Silicon Microstructures (SMI) completes expansion of its MEMS wafer fab

·Previously announced multi-million dollar plan completed 2 months ahead of schedule ·Expansion brings in-house previously subcontracted MEMS processes ·Renovated facility supports both 4 inch and 6 inch processes

Milpitas, CA. (PRWEB) September 17, 2003 ---- Silicon Microstructures, Inc. (SMI) today announced that it has completed the previously announced expansion and renovation of its MEMS wafer fab. While many MEMS companies have been consolidating, SMI has seen its business grow, resulting in the need to add capacity and bring internal some process steps that had previously been subcontracted, using the latest tools for MEMS manufacturing and installing and operating them in a manufacturing environment.

The expansion project updated the wafer fabrication areas fab and added capacity for the future while also expanding the 6-inch capability throughout all of SMIs bulk micromachining and surface micromachining processes.

This facility expansion has been a major accomplishment both due to the fact that it was completed ahead of schedule, but also that it was completed while we continued on-time production deliveries to our customers," said Dr. Jim Knutti, president of SMI. Our general contractor, Technical Builders and their employees and subcontractors deserve a lot of the credit for this success as do the many SMI employees who contributed to the planning and executing of this plan as well as those SMI employees who continued to produce outstanding quality parts on-time for our customers despite the distractions in the fab. We have been able to keep our production yields at their high levels even with the on-going construction."

With the successful completion of this expansion, SMI now strengthens its position as a powerful partner in MEMS development and production. SMI works with customers with or without MEMS design expertise to jointly develop a device for a given system or application. In addition, SMI can serve more as a MEMS foundry by mass-producing designs from its customers. SMIs flexibility is further demonstrated in cases where customers having their own fabrication capabilities enlist SMI as a second or alternate source. We offer a range of process including both wet and dry etching along with bulk and surface technologies coupled with some newly developed technologies that combine build and surface technologies into a common process flow to take advantage of the strengths of each. Details of our processes and equipment are found on our web site at www.si-micro.com.

Background: SMI develops and manufactures MEMS-based silicon pressure sensors and custom microstructures. Customers range from high-volume automotive to companies requiring precision sensors for medical and industrial applications. SMI has all of the manufacturing capability and processes required to design, develop and fabricate a wide range of MEMS-based sensor devices. Combining parent ELMOS advanced circuit and SOI technologies and SMIs sensors leads to integrated smart sensor modules. The Elmos groups advanced automated packaging capabilities at Eurasem B.V (NL) complete the capability, especially for the fast growing automotive sensor market.
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Editorial contact (pictures available upon request)

Silicon Microstructures, Inc.
Michael Dunbar      Phone: 408-577-0100      
eMail: mike.dunbar@ si-micro.com
1701 McCarthy Blvd.   FAX: 408-577-0123      
Milpitas, CA 95035