ST's sensors have been widely incorporated into numerous useful, fun, and valuable applications, such as game consoles, smartphones, tablets, and navigation systems, as well as weather gauges, bicycle helmets, smartwatches and sports watches, and other sports equipment, and automotive and Internet of Things (IoT) products.

In addition, ST's sensors have been applied to the design of a wide variety of applications. Examples include a physical therapy monitoring device that helps monitor and correct movement, an input device that recognizes difficult gestures such as signature recognition, safety equipment that protects the stroller itself and the baby attempting to escape, and a snake-shaped underwater robot showcased at an international design contest.

Jeremie Bouchaud, Director and Principal Analyst for MEMS and Sensors at IHS, said, “As the added value of sensors and micro-actuators is added to interest in the Internet of Things and wearable applications, there is an increasing number of new applications that will drive the continued growth of the market,” adding, “ST is solidifying its position as the company with the broadest product portfolio in the industry for its extensive range of sensors and micro-actuators.”

Based on high-quality manufacturing and ST’s strong design technology and expertise, ST’s sensors and micro-actuators are also being applied in applications in the automotive, healthcare, and health[vi] fields where reliability is critical. ST's micro-actuators enable inkjet printing, autofocus in digital cameras, and image projection functions in ultra-mobile projectors.

Benedetto Vigna, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Analog, MEMS, and Sensors Group at ST, emphasized, “In the future, sensors and micro-actuators will make life safer and products more convenient to use, contributing significantly to improving the quality of life at home, at work, and in leisure, and ST is just at the beginning of this.” He added, “ST’s solutions have the most diverse portfolio, making them ideal for the rapidly changing industry, and through continuous innovation, we are the only company capable of improving everyone’s lives at home, in the car, and at work.”

ST, a one-stop supplier of MEMS sensors and micro-actuators, offers the industry's broadest portfolio of micromechanical accelerometers, gyroscopes, microphones, pressure gauges, geomagnetic, temperature and humidity sensors, and micro-actuators, and has shipped a total of over 8.5 billion MEMS devices to date.

In this extensive portfolio from ST, the capabilities of multi-sensor and micro-actuator combo products can be combined with on-board signal processing, control functions, and sensor fusion algorithms, and can also be integrated with ST's wireless connectivity, analog and power management functions, and microcontrollers to realize complete smart sensing and actuation solutions.

ST is at the forefront of MEMS technology development through a portfolio of over 1,000 MEMS-related patents and close cooperative relationships with major players in the market.

Additional information

MEMS sensors and micro-actuators are high-end mass-productionIt is an extremely thin mechanical structure precisely fabricated from silicon using precision semiconductor manufacturing technology. Sensors and actuators are transducers that convert energy from one form to another.

Sensors generally convert mechanical force into electrical force. An example is an accelerometer, which measures the mass deviation applied to a spring due to acceleration and converts it into an electrical signal. The greater the acceleration, the greater the deviation, which increases the strength of the electrical signal.

On the other hand, micro-actuators convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. These devices operate in applications such as inkjet printers that precisely spray ink onto paper and digital camera autofocus systems that control lens modules.

Detailed information about ST's complete MEMS portfolio can be found on the website (www.st.com/mems).