MAY 15--The Dalsa Corp. (Waterloo, ON, Canada;www.dalsa.com) semiconductor foundry in Bromont, Quebec, has received an order for approximately $9 million for MEMS-based sensor solutions from a foundry customer in the automotive industry. The production order is expected to be delivered over the next 18 months.
The MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) order is one of several Dalsa has received in the past year from the automotive sector. MEMS combine microcircuits with sensors, valves, gears, mirrors, and actuators embedded in silicon chips. They can be found in accelerometers in airbags, low-tire-pressure sensors, vehicle-stability controls, and rollover detection sensors. Other markets for MEMS include RF, BioMEMS, information technology, industrial, and photonics.
"The investment we made in MEMS infrastructure in 2002 at the Bromont facility is paying off," comments Savvas Chamberlain, chief executive officer of Dalsa. "This order shows progress in our plan to achieve a balanced portfolio of semiconductor specialty processes. Our QS-9000 certification and demonstrated MEMS capability positions DALSA to address the opportunities in automotive and other market sectors. We look forward to quickly ramping up this order, while pursuing new MEMS business with existing and potential customers."