To what extent will the competitiveness of the 10 key sensor elements that the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has decided to develop and localize to foster the advanced sensor industry be secured?

The government plans to support a total of KRW 150.8 billion (KRW 114.8 billion from the national budget) from this year to 2020 to intensively foster image sensors, magnetic sensors, inertial sensors, pressure sensors, radar sensors, environmental sensors, optical sensors, infrared sensors, acoustic sensors, and bio-medical sensors.

By examining the development status and development goals of these sensors, we assessed the competitiveness of the domestic sensor industry. This week, we will introduce the technologies selected for the sensor industry advanced technology development, including ▲9-axis smart motion sensor ▲metabolic volume measurement system ▲ultra-small hazardous gas sensor ▲optical sensor, and next week, in Part 2, we will introduce ▲vehicle shunt resistance current sensor ▲autonomous vehicle lidar sensor ▲79GHz vehicle radar sensor technology.

6-axis 9-axis smart motion sensor, size and price reduced

Compete with the top three overseas companies (InvenSense, ST, Bosch) by developing cutting-edge smart motion sensors.

The development of the 9-axis smart motion sensor core technology was led by Shinsung C&T, with the participation of about 10 schools and institutions, including Seoul National University and Crayon Technologies.

This project aims to reduce the size and unit price by 10% to 30% compared to overseas competitors by manufacturing a pilot-scale prototype of the world's smallest 9-axis smart motion sensor, a pilot-scale prototype of the world's smallest single-chip 6-axis inertial sensor based on semiconductor TSV, and a pilot prototype of the world's smallest 3-axis geomagnetic sensor.

▲Smartphones have become a collection of various cutting-edge sensors. The photo shows visitors looking at the latest smartphones at an exhibition.

The key to differentiating from overseas competitors is semiconductor TSV technology. Like the three major overseas companies, it applies multi-space sealed wafer-to-wafer package acceleration/gyro applications, gyro sensing part x, y gyro z gyro applications, MEMS-SoC wafer-to-wafer stacking packages, etc., but the strategy is to differentiate with a semiconductor TSV-based MEMS gyroscope.

In addition, the 6-axis inertial sensor technology is also planned to reduce package size by 30%, current consumption by 10%, and manufacturing cost by 30% compared to overseas competitors. 3-axis gyroscopes, 6-axis inertial sensors, and 9-axis smart motion sensors are essential components for smartphones and automobiles, and the technological difficulty is high, making it difficult for domestic companies to enter the market. It is analyzed that if these sensors are successfully commercialized, it can bring about import substitution and a large increase in exports.

In the future, we will supply 9-axis sensors to major domestic companies by replacing imported ones.

“In order to achieve this goal, we need to solve the following problems: sensitivity degradation due to miniaturization of the 6-axis inertial sensor; sensitivity deviation due to MEMS process errors and external environmental changes due to miniaturization; WB pad size space and multi-chip package manufacturing cost; and sensor capacitance value reduction,” said Yongguk Kim, head of research at Shinsung C&T.

In addition, CEO Kim stated, “Since there is currently no company developing a 9-axis sensor in Korea, we have selected the sensor sector as a key area for future corporate growth and will invest 2 billion won in the 9-axis sensor development sector.” The company plans to supply 9-axis sensors to major domestic companies in the future by replacing imports.

Dongkuk Innotech Co., Ltd. is the main organization developing a metabolic measurement system capable of simultaneous analysis of multiple variables (pH, dissolved oxygen, calories) of 1,000 or fewer cell samples. This project aims to develop a multivariate sensor system for measuring cell metabolism and commercialize it within three years. The product technology is to develop a high-sensitivity pH, O2, and heat sensor using BioMEMS and Microfluidic technologies and to systemically integrate and commercialize it.

Preempting BioMEMS technology with a narrow technology gap with advanced countries

Dongkuk Innotech's Research Institute Director Lee Jong-mok said, "Unlike products from advanced overseas companies, the fact that it measures calories is its competitive edge," and "Since it simultaneously measures three major variables related to cell metabolism in real time, which did not previously exist, the prospects for patent registration are bright." Through this technology, the burden of sensor maintenance and consumable purchase costs is reduced by miniaturizing and integrating the sensor, and experiments are possible with a smaller number of cells compared to existing technologies that require at least 10,000 cells. Another advantage is that the application of microfluidic technology can resolve restrictions and inconveniences in cell maintenance, such as the inability to exchange and supply CO2 under closed experimental conditions.

The head of this division said, “There is an effect in developing a new biosensor system with BioMEMS technology, which has a small technological gap with advanced countries,” and “In particular, we emphasize the differentiation of multivariate measurement and functionality specialized for drug screening, and we emphasize differentiation of automation functions compared to competitors, which enable us to provide stable supply of consumables at a lower price and immediate technical support.”

The development of the U-sensor, an ultra-small hazardous gas sensor system based on floating multi-nano elements, was led by Professor Lee Yoon-sik of Ulsan National University of Science and Technology. U-Sensor is a collective term for sensor technology and products that have secured global competitiveness, including components, materials, chips, modules, and platforms. It aims to be the world's best technology with nine types of harmful detection functions.

As global market opportunities expand in line with the IoT trend, including mobile gas sensors, vehicle air quality monitoring, and industrial complex environmental monitoring, the development of ultra-small, sensitive, simple process, low-cost, low-power consumption, high selectivity, and high-reliability U-sensor technology has become inevitable.

The airborne nanosensor platform is an improved technology for substrate-attached nanostructures, which had limited mass productivity due to difficulties in existing nano-level alignment, and had reduced performance due to limited surface area usage and substrate influences (contamination, heat). The airborne nanostructure, which has an alignment precision of less than 10 um (100 nm for substrate-attached nanostructures), exhibits high mass productivity through selective patterning based on a batch process (MEMS) and has the characteristics of increased sensitivity by utilizing the entire surface area.

Professor Lee Yoon-sik said, “Not only did we overcome the mass production problem with MEMS batch process technology, we also resolved the insufficient selectivity of semiconductor sensors using a composite sensor array.” Regarding the sensor reliability issue, he said, “We secured technology to resolve the sensor lifespan and performance degradation issues due to toxic gases and temperature and humidity.” He especially emphasized that the experience of commercializing related sensor products was the biggest factor in the possibility of successful research and development.

OFDR sensors in the frequency domain will replace imported ones

Korea Photonics Technology is developing optical sensors. Noh Byeong-seop, the principal investigator, is leading the development of frequency domain-based core element technology for distributed optical backscattering measurement sensors with 100k-class measurement points. The background for developing core components for measurement sensors is that sensor measurement has gone beyond points and a field has emerged that requires distributed measurement without dead zones. It is necessary to develop a high-speed, wireless, signal-free measurement sensor that ensures continuity for distributed measurement.

Optical fiber-based distributed sensors are expanding in various industrial fields. OFDR sensors in the frequency domain are entirely dependent on imports due to a lack of original technology for core components.

Accordingly, the research team aims to develop core element technology for distributed OFDR sensors with a 100k-class measurement point, develop seven core element and component module products, and release two final system products. The business division believes that a long-distance OFDR for high measurement point and an OFDR for simultaneous temperature strain measurement are necessary.

Dr. Noh Byeong-seop said, “It is not a large market yet, but if the business is successful, it will have the effect of replacing domestic distributed optical sensors with imports,” and “We expect productivity to increase due to increased operating rates in other fields such as plants, defense, and construction due to safety monitoring.” <Part 2 continues next week>