SMIC successfully qualifies MEMS chip for Microstaq

SHANGHAI, CHINA & AUSTIN, USA: Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) and Microstaq, developer of the world's most advanced silicon MEMS-based fluid control technology, announced the successful function qualification of Microstaq's unique Ventilum MEMS-based chip.

"We have received die and run internal testing against our performance specification," stated Mark Luckevich, VP of Engineering at Microstaq, "The Ventilum chips received are of the highest grade and we look forward to our technology being adapted into the HVAC and refrigeration markets."

"This is an exciting milestone that marks SMIC's MEMS technology progress," says Chioufeng Chen, VP of Marketing & Sales at SMIC, "MEMS is a potential market, with the uniqueness of its processes varying on the products and application. The achievement indicates SMIC has established capability of comprehensive MEMS process flow."

In second quarter of 2008, SMIC started to offer MEMS foundry service. Now SMIC has the capability for all major MEMS process flows and related modules. SMIC has since working closely with customers on MEMS products including Optical MEMS, microphone, accelerometer, RF MEMS, microdisplay, etc.

"We are very optimistic about the future of MEMS industry," says Daniel Fu, Associate VP of Technology Development on MEMS at SMIC, "SMIC is committed to providing MEMS service at various levels. We are now working with technical partners on monolithic CMOS-MEMS integration, as well as WLP (Wafer Level Packaging).

"In addition, we have started coordination with several China universities and institutes to develop MEMS platform process, helping customers to streamline MEMS design and prototyping with shorter time-to-market."

Microstaq's new Ventilum chip technology is the industry's latest advancement in state of the art electronic valves. Not only does the Ventilum valve use less energy than traditional valves, but when integrated with advanced sensing and controls, Ventilum technology reduces energy consumption in air conditioning systems by up to 25 percent.