SILEX MICROSYSTEMS is a Pure Play MEMS foundry. MEMS is an acronym of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems, which are complex mechanical and electrical systems built in micro scale on one single chip. Three main categories of MEMS can be established: sensors, actuators and basic three-dimensional structures. Sensor based MEMS that determine pressure, speed, direction, position, temperature and light, are used in the automotive, life science and consumer electronics industries. Actuators work through movement and are found in optical switches, RF switches and micro robots. And typical applications for static three-dimensional MEMS structures are micro-needles and lab-on-chip products.
Since the start in 2000, Silex has been a dedicated manufacturer of customized MEMS products, operating as an independent MEMS foundry. Today we offer unparalleled processing power in the world’s single dedicated eight inch pure play MEMS foundry fab.
Mastering Process and Production Technology
Our goal is to be the industry’s most advanced and efficient provider of MEMS foundry services. By spearheading the technology and offering truly cost effective manufacturing we help customers take the full advantage of MEMS. Superior knowledge of MEMS processing and production technology is key to our ability to serve customers and contribute to making their products successful.
Customer Partnership
We try hard to build solid partnerships with our customers. Customers around the world trust us with their manufacturing needs, as a result of our unique process technologies, cost effective manufacturing and quality. We help a wide range of customers with manufacturing, from startups to large corporations, in medical, biotech, telecommunications, consumer electronics and automotive industries.
Products
We manufacture products for over 80 international customers, each one tailored for a specific customer and application. Central application areas are handheld devices and micro fluidic devices. Several of our customers products are sensor based, MEMS products that sense pressure, speed, direction, position, temperature and light.
We offer proprietary manufacturing processes that add significant value to MEMS applications. For instance does our through wafer via processes, Sil-Via™ and Met-Via™ enable MEMS designs with significantly reduced die size as well as true “Wafer Level Packaging” features. The through wafer via processes technology facilitates integration of advanced interconnect functions in optical apparatus, in sensors and in micro fluidic devices. This innovative technology can also be used to integrate analogue and digital signal processes. By inserting whole chains of vias, it is possible to electrically isolate complete coupling effects and crosstalk between electrical signals.
Manufacturing Process
Most of the steps in the MEMS manufacturing process are the same as those in the semiconductor industry. However, the production complexity of MEMS is considerably greater since they contain three-dimensional mechanical structures.
We support our customer in developing production-ready products. To do this, we include modeling and cooperative process feedback in the transfer project to make sure that every customer’s process is sufficiently robust to ensure production readiness. To achieve our goal to become the premier manufacturer of customized MEMS solutions to high tech industry, we provide differentiated service solutions to shorten ramp-up time, achieve high quality and lower manufacturing costs.
In contrast to the semiconductor industry, MEMS foundries need to manage a much wider range of processes. Although MEMS production presumably never will reach the same high degree of standardization of the CMOS ICs, Silex has recognized the urgent need for standardization within MEMS and developed a technology for production rationalization. The new technology has already improved productivity and the capability to produce increasingly sophisticated products is also greater than before. A product process designed from a combination of standard process modules rather than from a set of customized processes will undeniably reduce the set-up time as well as lessen the development cost. The technique of using standardized modules not only implies a more efficient customer production process (minimizing settings and tool changes), but also enables the design of an elevated standardized production support, we call them Standard Process Platforms. The Standard Process Platform has the benefit of being used in a multitude of products independent of product design or manufacturing methods. Besides offering further robustness and production readiness to the customer’s design, the Standard Process Platform also provides a solid foundation for further innovation of the MEMS foundry offer.
The MEMS productions is housed in a 25,000 sq ft plant outside Stockholm in Sweden with 12,000 sq ft clean room area holding the 6-inch wafer automatic equipments and another 10,000 sq ft for the new 8-inch wafer fab. To satisfy the increased production requirements of existing and new customers, we continue to invest capacity for high-volume MEMS manufacturing.
