ST uses Omron MEMS microphone in multi-die package

Peter Clarke

EE Times (11/25/2009 11:04 AM ET)

LONDON — STMicroelectronics NV (Geneva, Switzerland) has started selling MEMS microphones that use sensor technology from Omron Corp. and has asserted that this will improve the sound quality, reliability, and cost-effectiveness for voice applications in cell phones, wireless devices and games.

Samples of digital MEMS microphones that integrate ST's electronic control circuit and Omron's micro-machined sensor in a single package will be available before the end of 2009, at less than one dollar for large-volume orders.

MEMS microphones offer additional features such as noise suppression and directionality, useful to determine and filter out noise. Superior performance can be gained by deploying multiple MEMS microphones in one device. Such microphone arrays improve noise cancellation.

"We're aiming to increase the size of the MEMS microphone market by an order of magnitude," said Benedetto Vigna, general manager of the MEMS and Healthcare division of STMicroelectronics, in a statement. "This market can explode only with big and long-term committed suppliers, operating their own leading-edge MEMS fabs. Working together with our Japanese friends, we'll drive the microphone market growth as we have done in motion sensors."

"Omron is ready to support ST in shortening product development cycles and time-to-volume for high-performance, cost-competitive silicon acoustic devices, accelerating the growth of the MEMS market and the development of new application areas such as voice-enabled gaming, automotive voice systems, acoustic sensors for industry and security applications, and medical telemetry," said Yoshio Sekiguchi, general manager of the micro devices division of Omron, in the same statement.

The market for micro-machined acoustic devices for consumer electronics and mobile handsets is forecast to grow at a revenue CAGR of 18 percent between 2008 and 2013, when it will exceed one billion parts per year, ST said referencing iSuppli as its source.

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