Symposium 1: MEMS in the Mainstream: Commercialization and Product Realization - Leveraging the MEMS Infrastructure

Symposium Chair and Organizer:  

With double-digit annual growth, clearly MEMS is in the mainstream. Behind this growth is an impressive and robust MEMS infrastructure including MEMS device manufacturers, equipment vendors, foundries, materials suppliers and designers. These MEMS suppliers enable complete system solutions, in a myriad of markets and applications including automotive, medical, clean energy, consumer and more.

Organized and hosted by MEMS Industry Group (MIG), the trade association focused on growing the global MEMS market, this one-day pre-conference symposium will discuss the many models of achieving MEMS commercialization and product realization. The main message for system level customers attending this symposium will be that they can rely on a mature MEMS infrastructure capable of delivering system level components more quickly and more cost effectively than in earlier times. In other words, MEMS is in the mainstream.

The symposium will discuss how MEMS fabrication has evolved, creating a new era of in-house fabrication as well as fabless and fab-lite manufacturing. The presentations will include different perspectives on how companies have realized a MEMS solution into their current product line using their existing infrastructure and will also discuss the product development challenges and the market-pull vs. technology-push issues that are unique to MEMS.

This pre-conference will feature speakers and panels from the full MEMS supply chain - starting with a keynote from Professor Thomas Gessner, Director of Fraunhofer ENAS and Center for Microtechnologies. A world-renowned leader in MEMS, Professor Gessner will give the keynote “Generations of Smart Integrated Systems – Overview and Novel Examples.” Professor Gessner will describe cutting edge research and development in the fields of smart systems integration utilizing micro- and nanotechnologies with worldwide partners.

The symposium will then delve into discussions and different perspectives within the MEMS ecosystem; from in-house fabrication, to fab-lite to fab-less. This discussion will be kicked off with John Chong, who will discuss Kionix’s model for product realization and market segmentation. Attendees will then be treated to an engaging panel discussion on how and when to leverage the MEMS infrastructure to achieve success in diverse markets. This panel will feature experts in the field including moderator Jim Knutti, Acuity's President and CEO (and MEMS veteran); Tim Worst,  Measurement-LTD's Chief Technologist & General Manager, Sensor Technology Center; and Craig Trautman, Innovative Micro Technology's Vice President, Business Development.

After lunch, Epson will give a presentation entitled “Integration and Applications of Ultra-low Power & Compact QMEMS Sensors” and its thoughts on integration and implementation challenges from a marketing perspective. The symposium will also feature a presentation by Yole’s Jeff Perkins, who will discuss trends in the MEMS industry, market developments and new opportunities in this maturing and exciting industry.

The symposium will also include presentations from one of the leaders in MEMS device manufacturing, Analog Devices. This presenter will discuss the decision of when to fab in-house, when to outsource fabrication; as well as discuss the challenges in market pull vs. technology push and how to successfully manage this process.

Karen Lightman, managing director of MIG will then moderate a panel on “Product Realization and the MEMS Supply Chain” that will discuss the lessons learned and insights gained when taking a MEMS-enabled product from idea to commercialization. Panelists Jim Clardy of Dell, Steve Whalley of Intel, Jeannette Wilson of Freescale and Peter Himes of Silex Microsystems will examine the challenges of new product development that are unique to MEMS. They will share their views on ramping up to production, working with different partners in the MEMS supply chain, and what expertise should still be represented in-house for fabless companies. The symposium will close with a presentation by Jay Esfandyari, STMicroelectronic’s MEMS Product Marketing Manager, who will share ST’s view on MEMS commercialization product realization from the perspective of a market leader.

Session Topics and Speakers are as follows: