Research Overview
Opportunities Galore for MEMS Sensors in the Automotive Sector
The ever-increasing need to improve safety features of automobiles and strict implementation of pertinent laws in the recent past have created a mandatory need for constant monitoring of various components and structures in automobiles. This is translating into a greater demand for efficacious monitoring and control systems, resulting in a spurt in the sales of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors. MEMS sensors are ideally suited for automotive applications as they are capable of surviving harsh environment without compromising on performance, thereby paving the way for safer automobiles.
This Frost & Sullivan Technical Insights research provides a comprehensive overview of advancements in MEMS technology worldwide. It provides details on current and future research projects in this exciting arena besides examining market drivers, restraints, key applications, and technological trends.
Systems-on-a-Chip and Nanotechnology Could Drive the Future of MEMS
Systems-on-a-chip is the latest craze in the MEMS arena. Integrated manufacturing of electronics and sensors on the same silicon wafer is likely to lower the cost of control systems. "Integrating sensors, process circuitry, and communication capabilities on the same chip or silicon wafer is closer to reality and prototypes have already demonstrated the feasibility of such systems," says the analyst. "Large-scale manufacturing of these systems at lower costs is quite possible and the day might not be far when consumers could have handheld devices capable of sensing any chemical, gas, or biological agent in real time."
MEMS - particularly bio MEMS, RF MEMS, and optical MEMS - are definitely potential candidates in the search for a 'killer application' by the research community. The emergence of nanotechnology - touted to be the 'next big thing' in the hi-tech world - could bring forth a new gamut of applications that were never envisaged before. "MEMS sensors are likely to be the intermediate communication pipeline between the nanoscale and macroscale world," says the analyst. "This will help overcome technical glitches during the communication process." However, the real impact of this market driver is inherently tied to the success of nanotechnology.
Lack of Application Volume and Standard Manufacturing Practice Influences Market Growth
The evolution of the MEMS industry has been characterized by many difficulties and the industry is currently at a positive inflection point on the growth curve. However, lack of volume in many MEMS applications could hamper the prospects of small- and medium-scale manufacturers. "Even a decade after the successful commercialization of MEMS, the market continues to be driven by a few select products in the automotive and industrial sectors," says the analyst. "Generating volumes from other applications will continue to be difficult until new distributed applications emerge and more functionality is added to the MEMS devices."
Another significant factor hampering market growth of MEMS sensors is the lack of a standard manufacturing technique and consequent difficulties in adopting innovative production methods. This is in stark contrast to the integrated circuit industry where one manufacturing process could be fine-tuned to accommodate many different products and systems. The need for different manufacturing set-up along with the disparity in packaging requirements creates difficulties in switching over product lines in the case of MEMS. Companies have to set aside dedicated assembly lines for a single product or a group of products. Besides these challenges, the transition from existing technology platform to emerging systems calls for large-scale reorganization of the fabrication units. This results not only in cost overruns, but also in the increase of time-to-market for new products. Participants should address these issues if the MEMS market is to flourish.
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