The MEMS juggernaut----Commentary: A Silicon Valley revolution is coming

Marketwatch ^ | Nov. 6, 2009, 9:27 a.m. EST | John C. Dvorak

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

BERKELEY, Calif. (MarketWatch) -- The recent publicity for Hewlett-Packard and its new MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical system) accelerometer sent a message to Silicon Valley.

The message was that MEMS technologies have indeed taken root and may be the target of the next generation of high tech venture investments after we're done with "green."

H-P has long since been in the MEMS business since inkjet printheads are a MEMS device. Another famous MEMS device is the DLP (digital light processor) developed by Texas Instruments around 1987 by Larry Hornbeck. It was originally called a DMD, meaning digital micromirrors, the DLP now powers everything from TV sets to digital movie projectors. The device itself is a piece of silicon with thousands of tiny mirrors that can move at high speeds and be the source for a projected image.

This is a classic MEMS device, which uses the silicon chip as a controller for a nano-mechanical system that is actually part of the chip itself. The digital ink you see on the Kindle reader is a MEMS device that physically moves a black dot into focus. There are a lot of black dots.

The first MEMS device was demonstrated in the 1960s but did little more than show that silicon can incorporate something on the chip that can move. The idea began to gain steam in the early 1990's when Eric Drexler wrote a book about nanotechnology and it's potential.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From the article:

The digital ink you see on the Kindle reader is a MEMS device that physically moves a black dot into focus. There are a lot of black dots.

[fishtank]

Pulitzer .......

[backwoods-engineer]

I just love these kinds of articles press releases. They know that the audience generally won't know the facts: Analog Devices has been shipping millions of MEMS accelerometers for years. Chances are, your car has one in the dash. But, no, the article makes like HP invented them.

[Kevmo]

cool technogeek stuff

[neverdem]

thanks, bfl