Other US Silicon
MEMS Companies
Analog Devices
Analog was the first company to introduce a semiconductor accelerometer suitable
for automotive air bag applications. This was based upon surface micromachining
in silicon and developed in conjunction with MIT. They have looked at other
sensors. Like most analog semiconductor manufactures including National Semiconductor,
Linear Technology, Maxim and Telcom Semiconductor they offer silicon temperature
sensors based upon the band gap effect in silicon developed by Bob Dobkin,
who is well known in the industry for his work on band gap references.
Data Instruments Acton, Mass
While this was written primarily for an audience familiar with Data Instruments
there may be some readers not familiar with the company. Therefore a brief
description is in order. I first worked with DI in 1982. We had some isolated
pressure sensors I did not want to continue manufacturing at Sensym that
were part of the acquisition. I approached Data Instruments about having
them supply us a part we would private label and sell. While the business
didn't amount to much the process allow me to make first contact with some
of the people at Data Instruments. By my understanding DI is the only employee
owned sensor company. Ed Colbert is the founder, current Chairman of the
Board and remains the largest shareholder. Ed, however, has allowed the
employees to participate in the success of the company such that now the
employees as a group own a significant portion of the company. Peter Russo,
President, joined the company in the early eighties out of the Harvard
Business School with his MBA. Peter has successfully managed the company
from a small pressure sensor company to a global company capable of being
the largest sensor company in the world within the next couple of years.
I merged NeXt Sensors with Data Instruments in the hope of contibuting
to that goal.
Delco Electronics Indiana
Without question, Delco has the largest silicon sensor capacity in the world.
Currently they are able to process tens of millions of pressure sensors and
crash sensors. They are strictly an automotive supplier. They periodically
have interests in other markets. However they lack the infrastructure to
address markets other than automotive. They have some of the best sensor
manufacturing technology in the world.
Dresser Industries CT
Dresser's is focused on very low pressure using technology developed by Captorr
using silicon variable capacitance. They have a very good, expensive technology
capable of providing excellent products for measuring less than one inch
water full scale pressure.
Ford PA
Completely captive to Ford. Historically they have provided one half of the
SCAP devices used by Ford. This work is based upon the efforts of Joe Giachinno
of Ford, MI. The SCAP is Joe's original work and he managed develop within
Ford and between National Semiconductor and Motorola AIEG.
Keller America now Keller-PSI
In the early eighties Hans Keller and Art Zias started Keller America. Dick
Grove provided some sales assistance. The operation was started to provide
sales and marketing for Keller's products in North America and to develop
an ASIC using PROM compensation similar to the work being done at the same
time by Roger Reinhart at Atmos. PSI, a company in Virginia represented by
Dick Grove, became interested in Keller America for using their compensation
for some cryogenic pressure sensors. Doug Juanarena had purchased PSI from
his partner in the late eighties. Doug struck a deal with Hans, Art and Dick
such that Keller America became part of PSI and thus Keller-PSI was created.
Kulite Semiconductor
One of the oldest semiconductor based sensor manufacturers in the world. Much
of the fabrication technology was developed by Joe Mallon during his time
at Kulite in the 1970's.
Measurement Specialties
MSI is the only publicly owned sensor company. They have manufacturing in China.
Their main business is consumer related products. The principles are ex Kulite
employees. With the recent addition of Joe Mallon as president the company
is attempting to shift product focus to other, non consumer, markets.
Motorola AIEG
The first sensors manufactured by this group were based upon the Ford SCAP
(silicon capacitive absolute pressure) sensors developed by Ford and National
Semiconductor. More recently sensors for fuel vapor recovery and MAP sensors
have utilized piezoresistive sensors of the semiconductor group. This is
currently a source of litigation between Sensym and Motorola. The group has
manufacturing near Chicago and in Buffalo, New York.
Motorola Semiconductor
Their effort started with work developed by John Gragg and Carl Derrington
in the mid 1970's using shear strain piezoresistive structures for manifold
absolute pressure sensors. Today they are the largest non captive manufacturer
of silicon based sensors in the world. The semiconductor group is currently
investing heavily in accelerometers and chemical sensors.
PSI Virginia
See reference above under Keller-PSI. PSI uses silicon sensor die from various
sources for high end pressure sensors including cryogenic applications.
PSI Tronics CA
PSI specializes in using silicon gages for isolated pressure sensors and digital
gauges. Until Span developed another technology for use in their semiconductor
gas cabinet sensors Span was a significant customer for PSI.
Span TX
Span is in the process of replacing sensors based upon silicon gauges with
thin film based sensors. They only serve the high purity semiconductor market.
Sensotec Ohio
Sensotec is owned by John Easton and is a silently, successful company in the
sensor/transducer business. Their sales level put them in the top tier of
suppliers. They focus on small, high value added and high margin markets
with what ever technology is necessary to be competitive.
SSI-Controls Technology Wisconsin.
Automotive speed sensor company with current activities targeting pressure
sensors using technology developed at University of Wisconsin. The pressure
sensors are in development for automotive applications with other applications
also possible. They are currently having technical difficulties. Recently
they lost the services of the one of the best automotive sensors marketing
specialist, Alby Berman, who had previously worked for Fasco.
Company post obitum
In addition to several companies mentioned above that have entered and exited
the sensor business the following lists some additional companies.
Ametek PRT division
Ametek entered the silicon sensor business to provide components for isolated,
fluid filled industrial sensors and transducers. They did so by investing
in a semiconductor fab. They learned after a short period of time they could
not generate enough revenue to absorbed the overhead costs of the fab. They
closed the fab portion of the operation. They continue manufacturing pressure
sensors but now buy the sensor in die form and complete the remainder of
the sensor.
Burr-Brown
Their effort failed as is only appropriate for a company whose comment concerning
the technology was "How difficult can it be? It's only four resistors
in a piece of silicon."
Microsensors, Inc. Chicago,
IL
Microsensors was funded by Knowles. The company ceased operation several years
ago. Although sensors are sill used by Knowles for hearing aid applications.
The technology developed at Microsensors used silicon variable capacitance
in conjunction with CMOS circuitry to provide an integrated structure. Their
work can be reviewed in several patents that may, or may not be currently maintained.
The business was for sale for about one year with no takers.
Rohm Sunnyvale, CA
Rohm has been the primary foundry for Exar since the operation was sold to
Rohm several years ago. They have also been the foundry of choice for SMI.
Within the past couple years the relationship between the parties strained
and Rohm created a micromachining business that was managed by Taka Otagowa.
This lasted a very short time period.
Seaway Semiconductor
I include Seaway as having been in the business and then gone out of the business
but I'm not sure they were ever really in the business, in spite of the fact
that I've visited and toured their facility.
Spectramed Oxnard, CA
Spectramed was the first high volume manufacturer of a sensor similar to today's
blood pressure sensor. They were unable to compete with the larger medical
companies. Some of their assets and people are now working on a silicon based
sensor effort for Kavlico. Technology was developed by Buzz Moran.
SRI Menlo Park
Mark Madou did a leverage buyout of the MEMS technology at SRI with funding
from Teknekron, creating Teknekron Sensor Development. The level of investment
and the multiple placed upon this investment couple with additional investments
created a business with a paper valuation far in excess of what the business
could ever be worth. This was the beginning of the end for the company.
Texas Instruments Gmbh
Located near Munich until 1994 the facility produced piezoresistive pressure
sensors manufactured in Slovania by Iskra and shipped to PV Berg. The business
was never large enough to support the effort.
Sensors in the Universities
Case Western
The oldest active silicon sensor based research in the United States. It's
activities are the result of Professor When Ko. Most of their work has been
funded by the National Institute of Health.
MIT
I am not as familiar with the work at MIT. It looks to be mostly under the
direction of Steve Santori and to involve surface micromachining and interconnect
technology.
Stanford University
The original work was initiated by Prof. Angel and carried on by Kendall Wise.
Most of this work was funded by the National Institute of Health and was
most active in the seventies. Several companies started from the efforts
that had there origins at Stanford, none with any notable success to date.
UC Berkeley
The University at Berkeley has had, for at least twenty years, two significant
efforts in sensors one for physical sensors and one for chemical sensors.
The physical sensor effort has avoided tradition transduction effect sensors
and focused more on micromechanical structures such as micromotors, micropumps
and microvalves. Very little of their work has managed to be transferred
into any viable commercial application.
UC Davis
A very small effort has been funded for about ten years applicable to sensors
and other semiconductor processing.
University of Michigan
The program at the University of Michigan was started by Kendall Wise when
he left Stanford. They have maintain this sensor research and development
for over twenty years. It is some of the more significant work in the field.
They are funded by both the automotive industry and the government. Most
of their work has been with computer simulation of physical structures and
the use of computer models for predictive analysis.
University of Washington
Washington has both chemical and physical sensor work active. The facility,
when I last visited, was excellent for state of the art processing. At the
time the groups involved with sensors and the funding for this effort was
done so to stimulate small business development in the sensor area and create
Washington based companies. To date there has been no indication that this
has been successful.
University of Wisconsin
Professor Guckell has receive excellent reviews for the sensor groups work
under his direction at the University of Wisconsin. They do a lot of work
in both bulk and surface micromachining and in conjunction with standard
CMOS processing and IC signal conditioning. They have successfully licensed
their technology, most notably some to SSI in Wisconsin.
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