Abstract
MARKET TRENDS
Integration of MEMS components and sensors is not new to the mobile phone
industry. For example, FBAR RF filters and silicon microphones have been
integrated on our mobile phones since 2002. More recently, MEMS accelerometers
have been established as a "must-have" feature for many smartphones and
feature-phones. And other types of sensors, like CMOS image sensors, have
experienced a large success in the recent years.
But the mobile phone market is changing extremely quickly. It appears that in
2010 we are at a turning point in the history of MEMS & sensors for handsets:
the market for MEMS & sensors will experience double digit growth, from $3.55B
in 2009 to $7.91B in 2015.
We have identified several factors explaining why MEMS & sensors will
experience this tremendous growth over the next few years:
- Share of smartphones is rising faster than ever: 44% of the mobile phones
will be smartphones in 2015. Success of smartphones is leading to an
increasing amount of MEMS & sensors in mobile phones to provide new features/
services to end-users, to reduce cost through more integration or to improve
hardware performance
- GPS integration is not limited to high-end phones anymore. Nearly one
phone in three will incorporate GPS in 2010. This is an additional driver to
integrate motion sensors: when combined with compass, accelerometers or
gyroscopes, this enables new services to be deployed
- The RF part of cell phones is currently changing very quickly, with more
and more multi-band multi-mode mobile phones. The incoming deployment of new
standards (LTE network in particular) has a direct impact on RF components and
will open new doors for online services using an increasing amount of sensors
One striking illustration on how quickly things can happen in the mobile phone
industry is the recent release of iPhone 4, the first mobile phone to
integrate a MEMS gyroscope, followed a few days later by the announcement of
InvenSense IPO. The gyroscope business is now expected to boom very quickly:
we believe that the gyroscope market for mobile phones will be more than $80M
in 2010 already. We believe strongly that the impact of gyroscopes on the user
experience will be as high as the accelerometer case. Only 3 years ago the
first accelerometers were integrated on mobile phones, at a price level
similar to gyroscopes today. Now accelerometers are viewed as commodity
products in some platforms and their penetration should be above one third of
cell phones in 2010. Total motion sensor market for mobile phone will reach
$1.19Bin 2015, with a 25.3% CAGR.
Gyroscopes are not predicted to be the only "killer app" in handsets for the
years to come. Many other signifcant changes are also expected:
- While the accelerometer and compass try to offer differentiating features,
gyroscopes are now entering the mobile phone business, and efforts are also
put on pressure sensors. Combo of motion sensors with an increasing processing
part are now in development
- RF filters, variable capacitors and silicon MEMS oscillators should
benefit from the changes occurring at the radiofront end level, from the
increasing market for duplexers to the LTE impact on multi-mode phones.
- Silicon microphones are being accepted by the handset market. The cost
benefit of ECM tends to decrease, and silicon microphones offer many other
advantages. The emergence of dual-microphone solutions for ambient noise
cancellation is going to push this business.
- Numerous innovative developments in the optical MEMS area are observed.
Integrated picoprojectors could make the micromirror market take off, while
new microdisplay concepts expect to widely decrease power consumption.
- CMOS image sensors are already a very big business. The battle is intense
between the competitors to develop the next key features such as BSI, WLO,
autofocus solutions or stabilization.
- Several other emerging sensors have been identified, with the potential to
become new killer applications in 5 to 10 years: microspeakers, environmental
sensors...
Such an attractive market brings with it intense competition between players.
We can observe very quick changes in the supply chain since 2 years with the
emergence of new players, the alliances between companies and regular
fundraising / acquisitions, in particular when it comes to startups. IDMs such
as ST Microelectronics have been established as business leaders, by offering
reliable components, high level of customer support, an extensive product
portfolio and huge price reduction. However few fabless companies have been
successful and several innovative fabless start-ups are expected to impact the
market within a few years.
COMPANY INDEX
3M, AgileRF, Aichi Steel, AKM, Akustica, Alces Technology, Alps Electric,
Analog Devices, Apple, Aptina Imaging, Artificial Muscle, Asahi, Atmel,
Audiopixels, Authentec, Auxitrol, Avago, Baolab, BEI Kimco Magnetics, Best
Sound Electronics, Bluechiip, Bosch Sensortec, Btendo, Cambridge Mechatronics,
Carnegie Mellon University, Cavendish Kinetics, CEA Leti, Ceradyne,
ChipSensors, CSEM, Cypress, Dai Nippon Printing, Deep Di Semiconductor,
DelfMEMS, Discera, Domintech, DXO, Epcos, Epson, Epson Toyocom, Fox
Electronics, Fraunhofer IZM, Freescale, Fujitsu, G-TEK Scientific, Hamamatsu,
HDK hokuriku, Hillcrest Lab, Hiperscan, Honda/Stanford University, Honeywell,
Hosiden, HT Micro, IBM, iC Haus, ICT, IDT, IMEC, Infineon, Intersil,
Invensense, Jyve, KDS, Kionix, Knowles Acoustics, Kyocera, Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory, Lemoptix, Lensvector, LG, Light Blue Optics, LighTuning /
Egis Technology, Linear Technology, M2E power, Maradin Technologies, Maxim,
Mcube, MEMSIC, Memsmart, Memsmeriz, Memstech, Micro infinity, Microflown
Technologies, Microsemi, Microvision, Miradia, MIT, Mitsubishi, Mitsumi
Electric, Mobius microsystem, Motorola, Movea, MTI Fuel Cell, Murata, MyFC,
NDK, New Scale Technologies, Nippon Signal, Nokia, NPC, NTT Docomo, Nuvoton
Technology, NXP, Olympus, Omnivision, Omron, Optotune, Opus Microsystems,
Osram, Panasonic, Paratek, Pegrine SC, Pixart, Pixtronix, Polight, Powermat,
Qualcomm, Qualtre, Rakon, RFMD, RIM, Rohm, Samsung, Sand9, Seiko Instruments,
Senda Micro Technologies, Senodia, SenseAir, Sensirion, Sensor Platforms,
SETi, Sharp, Siimpel, Silicon Clocks, Silicon Labs, SiTime, Siward, Skyworks,
Sony, SonyEricsson, ST Microelectronics, Taiyo Yuden, Tessera, Texas Advanced
Optoelectronic Solutions, Texas Instruments, Tohoku University, Toshiba,
Triquint, TXC, Unipixel, Upek, Varioptic, Vasstek, Veratag, Virtus Advanced
Sensors, Vishay, VTI, VTT, Wacoh, Wispry, Xiamen Hualian Electronics Company,
Yamaha, Yishay Sensor, ZTE.
Table of Contents
Introduction, Definitions & Methodology 3
Executive Summary 14
1. Mobile Phone Market Overview 28
2. MEMS & Sensors for Mobile Phones: 2009-2015 Market Overview 35
3. Supply Chain Analysis 52
- " Business Models of Device Suppliers
- Strategy of the key MEMS players
4. Motivation to Integrate MEMS Devices and Market Dynamics 68
5. Motion Sensors and Pressure Sensors 74
- Overview
- MEMS Accelerometers
- MEMS Gyroscopes
- Electronic Compass
- Inertial Measurement Units & Other Motion SensorClusters
- Pressure Sensors
6. RF Devices 147
- Analysis: Evolution of the Radio Front-End Module
- BAW Filters and Duplexers
- MEMS Switches and Variable Capacitors
- Silicon MEMS Oscillators
7. Silicon Microphones 207
8. Optical MEMS for Display and Projection 234
- Micromirrors for Picoprojectors
- Microdisplays
9. CMOS Image sensors and MEMS Auto Focus 261
- CMOS Image Sensors
- MEMS AF & Microzoom
10. Emerging sensors for Mobile Phones 291
- Ambient Light Sensors & Proximity Sensors
- Energy harvesting
- Micro fuel cells
- Microspeakers
- Fingerprint sensors
- RFID
- Environmental and biologic sensors: temperature, humidity, gas...
Conclusion 329
