Global MEMS industry back on its feet after quake says iSuppli
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Almost two months after the Japan earthquake and tsunami wreaked havoc on the world's industrial supply chains, the global MEMS industry is back on its feet and emerging relatively unscathed after the disaster, according to new IHS iSuppli research.
"To date, the supply of MEMS sensors and actuators remains only slightly affected by the Japan catastrophe," said Jérémie Bouchaud, director and principal analyst for MEMS at IHS. "In fact, the main effect of the earthquake on the world MEMS industry is on the demand side, not on supply. Manufacturers of finished electronic products have been more severely impacted than the component suppliers."
For the MEMS industry in general and for Japan's MEMS sector in particular, Bouchaud says the damage was not as severe as initially feared due to the fact that most MEMS fabs and foundries are located in southern Honshu, away from the northern section of the island that was affected. "Moreover, MEMS and compass suppliers had been employing multiple fabrication plants for manufacturing before the quake and tsunami occurred," he concluded. "This reduced the impact of supply disruptions caused by damage to a specific factory."
