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MEMS

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Published on 18 August 2025

Photo credits: S.BARBIER/CEA

MEMS 

Microsensors and microactuators manufactured with microelectronic based technologies​


What are MEMS? MEMS = Micro Electro Mechanical Systems. CEA-Leti, as one of the world’s pioneers in MEMS technologies, is constantly pushing the limits of MEMS expertise to stay a step ahead in technology know-how. Today, CEA-Leti offers you extensive capabilities in developing ultrasensitive, multifunctional and robust MEMS & NEMS, designed for integration into your specific products and application fields.​

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What it can do​

  • Consumer: smartphones, tablets, watches etc. 
  • Automotive: airbags, navigation systems, etc. 
  • Aerospace: RF switches, etc. 
  • Industry: process monitoring (pressure, flow, etc.) 
  • Defense: artillery systems, security triggers 
  • Medical: blood pressure monitoring, analyses methods​

What makes it unique
  • The combination of MEMS and nanoscale technology in generic M&NEMS platform. 
  • Miniaturization of many types of sensors (ultrasonic transducers, pressure sensors, microphones, etc.) and various transduction modes available (capacitive, piezoresistive, piezoelectric, magnetic, etc.). 
  • Piezoelectric actuators integration with large spectrum of piezoelectric materials (AlN, PZT, doped PZT, etc. with thickness from 200 nm to 2 μm). 
  • Lead-free piezoelectric materials: innovative materials and processes to drive the evolution of piezoelectric devices towards future technologies.
  • Optomechanical sensors high-efficiency motion detection for extreme sensitivity, ultra-rapid response, and superior integrability. 
  • Haptic actuators using differentiating & innovating piezoelectric technologies (thin-film, flexible patches, transparent). Microphones offering state of the art global features: very large dynamic (no saturation) and very high sensitivity (low SNR—crystal clear)
  • MEMS packaging on wafer level: wafer bonding, thin film packaging, TSV, RDL, etc.​



What's next?
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  • Improvement of piezoelectric and magnetic materials stacks: push beyond existing limits 
  • Combination of silicon photonic and nano-scale sensing (optomechanical sensors) : improved resolution for high performance sensors (AFM, mass spectrometry, biosen​sing, and oscillators/clocks, etc.) 
  • Introduction of new materials (2D materials—graphene, MoS2, etc.): explore the high potential to make new sensors (bio-sensors, ultrasonic transducers, etc.) 
  • Pioneering the future of touch: conformable and flexible haptic interfaces.




At a glance​

  • Staff of 100+ developing MEMS (sensors, actuators, RF, packaging, process, characterization)​
  • All 8" MEMS technologies in-house​ackaging under vacuum probe station 
  • Portfolio of 330 MEMS patents
  • 30 new patents every year
  • 20+ ongoing industrial collaborations
  • 7 startups created in MEMS technologies​


40 years of MEMS experience​​

  • 1984: World’s first comb drive patent Reliability, Volume 168, 2025, 115677 
  • 1996: CEA-Leti spins out Tronics, a full-service MEMS manufacturer
  • 2015: CEA-Leti reinforces pioneering position by manufacturing the world’s first MEMS on 12" wafers
  • 2025: iNGage SAS startup creation offering high performance M&NEMS technology platform
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