ST has mass-produced MEMS microphones with plastic packages

Published:2012/6/5 1:06:00 Author:Ecco From:SeekIC

STMicroelectronics NV has pushed mass-produced MEMS microphones which make the company be the first one. The products are available in plastic packages. The technology is patented for ST while it can save space and increase durability simultaneously.

ST’s MEMS microphones are suitable for assembly on flat-cable printed-circuit boards and the package technology allows the sound-hole to be in either the top or the bottom of the package. Top-port packaging tends to be used in laptops and tablet computers, while bottom-port microphones are more suitable for mobile phones.

Compression and drop test show that the plastic-packaged microphones are more durable than traditional metallic-lid devices. When subjected to 40-newtons force microphones in metallic packages collapsed whereas ST microphones in plastic packages did not. Similarly when devices in both categories were exposed to 40 drops from a height of 1.5 meters with a static force of 15N applied on the package. The superior robustness holds for both flat-cable printed-circuit boards (PCB) and traditional rigid PCB designs.

ST’s plastic-packaged MEMS can be used in noise-level meters and noise-cancelling headphones, mobile phones and tablet computers. This improves the possibility of embedding silicon membrane microphones inside silicon cavities in other devices.

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