By Andy Choi

In today's advanced smart phones, people carry huge amounts of movie clips and photos in their pockets, yet find it difficult sharing it with others due to the tiny display. Adding projection capabilities into the mobile devices will enable users to easily share their media with others - any place, on any surface, at any time.

So, STMicroelectronics, one of the world's largest semiconductor manufacturers and the world's leading supplier of MEMS sensors for consumer and portable applications, and bTendo Ltd. have joined hands to develop the world's smallest Pico Projector for smart phones and other portable consumer-electronics devices.

The announcement of a joint development and license agreement being signed was made recently. The solution is based on bTendo's innovative Scanning Laser Projection engine technology and ST's leading MEMS (Micro-Electro Mechanical Systems) expertise, video processing know-how and semiconductor process technology.

Less than 2.5cm(3) in volume and below 6mm high, the jointly developed embedded projector solution will offer a focus free, vivid colour, sharp and crisp image, superior to current Pico Projection solutions. Implementing two MEMS-based micro-mirror-actuation devices within the system's optical engine, and an advanced video-processing chip, the world's smallest projection engine is optimized for smart phones, offering low power consumption and built-in support for MIPI (Mobile Industry Processor Interface) to ensure swift and easy integration.

"People want to share their media with others and enjoy the option of expanding their display even for their own personal viewing," said Benedetto Vigna, Group Vice President and General Manager, MEMS, Sensor and High-Performance Analog Division, STMicroelectronics. "ST selected bTendo's technology due to its small size, low power and focus-free features, which are all critical for embedded projection modules. ST has a long history in the development of innovative technologies and this joint cooperation will further extend our MEMS sensor expertise, while also complementing and reinforcing our leadership in MEMS gyroscopes and accelerometers for advanced user interfaces. “He added.

"We are very excited to collaborate with STMicroelectronics, the world leader in MEMS technologies for mobile handsets, to bring to the market our cutting-edge technology for embedded Pico Projectors," said Dana Gross, CEO of bTendo Ltd. "ST's best-in-class semiconductor process technology and design capabilities will enable a cost-effective, low-power solution perfect for personal consumer devices."

"The entry of STMicroelectronics into the Pico Projector market with bTendo's laser scanning solution represents a major milestone in the realization of our view that mobile handsets can drive growth of embedded Pico Projectors exponentially within the next two years!" said Dr. William (Bill) L. Coggshall, president and founder of Pacific Media Associates.

STMicroelectronics has delivered excellent products in multimedia convergence and power applications leveraging its vast array of technologies, design expertise and combination of intellectual property portfolio, strategic partnerships and manufacturing strength. In 2010, the Company's net revenues were $10.35 billion.

bTendo is a developer of personal projection technologies and solutions. Provide cutting-edge solutions enabling mobile users to share multimedia content from their personal devices anytime, anywhere. Bringing together Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) expertise and groundbreaking laser-scanning display technology bTendo's solutions deliver crisp, high-resolution images at low power consumption.

A demonstration of the technology will be shown at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Feb 14-17, 2011 on the STMicroelectronics stand (7A106).