ST heads EU MEMS project
STMicroelectronics has begun working with research partners to develop a pilot line for next generation MEMS devices augmented with advanced technologies such as piezoelectric or magnetic materials and 3D packaging.
The €28million Lab4MEMS project will see the company work with universities, research institutions and technology businesses across nine European countries to establish a complete set of manufacturing competencies for next generation devices, spanning design and fabrication to test and packaging.
The project will develop technologies such as piezoelectric thin films to enhance current pure silicon MEMS, enabling improvements such as larger displacement, higher sensing functionality and greater energy density.
It will also create advanced packaging technologies and vertical interconnections using flip-chip, through-silicon vias and through-mold vias, enabling 3D integrated devices for applications such as body area sensors and remote monitoring.
A key target is to perfect a piezoelectric deposition process compatible with mass production, and integrate it into complex MEMS processes to enable innovative actuators and sensors on SoC industrial products.
