Emerging role of CMOS foundries in MEMS manufacturing

NAPA, USA: A big window of opportunity is expanding for fabless and fab-lite companies pursuing large-scale manufacturing of MEMS products.

As MEMS device designers demand increased capabilities from their manufacturing partners-from modular technology platforms and standardized interfaces to larger wafer sizes that leverage economies of scale-foundries are competing to accommodate design cycles that are measured in months, not years.

In his MEMS Executive Congress keynote, "MEMS Goes Mainstream: The Emerging Role of CMOS Foundries in MEMS Manufacturing," GLOBALFOUNDRIES CTO Gregg Bartlett will explore the challenges and opportunities in working with CMOS foundries that are transitioning from "contract manufacturers" to "solution providers" in order to meet the varied demands of the burgeoning MEMS industry.

"As the MEMS industry's impressive growth continues, we must work collectively to move beyond the specialized tools and processes following a ‘one-product, one-process' approach," said Gregg Bartlett, CTO, GLOBALFOUNDRIES.

"CMOS foundries need to adapt by developing new standardized process capabilities, technology platforms and IP to enable high-volume foundry manufacturing of MEMS devices. They also need to support advanced packaging technologies such as System-in-Package (SiP) and chip stacking with through-silicon vias (TSVs), to allow MEMS device designers to pack more functionality into a single package. Our success in embracing this new model depends on our ability to offer solutions across the value chain, from design support and process technology to assembly and test. Close partnerships within the MEMS ecosystem, and customer collaboration, are equally vital."

MEMS Executive Congress attendees will get the chance to engage with Gregg during the Q&A immediately following his presentation.