X-FAB releases ready-to-use design IP blocks for MEMS accelerometers

ERFURT, GERMANY: X-FAB Silicon Foundries added ready-to-use design IP blocks for acceleration sensors to its MEMS foundry service offerings. Developed in cooperation with MicroMountains Applications and HSG-IMIT (Institute for Microtechnology and Information Technology of Hahn-Schickard-Gesellschaft), the new IP blocks can be incorporated into customer designs of MEMS capacitive accelerometers covering 2G, 10G and 100G ranges (G = G-force).

The accelerometer IP design blocks further shorten design times and reduce customer learning cycles for new product introduction. Running on X-FAB’s advanced open platform inertial sensor process, the fully characterized IP blocks give customers the industry’s fastest development times for volume manufacture of gyroscope and accelerometer designs. The accelerometer IP provides design blocks that can be used as is for fully characterized accelerometers that are ideal for a wide range of applications – from motion sensing for games and toys to crash-detection for the automotive market.

“Working closely with HSG-IMIT and MicroMountains Applications to develop ready-to-use design IP blocks, X-FAB is changing the game and taking another step away from the one-product, one process rule that dominates MEMS,” said Iain Rutherford, Business Line Manager for MEMS, X-FAB. “By offering this IP in conjunction with our proven, inertial sensor process, we can help companies leap into the accelerometer market with the fastest development times in the industry for such a complex MEMS device.”

The IP block development was done in cooperation with MicroMountains Applications and HSG-IMIT, creating IP for three broad application spaces. Development also included finite element analysis simulation of the sensor elements to gather important information about sensitivity, shock-resistance and frequency behavior of the structures. After manufacturing the devices using X-FAB’s inertial sensor process platform, HSG-IMIT performed full characterization of the accelerometers. This was done using different rate-tables for 3-axis-simulation, temperature and vacuum in addition to shakers and temperature-chambers.

The new IP blocks are available now.