SiTime introduced its ApexMEMS family of resonators in a variety of MHz frequencies for high volume electronics.
The new devices, which mark SiTime’s entrance into the $2 billion precision resonator market, are based on the company’s third-generation of silicon MEMS technology.
SiTime said its new ApexMEMS resonators target mobile and IoT applications such as Bluetooth hearables and wearables, high-speed connectivity interfaces, asset-tracking, as well as microcontrollers. MEMS resonators offer an 85% space savings compared to quartz resonators. MEMS also offers advantages in terms of integration into standard IC packages and modules. The ApexMEMS resonators will be available as silicon die. Co-packaging these resonators with high performance semiconductors such as Bluetooth chips and microcontrollers gives customers a significant system and development advantage. ApexMEMS resonators offer similar advantages in standalone applications. Integrated load capacitors help reduce the system size through elimination of discrete passive components. Board layout and routing is simplified considerably, especially in space-constrained mobile-IoT applications.
“SiTime continues to lead the timing industry with our unique expertise in MEMS, mixed-signal, analog and systems,” said Rajesh Vashist, CEO of SiTime. “By shipping almost 2 billion oscillators to date to thousands of customers, we have learned to manufacture MEMS resonators in high volume, while continuously delivering excellent quality, reliability, and performance. Our knowledge and experience enables us to deliver better MEMS resonators that customers can depend on.”
“ApexMEMS resonators were developed to deliver breakthrough system performance and integration as shown by their usage in the SiT9501 oscillator and the Cascade ClockSoC™,” continued Vashist. “The SiT9501 is a game-changer for the 100-800G optical module market as it delivers the highest performance at the lowest power in the smallest package. Our combined understanding of the resonator, analog, materials, and thermal challenges both solves difficult system problems and benefits our resonator customers. These groundbreaking ApexMEMS resonators are available for integration or as standalone devices, and customers are now designing with them. With ApexMEMS, SiTime is the only company to offer MEMS resonators, oscillators, and clocks for the $8 billion timing market.”
Key Specifications and Availability
- ApexMEMS-based timing solutions deliver up to seven times better phase noise performance at half the power than SiTime’s previous generation.
- ApexMEMS resonators measure 0.42 mm x 0.42 mm size, 85% smaller than a typical quartz resonator, and also integrate the load capacitors.
- Resonators provide stability as good as ±20 ppm while delivering superior reliability and best-in-class environmental resilience, like other SiTime devices.
- ApexMEMS resonators operate reliably at temperatures as high as 125oC, a useful feature when integrated inside plastic packages.
ApexMEMS resonators are sampling now to select high-volume customers.
