by Jeffrey Shen Jeffrey Shen

Advances in MEMS-based Inertial Sensors

By Doug Sparks, CTO at Hanking Electronics

Microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based inertial sensor commercialisation goes back around 50 years and has involved many interesting developments, new applications and acquisitions. Development of capacitive and piezoresistive silicon linear accelerometers began in the 1970s1. Airbags were the first high-volume application for these inertial sensors in the late 1980s and early 1990s. As with many MEMS devices, the aerospace industry led the development of angular rate sensors, also known as MEMS gyroscopes. Like the accelerometer, the automotive market provided the first high-volume applications for MEMS gyroscopes, starting in the mid-1990s2 with navigation assist, vehicle dynamic control (VDC) and roll-over protection (ROP) systems. Now, both of these sensors can be found in every smartphone, tablet, vehicle and wearable device.

Read the full article on CMM

by Jeffrey Shen Jeffrey Shen

Microsystem and semiconductor commercialisation in China

By Doug Sparks, CTO at Hanking Electronics

China has seen unprecedented growth in microsystem and semiconductor infrastructure in the past decade. This is due to the rise of its automotive and consumer markets and export of smart phones, tablets, drones and other microsystem and semiconductor enabled products. Historically, more than 90 percent of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, pressure sensors and radio frequency (RF) filters have been imported into China for product assembly. Virtually all the MEMS wafers are fabricated outside of the country and imported as wafers, chips or packaged devices. According to customs data, China imported semiconductor and MEMS chips worth US$304 billion in 2019, down 2.6 percent on a yearly basis1. Moreover, the State Council of China has declared that the country aims to increase its self-sufficiency rate of chips to 70 percent from the 30 percent level realised in 2019. This type of semiconductor manufacturing goal and the government funds associated with it have been ongoing for more than a decade. Read the full article on CMM.