Sand 9 & GLOBALFOUNDRIES Create Foundry For MEMS Timing Products
Sand 9, Inc., a pioneer in precision MEMS timing products for wireless and wired applications has partnered with GLOBALFOUNDRIES to support high-volume manufacturing for Sand 9 products.
Representing a multi-billion dollar market opportunity, timing devices provide the "˜heartbeat' for all electronic applications.
Historically, this need has been met by quartz crystals. Sand 9's micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) timing devices provide an alternative with performance and quality improvements over conventional quartz crystal solutions.
Sand 9 says its technology offers another advantage over quartz crystals; integration. Unlike existing quartz crystal products, Sand 9's piezoelectric MEMS products can be integrated with semiconductor component devices for applications such as mobile and consumer electronics.
Conserving board space is a significant advantage in resource-constrained applications, and the company believes that its technology differentiates it from its competitors.
"Partnering with GLOBALFOUNDRIES allows Sand 9 to meet heightened market demand for the highest-volume mobile applications, including handsets, tablets and other consumer electronics," says Vince Graziani, CEO, Sand 9.
"Our collaboration will ensure a stable, reliable supply chain for all of our customers in mobile as well as in wireline communications infrastructure, cellular base station, and test and measurement markets."
"GLOBALFOUNDRIES' partnership with Sand 9 is built on our complementary strength in the design and manufacturing of MEMS devices. For Sand 9, we have established a very cost-effective and novel MEMS process technology platform integrated with polysilicon through silicon vias (TSVs) for wafer level packaging," adds Raj Kumar, senior vice president for 200mm Business Unit & Fab 7, general manager, GLOBALFOUNDRIES Singapore.
He also points out, "Sand 9 can leverage our strong foundation in MEMS manufacturing to realise fast and reliable ramp to production to meet the market demand for MEMS devices in consumer applications."
Sand 9 believes its timing products were the first MEMS devices to use piezoelectric actuation to achieve the stringent phase noise and short-term stability requirements for wireless and wired applications. Their spurious-free resonator design, in conjunction with a low phase-noise oscillator, enables a low-jitter product, which can reduce packet loss and enhance network efficiency in communications applications.
The capability for integration, combined with high immunity to noise, shock and lead-free reflow temperatures, address quartz crystal weaknesses that system designers have been forced to work around for decades.
