrostatic Discharge (ESD). According to the company, solid-state switches, such
as MEMS based switches consume power, which affects the overall life of battery powered medical devices. MEMS switches, because
they are a relatively new technology, may be prone to reliability problems. In its announcement, Hermetic Switch points out
that its Reed Switch can be used as a replacement for medical devices based on MEMs devices. Hermetic notes that a medical
device based on a MEMS device was recently recalled. Hermetic Switch offers its Reed Switch as a drop-in replacement for that
MEMs device.
Integral Vision Receives Order from Qualcomm for MEMS Displays Testing
Integral Vision, Inc. (OTC:INVI) (BULLETIN BOARD: INVI) has received
an order from QUALCOMM, one of the worlds largest supplier of cellular phone chips, for its SharpEye inspection system. QUALCOMM
plans to use the system for production testing of its iMoD MEMS Display.
Charles J. Drake, CEO at Integral Vision, was confident that the
system would be an effective system to test QUALCOMM’s MEMS based devices, "We are very pleased to have QUALCOMM as
a customer. We believe our SharpEye inspection system is well suited to do quality testing of the MEMS technology. "
Tegal Reports Etch System for MEMS Installed at ITC
With the announcement that it had received a follow-on order for
multiple 6540 advanced etch systems form an European Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM) to produce high K decoupling capacitors,
Tegal Corporation (NASDAQ:TGAL), also announced that it had installed a second process module to a 6500 advanced plasma etch
system at the Instituto Trentino di Cultura (ITC) -- Instituto per la Ricerca Scientifica e Tecnologica (IRST). That organization
is an Italian R&D institute that is focused on the development of micro electrical mechanical systems (MEMS) devices.
The added system will be used for both R&D work and to produce prototype devices.
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