US chipmaker Analog Devices Inc (ADI) could begin shipping new micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) motion-sensing chips to Taiwanese and Chinese customers for mobile phones by the middle of this year, a company official said in Taipei yesterday.
The uptake in motion-sensing chips for mobile phones has accelerated, especially in China, after Apple Inc started using MEMS chips for screen rotation on the iPhone in its debut about two years ago.
ADI intends to ship new MEMS chips to customers in Taiwan and China by the summer featuring new functions including intelligent liquid-crystal-display (LCD) backlighting, which automatically turns the screen on or off by sensing the motion of mobile users, said Stephen Wu (吳彥彬), a marketing manager at ADI’s micromachined products division.
Wu declined to give names of customers.
ADI makes its MEMS products at its factories in Norwood, Massachusetts, and farms out part of its production to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電), the world’s biggest contract chipmaker.
ADI yesterday said it would consolidate the remaining fabs in the US after concluding the consolidation of its 6-inch and 8-inch fabs in Ireland to maximize current and future profitability and to capitalize on the opportunities that are expected to emerge once the economic downturn has ended.
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