Mobile Phones, Video Game Controllers, Medical Devices, Industrial Sensing Driving MEMS Industry

PITTSBURGH, PA, Dec 02 (MARKET WIRE) --
According to Roger Meike, director of Sun Microsystems Labs' Project Sun
SPOT, "the next cool thing" could combine MEMS accelerometers, light and
temperature sensors in new classes of applications that interact with the
real world. Should the next generation of inventors use the Java-based
Project Sun SPOT (Small Programmable Object Technology) to build those
devices, so much the better, said Meike to attendees of MEMS Executive
Congress(R), held November 5-7 in Monterey, CA.

Noting Yole Developpement's MEMS market projections for 2012, director of
Nokia Research Center's Cambridge, UK laboratory, Dr. Tapani Ryhaenen,
asked whether surging demand for mobile devices is largely responsible for
projected growth in accelerometers, radio frequency (RF) MEMS and silicon
microphones. Microsoft hardware researcher Mike Sinclair declared this
"the decade of physical interactivity" while talking about the importance
of gesture recognition at Microsoft and the company's interest in a slew
of MEMS devices -- microphones, accelerometers, gyroscopes and RF
switches, especially for mobile phones and displays. And for acclaimed
video game developer Jack McCauley, having a foundry that can produce
millions of devices and ramp mass production in four months is critical
to a company's selection of MEMS. McCauley stated that such mass
production is no longer a concern in the video game industry, adding that
"the three largest consumer electronics controllers for video games now
have a MEMS device in them."

More than 150 executives from in and around the MEMS industry interacted
with Meike, Ryhaenen, Sinclair, McCauley and others at MEMS Executive
Congress, a two-day conference exploring the commercial successes of MEMS
across application areas.

Conference panelists also took a closer look at how MEMS is enabling low
power, energy monitoring and conservation. Texas Instruments' VP of
worldwide strategic marketing, Mark Denissen, talked about the importance
of low power in the emerging category of pico projectors, a promising
application space in which TI's DLP(R) Technology is playing well.
Denissen also drew a link between real-time sensors and data logging for
healthcare: "For diseases like heart disease and diabetes, MEMS-based
data loggers are needed to sense key attributes like pressure, motion,
flowrate and chemicals. Getting power down supports meaningful data
collection."

Crossbow's chief architect, Ralph Kling, described a future in which
"metrics for sensor power consumption and energy harvesters are improving
to a point of infinite battery life" -- an achievement which should
delight consumers and manufacturers alike.

MEMS research analysts shared recent market data, while acknowledging
shifts influenced by the larger economy. Marlene Bourne, principal of
Bourne Research, said that the "MEMS industry has enjoyed a good ride,
with 20 years of growth," adding that the 3-4% growth we will see in 2008
is reflective of the times. Jeremie Bouchaud, principal analyst for MEMS
at iSuppli, claimed that consumer electronics and mobile phones will
largely contribute to a growing MEMS market, which he expects will reach
$8B in 2012. Bouchaud added that automotive, while suffering now, should
rebound by Q4 2009. Jean-Christophe Eloy, founder and general manager of
Yole Developpement, is looking at a much bigger total MEMS market,
predicting $15B by 2012 with drug delivery systems and RF MEMS growing
most rapidly.

Karen Lightman, managing director of MEMS Industry Group, the industry
organization hosting MEMS Executive Congress, said, "While MEMS will
likely grow at a more modest pace in 2009, it's actually well positioned
during these challenging economic times. Relative to competitive
technologies, MEMS reduces cost and power and preserves small size --
making it ideally suited for consumer electronics, mobile phones, home
healthcare devices and a host of other applications."

About MEMS Executive Congress

MEMS Executive Congress is an annual event hosted by MEMS Industry Group,
the trade association representing the MEMS and microstructures
industries. The Congress is a unique professional forum at which
executives from companies designing and manufacturing MEMS technology sit
side-by-side with their end-user customers to discuss commercial uses of
MEMS in consumer goods, energy/environmental, industrial, medical and
telecom.

Sponsors of MEMS Executive Congress 2008 included: Analog Devices, Brewer
Science, EV Group, Freescale Semiconductor, IceMOS Technology, Marketwire,
Maxim Integrated Products, Micralyne, Okmetic, Plan Optik, SCHOTT
Electronic Packaging, Surface Technology Systems (STS), SUSS MicroTec,
SVTC, Tegal Corporation and Tronics Microsystems SA.

MEMS Executive Congress will be held again November 4-6, 2009 at The Lodge
at Sonoma in Sonoma, CA. For more information, please contact MIG via
phone: 412/390-1644, email: info@memsindustrygroup.org or Web:
www.memscongress.com.

About MEMS Industry Group

MEMS Industry Group is the trade association representing the MEMS and
microstructures industries. The Association enables the exchange of
non-proprietary information among members; provides reliable industry data
that furthers the development of technology; and works toward the greater
commercial development and use of MEMS and MEMS-enabled devices. More than
80 companies comprise MIG, including Analog Devices, Applied Materials,
Bosch, Draper Laboratory, Freescale, GE Global Research and GE Sensing,
Honeywell, IBM, Intel, Kionix, Nanoshift, OMRON, Sand 9,
STMicroelectronics, and Texas Instruments. For more information visit
www.memsindustrygroup.org.

MEMS Executive Congress is a registered trademark of MEMS Industry Group.
All other product and company names are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective holders.

PRESS CONTACTS (For Editors Only):

MEMS Industry Group
Karen Lightman
Phone: 412/390-1644
Email: Email Contact

Vetrano Communications
Maria Vetrano
Phone: 617/876-2770
Email: Email Contact

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