X-FAB Silicon Foundries has declared the direct availability of its first open-platform MEMS 3D inertial sensor process from a high-volume pure-play foundry.
Introduction of new 3D inertial sensor process enables companies to implement their own design or adopt X-FAB's design partner, and work on wafer volumes, eliminating process development. The open-platform process of X-FAB will create a rapid time to market and achieve high-quality production for inertial sensors.
The new MEMS technology is ideal for applications in equipment that adopt 3D accelerometers or gyroscopes. The same process supports the manufacture of one-axis and 2-axis designs. Accelerometer and gyroscope designs are installed parallel on a single chip made with the same process, supporting the creation of 6DoF IMU.
The new technology of X-FAB boasts robust, single-crystal silicon for drive-combs and inertial masses. Its proprietary buried contact technology enables complex metal interconnects based on low parasitic capacitance, single metal layer, and EMI protection.
The 3D inertial sensor process is an addition to X-FAB's novel 1D/2D inertial sensor, infra-red thermopile open-platform processes, pressure sensor and its ready-made IP blocks for 2G, 10G and 100G accelerometers. The new 3D inertial sensor technology was created based on X-FAB's step-by-step qualification procedures for perfect process characterization. All X-FAB manufacturing sites have achieved ISO TS16949 and ISO 9001 qualification.
X-FAB has demonstrated MEMS 3D open-platform process at MEMS-in-Motion event from Sept. 12 to 13, 2012 in Palm Springs, California.
The technology is being offered for engineering services and early access prototyping. Complete qualification and total design rule access will be available by early 2013.
Source: http://www.xfab.com/