Akustica enters high-volume Mobile Device market

Akustica, Inc., inventor of the first single-chip CMOS MEMS microphone, expanded its microphone product portfolio with the addition of a new analog MEMS microphone. A Growing Market The MEMS microphone market is growing quickly, both in overall size and in product variety, since some consumer electronics device manufacturers require smaller microphones while others prioritize higher acoustic performance. Akustica is uniquely positioned with two different MEMS technologies that can address both ends of the spectrum. The MEMS microphone market is expected to reach US$493.5 million in 2012, up more than 30% from 2011, according to Jérémie Bouchaud, director and principal analyst, MEMS and Sensors, IHS. “Driven by Apple, Samsung, LG Electronics, Motorola and Nokia for use in handsets, headsets and tablets, the MEMS microphone market is very robust and also very diverse,” said Bouchaud. “End-user applications are not ‘one-size-fits-all’, and microphone suppliers need to offer a range of products to meet varying customer requirements.” In-House Design and Manufacturing and a Bigger Technology Toolbox In addition to in-house MEMS design, Akustica has always maintained an in-house ASIC and package design team. This is unlike other MEMS microphone manufacturers who may buy any or all of their MEMS, ASIC and package design from a third party. With its acquisition by Bosch in 2009, Akustica has also added in-house MEMS process development and manufacturing. “With the addition of Akustica’s analog MEMS microphone to the Bosch consumer MEMS sensor portfolio, we are ensuring that Bosch can be a ‘one-stop-shop’ for MEMS sensors for all aspects of the human machine interface in mobile devices,” said Stefan Finkbeiner, president and CEO, Akustica, Inc. “As part of Bosch, with its broad consumer MEMS sensor portfolio made up of MEMS components that are fully designed and manufactured in-house, along with its proven ability to consistently deliver MEMS sensors in high volume with high quality, we will further expand our microphone product line as we continue to be a valued and reliable partner to our customers.” AKU340 – Facts and Figures

• 2.5 x 3.35 x 1.00 mm bottom port design
• High SNR of 63 dB
• Tightly matched sensitivity of -38 dBV/Pa +/- 2 dB for optimal microphone array performance
• Extended flat frequency response down to 50Hz for superior low frequency recording
• Shielded package for radio frequency (RF) and electromagnetic (EM) immunity, which is especially important in GSM applications

AKU340 – Price and Availability The AKU340 is sampling to lead customers now and will be ramping to mass production in Q3 2012. The AKU340 is available at $1.34 per unit in 1K-unit quantities.