Bosch Expands Partnership with MEMS Developer

Robert Bosch GmbH has formed a strategic partnership with SiTime Corp., a Silicon Valley-based developer of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).

Bosch has manufactured more than one billion MEMS resonators for SiTime since 2009. Moving forward, the two companies say they will accelerate the development of next-generation MEMS resonator products for use in advanced automotive electronics, 5G communications and other Internet-of-Things devices.

MEMS can help enable high speed 5G communication, improve battery life of IoT devices and increase reliability of driver assistance systems, according to the partners.

The technology also is used in other transportation, industrial and consumer electronics applications, including high-speed trains and smartphones.

SiTime claims to control more than 90% of the global MEMS timing market. Formed in 2005, the company is a subsidiary of Japan’s MegaChips Corp.

Bosch developed its MEMS manufacturing technology nearly 25 years ago. The company says it has sold more than 9.5 billion MEMS sensors since 1995 and supplies more than half of such devices used in new smartphones.