Eric Doremus is vice president of the Precision Sensors and Components business for Honeywell's Defence and Space Electronic Systems (DSES). This $200m segment of Honeywell's business concentrates on bringing high-performance sensors and radiation-hardened electronics to both the commercial and defence marketplace.
Q: Can you explain exactly what MEMS is?
A: MEMS is a fabrication approach that brings the advantages of miniaturisation, multiple components and micro-electronics to the design and construction of integrated electro-mechanical systems. MEMS devices are tiny, electrically-driven machines made up of a combination of sensors, actuators, mechanical structures and electronics.
Q: Why is the technology so significant?
A: MEMS technology provides the opportunity to impact a broad spectrum of product categories by bringing together electronics and mechanical systems in a true "system on a chip" environment. As a result, complex products designed to accomplish intricate tasks become cost-effective to the user, taking up much less volume and power than previous systems.
Q: What applications do you see for the future?
A: MEMS devices are used in the following applications:
Inertial navigation units Electromechanical signal processing Distributed unattended sensors Integrated fluidic systems Active, conformable surfaces Weapons safing, arming and fusing Embedded sensors and actuators Mass data storage devices Integrated micro-optomechanical componentsQ: What are the benefits?
A: The greatest benefit is the ability to develop and produce small-volume, low-cost, high-value products and systems that meet or exceed customer needs.
Q: How important is this technology to Honeywell?
A: Honeywell is a technology-based company. One of our strengths is our ability to turn new technology into profitable growth.
MEMS is an overriding manufacturing technology and a key component of our growth strategy. Specifically, MEMS-based inertial products represent a major need for our customers and, therefore, for Honeywell's Aerospace business.
Q: You are already producing air-data systems using MEMS precision pressure sensors - where are these being used and how well do they perform?
A: Honeywell has produced silicon-based MEMS pressure sensors for a broad range of commercial and aviation applications for more than 20 years.
We are successfully meeting our customer requirements with these products, from industrial applications to commercial and military aerospace.
Q: Tell me about applications such as gun-launched projectiles?
A: The Department of Defense (DoD) needs more smart munitions. However, the challenge is putting Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) into guns and missiles that have extremely "severe" environments - a high-G environment for a gun or an extremely high-vibration environment for a missile.
MEMS based IMUs have already been shown to survive and operate in these severe environments.
Q: How is MEMS-based Attitude Heading and Reference Systems (AHARS) progressing?
A: Next-generation AHARS are needed for a broad range of aircraft, including general aviation, commercial aviation and DoD aircraft. The customer needs for those devices vary significantly, but we anticipate being able to meet those needs with MEMS-based sensors.
Q: What facilities do you have to develop MEMS?
A: The most unique requirement of MEMS sensors is the need for a silicon foundry, and Honeywell has three MEMS sensor foundries in:
Plymouth, Minnesota: Manufacturing precision pressure/magnetic sensors for industrial and aerospace applications Redmond, Washington: Manufacturing precision accelerometers for aerospace and energy applications Richardson, Texas: Manufacturing automotive/commercial MEMS-based sensors (pressure, airflow, magnetic, temperature, and pH)Q: Long term, how do you see MEMS developing?
A: MEMS as a manufacturing technology is rapidly becoming a core element in the manufacturing infrastructure worldwide. More and more products are being developed using MEMS manufacturing in information technology, biotechnology, and telecommunication, as well as the automotive and aerospace industry. This trend will continue.
Source: Flight Daily News