STMicroelectronics and the SAES Getters Group will work together to develop and produce next-generation micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) gyroscopes for navigation devices, among other applications. The gyroscopes will integrate SAES' PageWafer getter thin-film solution for high-vacuum maintenance in wafer-level packaged MEMS. ST expects to begin production in the first half of next year.
The PageWafer technology is designed to provide long-term stability to a vacuum or an inert gas atmosphere in wafer-to-wafer hermetically bonded MEMS devices. It consists of a wafer with a patterned getter film, a few microns thick, that is placed onto specific cavities, and defined in shape and depth according to customer requirements. By acting as the cap wafer of the MEMS package, PageWafer provides maximized absorption of all active gases like H2O, O2, CO, CO2, N2 and H2, thus increasing the device reliability and lifetime.