China's first sensor chip capable of sensing external motion

The first domestic built-in sensor chip (ie, MEMS MEMS) was introduced in Shanghai. The chip designer Zou Bo, founder and CEO of Shen Di Semiconductor, said that he hopes to conduct mass production next year and visit China's ChiNext in 2012.

Compared with the ordinary chip, it also has a sensing function in addition to the calculation function. Through the built-in gyro sensor, you can sense the movement of the outside world and react accordingly.

"For example, if you turn the phone screen down, the phone will automatically become silent, or the phone will be locked in three turns," Zou Bo said. Of course, the realization of these specific applications also needs to be based on software solutions. Nintendo's Wii and Apple iPhone have used this core technology.

Because the internal gyro is constantly vibrating, the chip is also known as the "moving core."

Previously, there was no such technology in China. According to Zou Bo, there are only three MEMS chip designs in the world. Besides Shen Di, the other two are American Invensense and European STMicroelectronics.

In July 2008, Zou Bo started his own business in Silicon Valley and received RMB 20 million in venture capital including Defengjie and Hua Hong. Prior to this, he had been developing MEMS chips for a year in the United States. After more than a year in Shanghai Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Shenzhen Shendi officially launched the first domestic MEMS chip.

In terms of specific applications, MEMS chips can be used in consumer electronics, such as motion control in game consoles; they can also be used in vehicle safety, and respond in a timely manner when an emergency occurs; in addition to military and marine applications, Gyro has been used for navigation.

In the three major markets, the most attractive consumer electronics. "In 2009, the market share was about 15 billion, of which consumer electronics accounted for about 40%." A rough estimate, the consumer electronics market is about 6 billion, and the market space left for Shendi may be as high as 2 billion.

Zou Bo also realized this, "If the MEMS chip becomes the standard for mobile phones, the market space is very large. At present, we have no competitors in China."

In addition, China’s vigorous promotion of the Internet of Things is also an opportunity for Shenzhen Shendi. Simply put, the Internet of Things is the sensor plus the Internet, and the sensor is the core component of the Internet of Things.

Shen Di has already selected Jiangsu Danyang Economic Development Zone as a production base and plans to start mass production in the second quarter of next year. In the partnership, Shendi has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Singapore-listed mobile phone design company and Shanghai Longqi Holding to use its chips for Longcheer mobile phone design.

However, in front of Zou Bo, there is still the problem of funds. To mass-produce the chips, large amounts of money are needed to support them. It is Danyang's production base and is expected to invest 300 million yuan, of which 70 million yuan will be invested in the first phase.

Zou Bo hopes to conduct a new financing to ensure the mass production of the chip. “Zhangjiang Group leaders told me that the money is ready,” Zou Bo said. Shendi is a company that settled in Zhangjiang High-tech Park in Shanghai, and Zhangjiang Group has its own venture capital to invest in promising projects.

Zou Bo said that he hopes to improve the company’s shareholding structure after financing, and lands on the domestic GEM in 2012.

For China's first "moving core", Gu Wenjun, an iSuppli semiconductor analyst, believes that Shendi's advantage lies in its price and solution for China. "Foreign large companies cannot take care of the needs of some domestic small companies."

At the same time, he believes that although Shen Di is in a leading position in technology, it is still necessary to observe how effective it is in technology and market matching. It is understood that Shen Di currently employs more than 20 people. In addition to the chip design, it also needs to be responsible for the development of practical solutions for a variety of different needs, so that the technology lands, which is indeed facing no small challenge. "Let's look after the same amount of production," said Gu Wenjun.