Sensors Converge 2025

Join us for a half-day workshop on advancing MEMS, where top industry experts will explore cutting-edge sensor technologies and manufacturing trends. From MEMS market innovations to optical switching for AI data centers, photonics, and next-gen micro speakers, this is a must-attend session for anyone in the MEMS and sensing space.

1:00 PM – Moderator Welcome - SEMI MSIG Overview/Polling
Paul Carey, Ph.D., Director MSIG, SEMI

1:15 PM – MEMS market briefing – all eyes on innovation
Clyde Midelet, Sr. Technology & Market Analyst, MEMS & Sensing, YOLE

1:30 PM – Challenges in Modeling and Simulation of MEMS
Jan Mehner, Managing Director, i-ROM

In this presentation, we will introduce our proven device simulation software that has been integrating MEMS design concepts and automatically generating models for 20 years. We present a complex 3-axis gyroscope use-case and highlight how analytical models enable rapid component design prototyping for complete sensor designs. Additionally, we discuss the impact of non-linear mechanics, the computation of damping matrices and the ability to perform fully coupled harmonic simulations of different physical domains in short computation times. Finally, we demonstrate automated model extraction techniques required for additional signal processing, which can be used to provide customers with digital behavioral models of sensor performance for use in simulating and designing their systems. The presentation will conclude with automated GDS layout extraction for manufacturing.

1:50 PM – MEMS Foundry Offerings
Ardy Sidhwa, Ph.D., CTO, Noel Technologies

NOEL Technologies, a Silicon Valley MEMS foundry, excels in microfabrication, offering advanced lithography, deep etching, thin-film deposition, and multi-layer integration. Their facility supports wafer diameters from 50 mm to 300 mm, enabling both prototyping and full-scale production. The recent acquisition by Pure Wafer has expanded NOEL’s capabilities, adding high-purity silicon substrates and exotic thin films. This collaboration enhances device performance and yield for next-gen sensors, supporting IoT, biomedical, and industrial applications. Dr. Ardy Sidhwa will discuss NOEL’s Lab-on-Fab process, highlighting advancements that enable superior device performance, faster prototyping, and scalable production solutions.

2:10 PM – Commercializing PZT MEMS for High-Performance Actuators and Transducers
Hiroshi Miyajima, Ph.D., Fellow, ICT Division, MEMS Infinity, Sumitomo Precision Products Co. Ltd.

Piezoelectric (PZT) MEMS materials are versatile, converting electrical fields to strain and vice versa with simpler designs than capacitive MEMS. Thin-film PZT MEMS offer numerous advantages, including large displacements for applications like micromirrors and piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (pMUTs).
This presentation covers:

• Advantages of PZT MEMS over capacitive MEMS
• Benefits for applications requiring large transducer displacements
• MEMS Infinity’s commercialization support, from concept to mass production, leveraging their alliance with A.M. Fitzgerald & Associates.

2:30 PM - Break
 
2:40 PM – Photonic MEMS Technology
Rodion Kononchuk, Ph.D., MEMS Developer, A.M. Fitzgerald & Associates

3:00 PM – Scaling Optical Circuit Switching with Next-Generation MEMS for AI and Hyperscale Data Centers
Eric Aguilar, CEO, Omnitron Sensors

As AI workloads and hyperscale data centers push networking limits, optical circuit switching (OCS) is emerging as a solution to overcome bandwidth bottlenecks, reduce energy consumption, and enhance scalability. Omnitron Sensors is pioneering MEMS-based OCS technology with unprecedented switching speeds, lower latency, and higher switch counts. Built on high Figure of Merit (FoM) MEMS mirror design, Omnitron’s architecture eliminates I/O limitations, increases tilt angles, and supports higher port counts and larger arrays. This simplifies manufacturing, reduces defect densities, improves reliability, and lowers costs. Eric Aguilar will discuss how Omnitron’s MEMS innovation is reshaping optical networking, enhancing manufacturability, cost-efficiency, and long-term reliability for next-gen data centers.

3:20 PM – Hot topic using existing sensors in new markets
Marcellino Gemelli, Sr. Manager, Business Development, Bosch

3:40 PM – PiezoMEMS Innovations in Speakers and Thermal Management
Mike Housholder, VP Marketing and Business Development at xMEMS Labs, Inc., XMEMs

xMEMS Labs is revolutionizing silicon MEMS with its innovative piezoMEMS platform, producing voltage-controlled airflow devices like micro speakers and pumps. Starting with the world’s first solid-state True MEMS speakers for earbuds, xMEMS will launch full-bandwidth MEMS speakers for various devices in 2025. Recently, xMEMS introduced the world’s first μCooling fan-on-a-chip, the smallest active cooling device, enhancing thermal management for smartphones, SSDs, XR, and datacenter servers.