Due to the growing need for miniaturisation and improved functionality, a variety of consumer electronics products have increasingly begun to integrate microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).
As a result, MEMS manufacturers and suppliers stand to gain from the immense growth potential of this market, particularly in notebooks and digital cameras.
New analysis from growth consulting company Frost & Sullivan has found that the worldwide market for MEMS in notebooks and digital cameras earned revenues of approximately $45,2 million in 2006 and estimates this to nearly triple in five years to reach $129,5 million in 2010.
The growing need for high-quality audio in notebooks has mobilised the industry to adopt MEMS microphones. For instance, high-end notebooks now integrate MEMS microphones for voice-over IP (VoIP) applications due to their small size and immunity to interference.
“Consumers are also becoming increasingly aware of the need for data protection in portable devices such as notebooks and are turning to MEMS accelerometers to provide hard disk drive (HDD) protection,” observes Frost & Sullivan research analyst Jayalakshmi Janakiraman. “Several notebook models now incorporate accelerometers for hard disk drive protection, which will likely become a ubiquitous feature in notebooks of the future as prices reduce and performance improves.”
Additionally, image stabilisation drives many consumers to replace their older cameras with new models that employ MEMS gyroscopes.
“The consumer electronics market requires constant enhancements in the MEMS product line and manufacturers must maintain their competitive edge through the development of innovative designs and solutions,” explains Janakiraman. “Companies that work to make their product’s performance, size and reliability unique will attract OEM partnerships.”
Time-to-market also represents a critical factor and MEMS suppliers need to reduce development time for their products to succeed. Superior cycle times and faster time-to-revenues will guarantee operational excellence of the market participants as well as aid the continued commercialisation of MEMS.
MEMS suppliers need to continue manufacturing products at a competitive cost without compromising customer expectations for the further integration of MEMS in consumer electronics.
Trends also point toward high-level integration and the development of devices with the ability to perform multiple functions. Placing both the MEMS and the IC on a single chip almost doubles the cost of silicon, thereby limiting manufacturing flexibility. However, it considerably reduces packaging costs and provides several performance advantages.
When monolithic integration is not feasible, hybrid solutions satisfy the requirements and provide superior designs. Therefore, integration must overcome yield concerns and reduce prices in order to perform significantly better than hybrid solutions. Overall, the integration of MEMS and ICs is necessary for the long-term commercial success of MEMS.
For more information contact Patrick Cairns, Frost & Sullivan, +27 (0)21 680 3274, patrick.cairns@frost.com, www.frost.com
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