Five billion Bosch MEMS sensors
- MEMS sensors are the sensory organs of modern technical systems and key to our increasingly connected world
- Used in vehicles for 20 years and in consumer electronics for 10 years
- Bosch is a pioneer and the global leader in the manufacture of MEMS technology
Bosch recently produced the five-billionth MEMS sensor at its plant in Reutlingen, Germany. Small parts with a big impact: they save lives, increase driving comfort, help conserve energy, and are an essential part of consumer electronics.
“MEMS sensors are a key technology for the connected world,” says Dr. Dirk Hoheisel, member of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH. “They deliver high performance, but are also small, robust, and extremely cost-effective to manufacture in large volumes.”
MEMS is an acronym for microelectromechanical system. Bosch developed the underlying semiconductor manufacturing process itself, and has been manufacturing the sensors in large-scale production since 1995. The first versions were used in motor vehicles to detect pressure and acceleration. Now, 75 percent of all sensors are used in consumer electronics. “Every second smartphone uses Bosch sensors,” Hoheisel says. The company is the leading global manufacturer of MEMS sensors.
While it took 13 years to manufacture the first billion MEMS sensors, the Bosch Automotive Electronics division now manufactures the same quantity in less than one year at its production facility in Reutlingen, near Stuttgart. This is the result of skyrocketing demand. More than four million sensors are currently manufactured every day.
Game consoles, cars, and smartphones – all need MEMS sensors
In vehicles, MEMS sensors record a vehicle’s rotational movements, lateral acceleration, and lean angle, as well as optimising the engine’s air-fuel mixture in changing environments to make it more efficient.
In consumer electronics, the sensors transmit the player’s movements for game consoles and can change the display orientation in smartphones when they are turned. Bosch MEMS sensors can also measure air pressure, moisture levels, ambient temperature, and, for the first time, air quality.
Tiny, intelligent, robust, and energy-efficient
In consumer electronics, MEMS sensors are less than one millimetre thick. Some of the components inside sensors are a mere four micrometres (µm) thick – that is 17 times thinner than a human hair. These tiny parts are nonetheless robust and very powerful. They also have to be extremely energy-efficient. An acceleration sensor for the alarm system in a motor vehicle, for instance, has to be ready for use at all times, yet draw as little power as possible from the car battery. And in consumer electronics, low energy consumption is just as important, since it helps a smartphone’s battery last as long as possible.
For more information online:
Bosch sensors for automotive applications
Bosch sensors for non-automotive applications
Videos:
Bosch MEMS enabling the Internet of Things and Services
MEMS sensor manufacturing
Contact: Sabrina Mayeen, 44 (0) 1895 838813
The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. According to preliminary figures, its roughly 290,000 associates generated sales of 48.9 billion euros in 2014. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 360 subsidiaries and regional companies in some 50 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. In 2014, Bosch applied for some 4,600 patents worldwide. The Bosch Group’s strategic goal is to deliver innovations for connected life. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is “Invented for life.”
The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.” The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-two percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert Bosch GmbH.
Additional information can be accessed at www.bosch.co.uk and www.bosch-press.com.
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