Tech Briefs Magazine - June 2022 - 22

Sensors/MEMS
tured component, will drive both
innovative concepts and solutions
as well as inspire and motivative
the most creative minds in
industry today. As industries are
called upon to simultaneously
develop and deploy critical technologies,
such as bolometers, biosensors,
and other sequencing
and analyzation tools, the advancements
in process technology,
engineering, and component
manufacturing necessary to support
them will benefit from past
adversity and our innovations
will be pushed to supply and support
these required solutions.
Jim Garstka, VP Sales, Plasma
Therm
Plasma Therm produces a broad line of plasma etch and
deposition equipment from its St. Petersburg Florida
headquarters supporting the 200mm and 300mm silicon
MEMS and semiconductor sectors. (Image: Plasma Therm)
heads-up devices, as well being able to
leverage our established regional offices
and technology teams enabled us to safely
meet, and even exceed, the commitments
to our customers.
Looking forward, Sensors/MEMS,
more than any other micro-manufacThe
impacts of COVID-19
have affected everyone, in many
ways since it was first cast upon
us in early 2020. We have experienced
significant supply chain
challenges and minor personnel
disruptions and continue
into 2022, resulting in some
shipment delays and increases
to our standard lead times. In some cases,
lead times have increased by 4 to 12
weeks depending on the application
configuration and platform type.
To help reduce the overall lead time
issue directly affecting our customers, we
have continued a path of vertical integration,
implementing new methods of
cross-training, significantly increased
hiring, and proactively partnered with
key suppliers.
COVID-19 has presented us with both
challenges and opportunities. We fully
expect the overall demand for our plasma
etch, deposition, material modification
and die singulation process equipment
to continue to increase faster than
the industry average.
Materials
Anna-Riikka Vuorikari-Antikainen, CCO,
Okmetic, and Chair of Semi Silicon Manufacturers'
Group
Strong growth is expected to continue
until 2026 with CAGR being approximately
7 percent. The increasing popularity of
IoT in semiconductors, increasing demand
for smart consumer electronics and
wearable devices, and growing adoption
of automation in industries and homes
are some of the growth drivers for the
MEMS and Sensors market.
The rapid market growth and technology
advancements put more pressure on
the size, performance, and integration
of MEMS and Sensor devices and on
their streamlined and cost-effective manufacture.
These factors have driven new
requirements also upstream the semiconductor
supply chain.
Silicon wafers' importance on device
performance, Total Cost of Ownership,
and time to market has been recognized
and co-operation between silicon wafer
suppliers and device manufacturers is increasing.
Thus, the demand trend toward
device and process-optimized wafer
solutions is expected to continue.
Foundries
Claude Jean, EVP/GM, Teledyne Dalsa
Semiconductor
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated
a situation in the supply chain
that would have emerged anyway in
2020-2021. The semiconductor industry's
bad management of historically
repetitive up and down cycles is well
known. COVID-19 has caused several
interruptions in the already complex
semiconductor supply chain, and
therefore, a perfect storm.
Silicon and silicon on insulator wafers are the platform from which all MEMS and semiconductor
devices are manufactured. The 200mm and 300mm wafers are produced at the Okmetic's Finland
facility. (Image: Okmetic)
22
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Our 2020 and 2021 growth came
mostly from new products and new markets
and driven by real end demand.
Unlike during pervious cycles, we see
suppliers limited not only by Covid absenteeism,
but also by government mandates
dictating where suppliers should
Tech Briefs, June 2022
TB Feature 2 0622_1.indd 22
Cov
ToC
5/19/22 2:25 PM

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Tech Briefs Magazine - June 2022

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