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Research and Markets: 'Mems4Mobile': Analysis of the Applications and Markets of MEMS in Mobile Communications

Posted on: Wednesday, 6 April 2005, 15:00 CDT

DUBLIN, Ireland, April 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c15301 ) has announced the addition of 'Mems4Mobile': Analysis of the Applications and Markets of MEMS in Mobile Communications to their offering.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040820/RESEARCH )

Microelectronics has led to the explosion of consumer electronics sales. The key challenge for the industry now is to make complexity invisible, to make technology intuitive and make access natural. The drivers for this are wireless functionality and a need for increased portability.

The killer convergence application is the mobile phone. It started life as a device to make voice calls ... but now it is also doing a lot more. The cell phone is gradually assimilating the functions of the PDA, laptop and digital camera. The mobile phone will become the logical consolidator for multimedia and gradually increase its broadcast functionality.

The MEMS applications range is quite large:

- Silicon microphone: improves the manufacturability of microphone for

similar performance compared to ECM

- 3D accelerometers: adds functions for man machine interface and silent

mode activation

- RF Mems passive and active devices: provides better integration of

passive devices for RF module and faster frequency agility

- Gyroscope for camera stabilisation and GPS: enables real digital

imaging, preserves the GPS signal

- Microfuel cell: provides longer lifetime for the batteries

- Chemical and Biochip: personal weather station and health care monitor

The functions to be integrated in the mobile phone are very important: replacement of ECM microphone, new human machine interface, RF module with more frequency agility, new optical and image capture functions, positioning systems, identification, new long lifetime batteries...Announced since years, MEMS devices are entering step by step into the mobile phone business and are key devices in order to leverage these new functions.

The applications of these different devices are quite different and are enabling interesting technologies features and sometimes pure gadget. The applications and markets for MEMS in mobile phone where close to 2 M$ in 2004 and will go up to 250 M$ in 2008 (Figure 1). The only volume applications in 2004 were 3D accelerometer for human machine interface (volumes sales at Memsic for Mitsubishi) and silicon microphone (starting of volume sales of Knowles).

Few things are important for MEMS devices to address the consumer markets:

- Standard package (especially CSP/WLP)

- Package size : 1.2mmx5mmx5mm max (to be included in mobile phone)

- Small silicon die (less than 2mmx2mm) in a 6'' wafer (ie between 3500

to 5700 dies per wafer 6')

- Price between 1.5$ to 2$ max (less than 0.4$ for Si microphone)

- Digital output

Report Benefits for Suppliers to MEMS Manufacturers

- Provides a complete analysis of current developments for mobile phone

applications

- Highlights the hottest potential customers, i.e. who's working on what

devices?

- Helps define commercialization opportunities in relation to the

roadmap, the technical bottlenecks and customers' needs

Report Benefits for MEMS Manufacturers

- Highlights markets to target with in-depth analysis of when and how to

access that business

- Gives quantitative component volume figures by year

- Helps you define the right commercialization approach in terms of

specifications and mobile phone manufacturers

- Present the product roadmap expected for the next 4 years

Companies Included:

Analog Devices

Memsic

Kionix

STM

Oki

Hitachi

Fujitsu

BEI Sensors

Murata

Freescale

MEW

Seiko

Epson

Knowles

Memscap

Akustica

STM

Samsung

Mitsubishi

Sony

STM

Philips

APM

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c15301

Laura Wood

Senior Manager

Research and Markets

press@researchandmarkets.com

Fax: +353 1 4100 980

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040820/RESEARCH

Research and Markets

CONTACT: Laura Wood, Senior Manager, Research and Markets,Fax: +353-1-4100-980, press@researchandmarkets.com

Web site: http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c15301

Source: PRNewswire

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