Short Form Catalog

MEMS (Micromachined Electromechanical Systems) ME ME E E E M MS MS M S ( ( Mi Mi cr c cr cr cr o o om om o o ac ac ac hi hi ne ne d d El l ec ec tr tr t om om ec ec c c c ha h ha ha ha h ni ni ca ca l l Sy Sy Sy Sy S Sy y st st em em s) s) s s s s s )

Acceleration sensors, pressure sensors, interface chips and gyroscopes find use in various automotive applications such as airbag systems, Electronic Stability Program systems, brake circuits, seat occupancy detection systems, and air conditioning systems. In an automobile many pressure readings are required including water, oil, manifold air, air conditioning cooling system and brake fluid. Measurements can be taken using standalone sensors, for which Melexis can supply the conditioning IC, or using completely integrated pressure sensors. Integrated pressure sensors incorporate both the sensing element, in the form of a silicon deformable membrane, and the conditioning electronics on the same chip. Integrated pressure sensors give significant cost savings in the final packaging of the device. Every airbag system in a car requires one or more acceleration sensors. These acceleration sensors detect an impact with another car or a stationary object. The information from the acceleration sensors will decide whether airbag deployment should occur. First generation airbag systems used simple mechanical sensors. The present generation with features such as side impact curtains, require advanced sensor technology, dedicated analog signal processing and sophisticated crash discrimination algorithms implemented in powerful microprocessors. The trend to locate crash sensors at the spots in the car where the crash can be sensed in the most accurate and quickest way, such as the car doors, pillars and crush zones, calls for highly integrated solutions. In this respect Melexis is well placed in the market because of the high integration levels it is able to offer, due to its broad technology portfolio. For many years Melexis has been supplying customers specializing in automotive safety applications with airbag sensors.It is worthwhile to note that the technology, developed for acceleration sensors in crash detection applications, can also be used for acceleration sensors in other applications with different acceleration ranges. Examples of such applications are: vehicle rollover sensing, vehicle stability control, active suspension control, etc. The pressure sensor and acceleration sensor chips, developed by Melexis, are based on micro-machining technology, where the physical parameter being sensed causes a temporary and reversible deformation to a specifically designed mechanical structure etched into the solid silicon. These techniques produce sensors that are used in high volume in modern automotive applications. Micro-machining could be considered as equivalent to traditional machining but on a micro-scale. A typical micro- machined membrane is only a few tenths of a millimeter wide. The most recent automotive safety applications introduced on the market, such as ESP (Electronic Stability Program), ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) and Rollover sensing call for the use of angular rate sensors, also called gyroscopes. During 2004 Melexis has completed development of its innovative gyroscope solution, which will give it a competitive edge in this emerging market. 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Interface ICs

A mainstay product for Melexis, Interface IC’s continue to generate significant business volume and new business growth. These highly engineered ICs are the “interpreter” that allow bridge type piezo and capacitive sensors to communicate intelligently with decision making systems in cars. Typical applications include pressure sensing in Electronic controlled automatic transmissions, seat belt tension sensors in mandatory second generation airbag systems, fuel pressure sensors in fuel economy enhancing injection systems. Many other solutions in vehicles rely on the seemingly contradictory ability of Melexis to deliver sophisticated but cost competitive “interpreters”.

Melexis Short Form Catalog Page 5 Revision 5.1.0