The development of sensor technology is progressing rapidly, with significant improvements in detection accuracy, reduced production costs, smaller chip sizes, and extensive applications. Sensor technology has become a critical bottleneck in China’s industrial sector, making localization an urgent necessity. Alongside computers and communication systems, sensors are considered the three pillars of information systems. The quality of sensor technology has become a key indicator of a country's technological advancement and its position in international strategic competition. It is a core foundational technology that developed countries prioritize and compete to develop.
Sensors are widely used across various industries, including metallurgy, petroleum, chemicals, power, transportation, water conservancy, new energy, electronics, environmental protection, home appliances, aerospace, aviation, military equipment, and more. They play a vital role in technological innovation, national defense, economic security, and industrial restructuring. Their strategic importance lies in their ability to occupy the commanding heights of emerging industries.
In modern control systems, sensors act as the interface between the measured object and the testing system, serving as the main "window" for system input. They provide essential information needed for control, processing, decision-making, and execution, directly influencing the system's functionality. Sensors can be in direct contact with the object or work indirectly. Many control functions cannot be realized due to difficulties in collecting data about the controlled object, which becomes a major obstacle to technological development and the growth of big data and the Internet of Things.
With the concept of "Industry 4.0" becoming more widespread, the global sensor market is expanding. It is predicted that from 2016 to 2021, the compound annual growth rate of sensors will reach 11%, with the market size expected to reach $190.6 billion by 2021.
Small and compact sensor devices have had a profound impact on daily life. In industrial automation, sensors serve as the mechanical touchpoint, acting as the first link in automatic detection and control. Especially in automated production processes, these unobtrusive but essential devices transform data streams into meaningful decisions.
Currently, the global sensor market is dominated by leading companies from the United States, Japan, and Germany. Traditional electronics giants like Bosch, Honeywell, Freescale, and Hitachi view sensors as a key growth area for future business.
As the Industrial Internet of Things emerges, it further drives the development of data collectors—sensors. At the national level, based on the integration strategy of industrialization and informatization, the government is promoting the deep penetration of IoT technology into traditional industries, positioning sensors as the best breakthrough to enhance China's modern information technology and drive industrial development.
From a technical perspective, sensors responsible for data collection and transmission are moving toward intelligence, miniaturization, integration, networking, multi-functionality, and low power consumption under the guidance of the IoT.
**MEMS sensors face three major challenges and four major trends**
Today, as the world's largest electronics manufacturing base, China consumes one-quarter of the world's MEMS devices. However, most of China's MEMS sensors still rely on imports. Domestic MEMS sensors are primarily low-end and mid-range, with relatively backward technology. This situation is expected to persist for a long time. How should MEMS companies address these challenges and find opportunities for development?
**Three major challenges: R&D capability, industry chain competitiveness, and price pressure**
Chinese MEMS manufacturers face numerous challenges. First, there is a lack of high-level R&D personnel and experienced local engineers, which leads to a decline in basic research. Additionally, the commercial application cycle for MEMS sensors is long, and development time is extended, posing a significant challenge for patience and foresight.
On the other hand, China's MEMS industry chain remains weak in competitiveness, with no company holding a dominant position in the global market. MEMS sensors require strong economies of scale, but domestic enterprises struggle to meet this demand, resulting in weak processing capabilities throughout the supply chain, such as in front-end tape consistency and repeatability. This leads to a vicious cycle, making profits difficult to achieve.
System vendors have a large demand for MEMS products. Moreover, falling prices have put pressure on MEMS manufacturers' profitability. The price of MEMS sensors is not directly proportional to their importance or development difficulty. For example, in the highly competitive gyroscope and accelerometer markets, prices drop by 3% to 5% quarterly, while system manufacturers demand MEMS products, but also push prices down to unsustainable levels.
**Four major trends: Emerging devices, new applications, disruptive technologies, and new designs**
Faced with these challenges, how can domestic MEMS manufacturers build confidence and seek opportunities? First, they must acknowledge that China is the largest electronics production and consumption country, with a vast consumer market. This advantage should give some confidence to MEMS manufacturers. Furthermore, driven by the IoT market, the demand for MEMS sensors will significantly increase. In addition, MEMS sensor products are diverse, offering ample room for innovation.
MEMS sensor manufacturing relies on advanced semiconductor micromachining technology. As a result, four major trends are expected to reshape the MEMS market in the future: emerging devices, new applications, disruptive technologies, and new designs. These include devices like micromirrors and environmental sensors, new applications such as pressure sensors for position or height sensing, disruptive technologies including packaging and new materials like piezoelectric films and 300mm/12-inch wafers, and new designs such as NEMS nanoelectromechanical systems and optical integration technologies.
The Internet of Things is a core development strategy for China over the next decade, and MEMS sensors are an indispensable part of it. In the coming decade, MEMS products with greater market potential than current mainstream sensors will emerge, allowing the MEMS industry to stand among the best in the world.
**Sensor analysis commonly used in the industrial field**
Sensors can be divided into internal and external sensors based on the object being measured.
Internal sensors mainly detect position, speed, force, torque, temperature, and abnormal changes within the system.
External sensors primarily detect the external environment of the system, with both contact types (tactile, sliding, pressure sensors) and non-contact types (visual, ultrasonic, laser range sensors).
Sensors can also be classified as active or passive based on their power source.
Passive sensors do not require an external power supply. Instead, they convert related energy from the measured object into an output signal (mainly piezoelectric, magnetoelectric, thermoelectric, and photoelectric effects), also known as energy conversion.
Active sensors require an external power supply to generate an output, also known as energy control type (mainly resistive, capacitive, inductive, and Hall effect).
By action form, sensors can be divided into active and passive types. Active sensors emit a detection signal to the object being measured, detecting changes in the signal or generating a signal through the object's response. Passive sensors only receive signals generated by the object under test.
Transforming an externally input signal into an electrical signal can classify sensors into physical, chemical, and biosensors.
Physical sensors can be further divided into structural and physical types. Structural sensors rely on specific physical laws and structures to convert measurements into electrical signals. Physical sensors use the intrinsic properties of functional materials to achieve sensitivity to measurements.
Chemical sensors convert chemical substances and concentrations into electrical signals using electrochemical reactions. Biosensors use bioactive substances to identify and measure biochemicals at the molecular level, with broad applications in medical diagnosis and environmental monitoring.
Understanding the classification, conversion principles, and typical applications of sensors helps in selecting the right sensor for specific needs.
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