The modern vehicle is racking up more and more features by the day as industries push towards connected and automated mobility. Along with a host of vital components, Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology is quickly asserting itself as a critical automotive design fixture.
Due to MEMS potential for high performance, small size, and cost effectiveness, the scope of its vehicle inclusion has widened. As modern cars contiue to include advanced safety features, fuel consumption reductions, and maintenance systems, MEMS sensor applications will continue its rise.
ECN had the pleasure of connecting with Christophe Zinck, Senior Application Engineering Manager at ASE Group, to get an inside look at the future of MEMS sensors and advanced chip packaging in the automotive world.
ECN: Please give a little background on MEMS sensors’ climb into the automotive space.
Zinck: MEMS and sensors have been well-deployed in the automotive space for many years now. However in modern times, new applications are emerging; especially for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), like LIDAR, and infotainment (touchless control, windshield display, etc.). In general, well-established MEMS devices for under-the-hood applications are now moving from “old” package platforms (such as SO, DIP, or unibody) to leadless platforms (like CLCC or PMQFN), while new devices for infotainment are more often using “consumer” type packages.
Below is a graphic on MEMS and sensors ATV safety packages.
ECN: What are the benefits to using MEMS sensors and advanced chip packaging in connected cars?
Zinck: For advanced Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductors (CMOS) in cars, ADAS deployment requires new sensors, as there is a need for a very high level of computing locally to transmit, analyze, and process the immense volume of data emanating from within vehicles today.
ECN: What current or new applications will increase the demand for automotive MEMS?
Zinck: Demand for automotive MEMS is being driven by an increasing number of significant applications. Some examples include:
- For ADAS: IR sensors, near IR sensors, CIS, and LIDAR.
- For infotainment: optical sensors for touchless gesture recognition, gas sensors for in-car air control, IR sensors for driver control to thermal check brain activity, micro mirror for display, and so on.
ECN: What are some design/implementation obstacles that engineers are facing with MEMS technology? How do designers plan to address these challenges?
Zinck: Within the MEMS and sensors manufacturing arena, the main challenges relate to packaging. At this stage, it is proving difficult to standardize packaging for such devices, therefore, each sensor is currently produced with its own unique package. This impacts cost significantly, so the engineering community is always exploring ways to create more cost-effective solutions.
ECN: In the foreseeable future, what role will MEMS sensors and advanced chip packaging play in the automotive industry?
Zinck: Both MEMS and advanced chip packaging will each play a pivotal role, but MEMS and sensors are only the eyes and ears of the car. Data treatment and actions (such as super application processors) will become a major factor in autonomous driving deployment, as the system will have to analyze a large quantity of data from various sensors in an extremely short amount of time (probably µsec or even faster), and then react very fast. To make this a reality, the automotive industry is in need of advanced CMOS technology.
