Industry Expert Blogs

Micromachined chips promise much, which is why every time they turn up in a new system — such as the Nunchuk controller in the Nintendo Wii or the motion sensor in the iPhone — it’s tempting to herald a new dawn for MEMS. It’s invariably a case of “this time it’s all going to happen for MEMS”.

But some big problems still face MEMS. It’s not as cheap to make as you’d expect and the one thing you’d expect manufacturers would have down to a fine art — integration with other microelectronics — is still not easy to do. It’s even hard to package the things. They often need to be carefully sealed using special caps to stop moisture disrupting their delicate inner workings.

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