Emerging MEMS & Sensor
Technologies to Watch
MEMS Executive Congress - Napa, CA
Alissa M. Fitzgerald, Ph.D. | 4 November 2015
12th
anniversary
Overview
•
•
•
•
•
About AMFitzgerald
What “emerging” means
Some exciting new technologies
Watch out silicon, here comes… paper?!
Call to action
Page 2
MEMS Executive Congress 2015
© AMFitzgerald 2015
AMFitzgerald services
MEMS Innovation
MEMS Solutions
Technology Strategy
Creation of novel
designs and IP
Paths to
manufacturing and
market
Key insights from
MEMS experts
Page 3
MEMS Executive Congress 2015
© AMFitzgerald 2015
Sensor development services from concept to production
AMFitzgerald in-house
•
•
•
•
Strategic partners
Custom MEMS development for commercial production
Rapid prototyping on state-of-the-art tools
Sensor supply chain creation and management
Focus on high-performance, specialty sensor technology
Headquarters in
Burlingame, CA
Fab operations
at 1500m2 UCB
Marvell Nanolab
Page 4
MEMS Executive Congress 2015
© AMFitzgerald 2015
What “emerging” means
MEMS industry dynamics – the past 10 years
Major Players
1000
Dominate the few
high volume
markets
Annual
sales,
USD M$
500
The Long Tail
The other 400+ MEMS
companies who could
create new markets with
emerging technology
200
100
#1
#30
Company ranking
by annual sales
Page 6
MEMS Executive Congress 2015
© AMFitzgerald 2015
Rise and fall of Major Players: 2006 data
Falling
Rising
Page 7
MEMS Executive Congress 2015
© AMFitzgerald 2015
MEMS Technology Readiness Levels
NASA TRL Scale
Where the work is done
Production
Foundry,
Assy/Test
House
Product
Company
Funding
level
required
$ 10M
$ 1M
Development
Service
Providers
$ 100K
Source: NASA KSC
Universities
Research
Labs
$ 10K
Page 8
MEMS Executive Congress 2015
© AMFitzgerald 2015
“Emerging technologies” definition for this presentation
• Pre-commercial: TRL 1-4
– University/research lab
– Proof-of-concept devices
• Best market application(s) unknown
• 5-10 years and $10-100M yet needed for
full commercialization
• Why do we care?
Where the next $1B+ product will come from!
Page 9
MEMS Executive Congress 2015
© AMFitzgerald 2015
Research methods
• Review of recent research and academic conferences
• Filter for:
– Commercially-viable technology
– Offers solutions to known/anticipated problems
– Technology game-changer
Page 10
MEMS Executive Congress 2015
© AMFitzgerald 2015
Emerging technologies to watch
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Navigation-grade gyros
Zero quiescent power devices
GaN resonators
Graphene FET gas sensors
Biodegradable sensors
Flexible energy harvesters
Paper-based devices?!
MATURITY
Page 11
MEMS Executive Congress 2015
© AMFitzgerald 2015
Navigation-grade gyros
INNOVATION
New architectures for gyros to
improve:
Accuracy and stability
Vibration, shock rejection
APPLICATION
Augment GPS for precision
navigation: drones, selfdriving cars
Source: NTHU, Taiwan
MATURITY
TRL 4
Needs design optimization
Fab processes mature
< 5 years
Page 12
MEMS Executive Congress 2015
© AMFitzgerald 2015
Receivers/Transmitters with zero quiescent power
INNOVATION
Non-linear mechanical amplifier
Zero power “listen” mode
Activates at threshold event
APPLICATION
Internet of Things
Large area sensor arrays
Structural health
Source: UC Berkeley, Nguyen lab
MATURITY
TRL 4
Needs design optimization
Fab processes mature
< 5 years
Page 13
MEMS Executive Congress 2015
© AMFitzgerald 2015
GaN resonator
INNOVATION
Low-loss resonators suitable
for high power applications
APPLICATION
RF filters
Timing, frequency reference
Power electronics
Source: U Mich, Rais-Zadeh lab
MATURITY
TRL 3
Some processes mature
Lacking foundry infrastructure
7-10 years
Source: MIT, Weinstein lab
Page 14
MEMS Executive Congress 2015
© AMFitzgerald 2015
Graphene FET Gas Sensor
INNOVATION
Selective gas sensing using a
single FET
NH3, NO2, H2O, CH3OH
Microwatt power
APPLICATION
Industrial process monitoring
Air quality
Agriculture
MATURITY
TRL 3
Process immature
Lacking foundry infrastructure
7-10 years
Source: UC Berkeley, Lin lab
Page 15
MEMS Executive Congress 2015
© AMFitzgerald 2015
Biodegradable sensors and batteries
INNOVATION
Devices which dissolve
harmlessly upon exposure to
water
APPLICATION
Medical devices
Agriculture
Environmental monitoring
MATURITY
TRL 3
Process immature but low cost
No manufacturing infrastructure
External use: 5-7 years
In vivo use: > 10 years
Page 16
MEMS Executive Congress 2015
Source: U Penn, Allen lab
© AMFitzgerald 2015
Flexible energy harvesters
INNOVATION
High strain polymer energy
harvesters
Scalable to large areas
APPLICATION
Wearable, flexible electronics
Smart clothing, fabric panels
MATURITY
TRL 3
Process immature
No manufacturing infrastructure
7-10 years
Page 17
MEMS Executive Congress 2015
© AMFitzgerald 2015
Paper?!
Ultra low cost sensors will leave silicon
0.01
Sapphire
Raw Substrate
Cost ($/mm2)
LED
Silicon
0.001
Interposer
Glass
0.0001
Microfluidics
RFID
0.00001
Page 19
MEMS Executive Congress 2015
Time (Years)
Plastic/Paper
Adapted from Paul Werbaneth
© AMFitzgerald 2015
Ultra low cost sensors will leave silicon
For a $ 0.01 sensor (1 mm2):
30% profit margin → $0.007 finished cost
30% of finished cost → $0.002 MEMS
Raw Substrate 20% of MEMS cost → $0.0004 substrate
LED
Cost ($/mm2)
0.01
0.001
Sapphire
Silicon
A Trillion Sensors….not made of silicon?
Interposer
Glass
0.0001
Microfluidics
RFID
0.00001
Page 20
MEMS Executive Congress 2015
Time (Years)
Plastic/Paper
Adapted from Paul Werbaneth
© AMFitzgerald 2015
Paper-based manufacturing
No cleanroom
Large format substrate
High throughput
ULTRA LOW COST
Page 21
MEMS Executive Congress 2015
© AMFitzgerald 2015
Paper-based diagnostics
INNOVATION
Paper as a microfluidic,
electronic substrate
APPLICATION
Low-cost medical diagnostics
Low-resource settings
Ultra low cost, disposable
Source: Harvard, Whitesides lab
MATURITY
TRL 2
> 10 years
Page 22
MEMS Executive Congress 2015
© AMFitzgerald 2015
Paper-based microbial batteries
INNOVATION
Bacteria as an electron source
Origami to create stacks of
paper battery cells
APPLICATION
Power source for paper
diagnostics
Low-resource settings
Ultra low cost, disposable
Source: SUNY Binghamton
MATURITY
TRL 2
> 10 years
Page 23
MEMS Executive Congress 2015
© AMFitzgerald 2015
$1B Question: What’s the next big thing in MEMS?
Page 24
MEMS Executive Congress 2015
© AMFitzgerald 2015
Call to action, summary
• Today’s research = the blockbusters of 2020 and beyond
• Improve industry + academia collaboration
– Sharpen focus on industry-relevant topics
– Small budgets ($100K/yr.) can accelerate innovation
• Sensor innovation is moving away from silicon!
– Keep an eye on new material technologies
Contact: amf@amfitzgerald.com
Page 25
MEMS Executive Congress 2015
© AMFitzgerald 2015
References
Navigation-grade Gyros
Ren, J, et. al., “A MODE-MATCHING 130-kHz RING-COUPLED GYROSCOPE WITH 225 PPM INITIAL DRIVING/SENSING
MODE FREQUENCY SPLITTING”, Transducers 2015, Alaska
Norouzpour-Shirazi, A., et. al., “A DUAL-MODE GYROSCOPE ARCHITECTURE WITH IN-RUN MODE-MATCHING
CAPABILITY AND INHERENT BIAS CANCELLATION”, Transducers 2015, Alaska
Giacci, et. al., “VIBRATIONS REJECTION IN GYROSCOPES BASED ON PIEZORESISTIVE NANOGAUGES”, Transducers
2015, Alaska
Zero Quiescent Power Devices
Liu, et. al., “Zero Quiescent Power VLF Mechanical Communication Receiver”, Transducers 2015, Alaska
Tang, et. al., “A Self-Powered Wireless Sensing Node for Event-Driven Alerting Based on a Bi-stable Vibration Energy
Harvester”, Transducers 2015, Alaska
Graphene FET Gas Sensors
Liu, Y., Lin, S., Lin, L., “A Versatile Gas Sensor with Selectivity Using a Single Graphene Transistor”, Transducers 2015,
Alaska
GaN resonators
References: Ansari, A., et. al., “A HIGH-Q AlGaN/GaN PHONON TRAP WITH INTEGRATED HEMT READ-OUT”,
Transducers 2015, Alaska
M. Rais-Zadeh et al., "Gallium nitride as an electromechanical material," IEEE Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems,
vol. 23, no. 6, pp. 1252–1271, December 2014.
Wang, S., et. al., “PIEZOELECTRIC NONLINEARITY IN GAN LAMB MODE RESONATORS”, Transducers 2015, Alaska
Page 26
MEMS Executive Congress 2015
© AMFitzgerald 2015
References
Biodegradable devices
Luo, et. al., “MICROFABRICATED PLGA/PVA-BASED COMPLETELY BIODEGRADABLE PASSIVE RF PRESSURE
SENSORS”, Transducers 2015, Alaska
She, et. al., “IMMOBILIZED ELECTROLYTE BIODEGRADABLE BATTERIES FOR IMPLANTABLE MEMS”, Transducers 2015,
Alaska
Flexible energy harvesters
Song, Ahn, Yun, “SCALABLE TEXTILE ENERGY HARVESTER IN WOVEN PIEZOELECTRIC STRUCTURES”, Transducers
2015, Alaska
Gusarova, et.al., “FLEXIBLE SCREEN-PRINTED PIEZOELECTRIC P(VDF-TRFE) COPOLYMER MICROGENERATORS FOR
ENERGY HARVESTING”, Transducers 2015, Alaska
Paper-based diagnostics
E. J. Maxwell, A. D. Mazzeo, and G. M. Whitesides, “Paper-based electroanalytical devices for accessible diagnostic testing,”
MRS Bulletin, vol. 38, pp. 309-314, 2013.
Liana, D.D., et. al., “Recent Advances in Paper-Based Sensors” Sensors 2012, 12(9), 11505-11526
Paper-based batteries
Lee, H. and Choi, S. “An Origami Paper-Based Bacteria-Powered Battery with an Air Cathode”, Transducers 2015, Alaska
Page 27
MEMS Executive Congress 2015
© AMFitzgerald 2015