NSTAR News
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
MEMS Tool Market On The Rebound
MEMS device demand has held steadier than the overall semiconductor market, but the market for equipment to make MEMS devices has struggled like the overall chip tools sector — but now it’s poised to surge ahead of the broader sector, according to an industry analyst.
The breadth of different MEMS devices — e.g., accelerometers, digital mirror displays, gyroscopes, microfluidic devices, microphones, and pressure sensors — helped keep the sector afloat even as general IC demand fell off a cliff. MEMS device sales actually rose 1.2% in 2008 vs. a -2.8% in the general semiconductor picture, and are seen increasing another 1.7% in 2009 vs. a -21.6% plunge for chips.