Atlanta, GA (Supercomm) ? June 5, 2002 ? IBM today announced that it has developed MEMS (microelectromechanial systems) components that could help device manufacturers replace costly and space-constraining passive components in devices, thereby reducing the cost, power consumption, and size of future devices.
MEMS are microscopic electrical motors or other transistorized mechanical devices that fit on a microchip. IBM developed the MEMS components using standard production materials and processes, proving that MEMS could be a realistic roadmap to the improvement of wireless devices. Also, fabricating the MEMS components at a low temperature (no more than 400C) allowed IBM to integrate them directly on chips, providing lower power and higher performance than building the components separately.
As demand for communication devices like cell phone and other wireless handsets continues to rise, device manufacturers need to find ways to increase the functionality of new devices while keeping their size, cost, and power consumption low. In many of today's devices, passive components
-- such as switches and filters -- are expensive, use a large amount of power, and take up a lot of space, limiting device manufacturers' ability to offer more functionality and improve the design of the devices.
By using a low-temperature, Bi-CMOS (Bipolar - Complementary Metal Oxide
Semiconductor) compatible process, IBM developed MEMS resonators and filters that could replace these passive components in wireless devices. A Bi-CMOS process combines two different types of circuits on a single piece of silicon, thereby offering both the high-speed performance of bipolar circuitry as well as the low-power advantages of CMOS.
IBM's RF (radio frequency) MEMS development could allow device manufacturers to roll out wireless devices integrated with these new, high-performance, MEMS components in several years. For example, device manufacturers could add functions to handle more bands, giving consumers better wireless coverage and service. They could also add new functions to support video-streaming or faster data transmission.
Furthermore, RF MEMS can shrink the receiver inside wireless handsets; an RF MEMS frequency resonator using microscopic tuning forks works to filter out unwanted frequencies, resulting in a stronger signal and a clearer conversation. In all, MEMS means a cell phone with fewer parts ? which means fewer things to go wrong ? and greatly increase the battery life.
"As carriers deploy third-generation wireless networks, the limitations of passive components in devices become an even more imminent issue. While these higher-frequency, broadband networks allow significantly faster data communication, they also require better processing and demand a lot more power from handsets," said Dave Seeger, senior manager of silicon science and process technology at IBM Research. Alternative components like RF MEMS can replace these passive components while providing higher performance and reducing size and power consumption.
IBM is the world's largest information technology company, with more than 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate.Drawing on resources from across IBM and key business partners, IBM offers a wide range of services, solutions and technologies that enable customers, large and small, to take full advantage of e-business. "
For more information
Etta Pouw
Communications
IBM Nederland N.V.
Etta Pouw
Johan Huizingalaan 761
1066 VH Amsterdam
Tel: 020 513 4228
Fax: 020 617 7600
Brodeur Worldwide
Tara van Oyen
020 ?346 20 00
t.vanoyen@nl.brodeur.com