Silicon Microstructures, Inc. (SMI, Website: http://www.si-micro.com), located in Milpitas, CA is a supplier of both standard and custom pressure sensors and other microstructures. Customers range from automotive users to companies requiring precision sensors for medical and industrial applications. SMI's capabilities include business development, design, qualification, MEMS foundry manufacturing, and customer support.
Silicon Microstructures, Inc. (SMI) was founded in 1991 as a commercial source of high-performance silicon pressure sensors and accelerometers. Its first product was a silicon sensor for very low-pressure. Throughout its history, SMI has applied high volume microstructure manufacturing processes and process control to a wide variety of sensors.
In April 2001, a new milestone in SMI's development was reached when SMI became a subsidiary of Elmos Semiconductor AG. The resulting access to Elmos circuit and system design and 6-inch foundry launches SMI on a path to next generation products. These include higher performance, system level sensors and microstructures, wireless, RF and bus addressable microstructures, and further reduction in manufacturing costs.
In August 2002, SMI acquired the IC Sensors' wafer fab operations and wafer R&D group and relocated to Milpitas, California. The following year, SIlicon Microstructures undertook a significant and complete wafer fab upgrade to expand the facility for full 6" wafer handling. This facility is currently processing primarily 6 inch wafers and has advanced etch capabilities including Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) and Plasma Enhanced Fusion Bonding.
SMI Products
In addition to silicon pressure sensors, SMI specializes in low-pressure (<10 mBar/0.15 PSI full scale) products. A large number of OEMs depend on SMI as a reliable high-volume supplier of low-pressure die and packaged sensors. SMI provides pressure sensor in die form and various packages including new fully amplified devices with electronic calibration. SMI currently is providing subminature die yielding over 25,000 die per wafer as well as co-intergrated die with digital signal correction and digital, as well as analog, interfacing.
Accelerometers
SMI's accelerometer focus is on high performance suspended mass structures as well as ultra-small structures to meet the demands for motion detection in a minimum die size.
MEMS
SMI designs and manufactures a variety of custom Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), including ultra-miniature catheter sensors, strain sensors, humidity sensors, accelerometer structures, custom pressure sensors and precision capacitive devices.
Custom
SMI also provides customized versions of its standard products for special applications as well as custom and high-volume packaging for specific applications.
Signal Processing and System Level Components
SMI provides full service signal processing modules (both chip sets of sensor and ASIC and cointegrated single-chip parts)
Sub-miniature Packaging
SMI has introduced a new family of package products that are compatible with standard SOIC foot-prints. These packages allow easy mounting of sensors to printed circuit boards and come in tape-and-reel configurations. SMI also offers all of its packages as RoHS compatible.