Abstract

Bosch has sold more than six billion sensors since 1995 and is one of the pioneers of microsystems technology and leading manufacturer of MEMS sensors. The establishment of the MEMS sensor technology was initially in the automotive industry for applications in airbag systems, ESP and in the powertrain. Success factors and enablers were the development of new wafer-level technologies such as Bosch trench process (DRIE) and porous silicon. 10 years later the rise of CE MEMS sensors began.

Today, Bosch sensors are in every car and in three out of four smartphones. 

Bosch benefits strongly from the synergies between automotive and CE MEMS sensors (common technologies, economies of scale). This enables rapid shrinks for automotive sensors like for the world’s smallest combined ESP inertial sensor SMI700 with a size of just 7 x 7 mm². Additionally CE sensors are qualified for automotive requirements and find their way into non-safety automotive applications like navigation systems. In the future MEMS will enable completely new applications like scanning head lights based on lasers and micro mirrors.

Focus of the presentation is an overview of the manufacturing, applications and current trends of MEMS sensors for automotive business.