Emerging MEMS: Technologies & Markets, 2010 Report

April 7, 2010 - PRLog -- Yole Développement released a new report dedicated to emerging MEMS devices: Emerging MEMS: Technologies & Market, 2010 Report. The aim of this analysis is to provide a deep understanding MEMS players with new MEMS devices under development. For each Emerging MEMS device, the consulting company presents overview, market dynamics, technologies, players, technical trends and market shares.
This report also includes market data. Each Emerging MEMS devices has been quantified in market value and units for 2009 through 2015. Moreover, Yole Développement‘s analysts identified new MEMS companies that could contribute to the MEMS market growth in the future.

Another MEMS market analysis?

MEMS markets have been and will always be driven by innovation. It means that, every year, new MEMS developments are coming out. Not all of them find commercial success, but the constant stream shows there are plenty of applications where MEMS devices could be used. For a long time, the MEMS market has been composed of “mature” MEMS devices: IJ heads, pressure sensors, accelerometers and DMD. Then came microfluidics, gyroscopes, micro phones, RF MEMS (the latter still struggling to shift to large volume). In addition to these devices, there are a lot of new MEMS that have crossed the gap from R&D to commercialization, or are close to doing so. “Yole’s report presents these new “Emerging MEMS” devices that could be the next killer application of tomorrow”, explained Dr Eric Mounier, Project Manager at Yole Développement.
It is a market and technical overview for MEMS-based Auto Focus, Electronic Compass, Energy Harvesting, Micro-bolometers, Micro displays, Micro fuel cells, Micro speakers, Micro structures, Microtips, Oscillators and RFID.

Innovative developments, promising markets

Estimated to be $550M in 2009, emerging MEMS markets have the potential to add $2.2B to the overall MEMS market by 2015.
An interesting fact is that most of the new MEMS developments are under the roof of startups. The situation is quite similar to what happened in the 1998-1999 period, when many new MEMS developments were on the edge of crossing the chasm – today these are mature MEMS products with large volume markets. “We have identified more than 30 startups involved in new developments”, said Laurent Robin, MEMS Market Analyst at Yole Développement. “These new companies will contribute a major part of the Emerging MEMS market devices by 2015. It will represent 10% of the total MEMS market!”
Among the MEMS devices analyzed in this report, microbolometers, digital compasses & oscillators will represent the most promising markets. Out of these 3, only microbolometers are mature technologies (while still subject to innovations to lower cost and increase integration).
MEMS oscillators are now ready to take a significant share of the timing market. Digital compass is a soaring market in 2010 that started in earnest in 2007 thanks to the first monolithic 3-axis devices.
The report also describes more “unusual” MEMS such as DRIE-manufactured microstructure for watches, MEMS RFIDs or MEMS micro speakers.
About Emerging MEMS: Technologies & Markets, 2010 Report

Authors

Dr. Eric Mounier has a PhD in microelectronics from the INPG in Grenoble. Since 1998 he is a cofounder of Yole Développement, a market research company based in France. At Yole, Dr. Eric Mounier is in charge of market analysis for MEMS, equipment & material. He is Chief Editor of Micronews, a monthly magazine dedicated to micro and nanotechnologies.
Laurent Robin is in charge of the MEMS & Sensors market research at Yole Développement. He previously worked at e2v Technologies and at EM Microelectronics. He holds a Physics Engineering degree from the National Institute of Applied Sciences in Toulouse and was also granted a Master Degree in Technology & Innovation Management from EM Lyon Business School.
Jérôme Mouly was granted a Master degree in Physics in Lyon. He is analyst at Yole for 10 years, specialized in MEMS & IC manufacturing. He is in charge of MEMS players and supply chain analysis. Since 2000, Jérôme Mouly has contributed to more than 50 marketing and technological analysis. He is also the editor of the MEMS column for Micronews magazine.

Companies cited in the report

Agiltron, Aichi Steel, AKM, Akustica, ALPS , Audiopixels, BAE Systems, Bluechiip, Bosch, Cambridge Mechatronics, Ceradyne, Diamaze, Discera, DRS, Epson Toyocom, Faun Infrared, Focalplane, FLIR, Fluke, Frederique Constant, GP, Honeywell, Jaeger-Lecoultre, L3 Communications, Lensvector, MB&F, MEMSiC, MicroGen, Mikrosistemler, Mimotec, Mitsubishi, NEC Avio, Nivarox, NoblePeak Vision, NXP, Omega, ON Semiconductor, Optotune, Panasonic, Patek Philippe, Pixtronix, PNI, Polight, QinetiQ, Qualcomm, Rhevision, Samsung, Sand9, Sarnoff, SCD, Sensitec, Sensonor, Sigatec, Siimpel, Silicon Clocks, SiTime, Sonion, Temicon, Ulis, Unipixel, Varioptic, Verateg, VTI Technologies, Xenics, Yamaha.

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Yole Développement, world leader in the analysis of disruptive semiconductor applications and markets, is in contact with industrial companies, R&D institutes and investors worldwide in order to help them understand the market and technology trends.