Sensonor
Encyclopedia
Sensonor Technologies AS is a Norwegian
producer and developer of MEMS
sensors. Sensonor was owned by Infineon Technologies
from June 2003 until February 2009, under the name Infineon Technologies SensoNor. In this period, the company was world leading in the TPMS
market. Even now, this is a major part of the business, although the latest product releases have been gyro sensors SAR100 and SIMU202. The company has 150 employees and is localised in Vestfold
, Norway, with offices and fabs in Horten
(front-end) and at Skoppum
(back-end). CEO is Sverre Horntvedt.
and night vision
business.
In the 1990s
Sensonor had international success with SA20, a sensor for Airbag systems
. It was made up of a piezoresistive beam of Silicon
. Around 35 million sensors were sold all over the world, and the company had an estimated 60-70% of the Europe
an market for airbag sensors.
However, Sensonor failed in developing their next generation of the crash sensor, SA30, which was eventually given up. This led to a decrease in the revenue
s from 170 mNOK in 1997 to 50 mNOK in 1999. Thus, the early 2000s were economically difficult years for the business and stock market speculation increased the instabilities. Eventually, Sensonor was purchased in full by the large German
semiconductor
company Infineon Technologies
.
In parallel with the development of the SA30 sensor, Sensonor had also been working on a pressure
sensor, named SP12. It was designed for usage in TPMS
applications, i.e. monitoring of the air pressure in car tire
s. As with earlier products, SP12 was also based on piezoresistive elements implanted in a Silicon crystal
, but additionally, the Silicon wafer was encapsulated between two Pyrex
glass
wafers. It was this technology which made the Norwegian company an interesting investment for Infineon.
Later, Sensonor developed improved versions, SP30 and SP35. Today, these are still sold to producers of TPMS-systems through cooperation with Infineon. In February 2009, Infineon announced that Sensonor were to be sold to Norwegian private investors, in a move that would "benefit both SensoNor and Infineon".
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
producer and developer of MEMS
Microelectromechanical systems
Microelectromechanical systems is the technology of very small mechanical devices driven by electricity; it merges at the nano-scale into nanoelectromechanical systems and nanotechnology...
sensors. Sensonor was owned by Infineon Technologies
Infineon Technologies
Infineon Technologies AG is a German semiconductor manufacturer and was founded on April 1, 1999, when the semiconductor operations of the parent company Siemens AG were spun off to form a separate legal entity. , Infineon has 25,149 employees worldwide...
from June 2003 until February 2009, under the name Infineon Technologies SensoNor. In this period, the company was world leading in the TPMS
Tire pressure monitoring system
-General:A Tire Pressure Monitoring System is a system designed to monitor the air pressure inside the pneumatic tires on various types of vehicles...
market. Even now, this is a major part of the business, although the latest product releases have been gyro sensors SAR100 and SIMU202. The company has 150 employees and is localised in Vestfold
Vestfold
is a county in Norway, bordering Buskerud and Telemark. The county administration is in Tønsberg.Vestfold is located west of the Oslofjord, as the name indicates. It includes many smaller, but well-known towns in Norway, such as Larvik, Sandefjord, Tønsberg and Horten. The river Numedalslågen runs...
, Norway, with offices and fabs in Horten
Horten
is a town and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway—located along the Oslofjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Horten. The municipality also includes the villages of Borre, Åsgårdstrand, Skoppum, and Nykirke....
(front-end) and at Skoppum
Skoppum
Skoppum is a village in the municipality of Horten, Norway. Its population is 1,633. It has a railway station on Vestfoldbanen. This station is the station nearest Horten....
(back-end). CEO is Sverre Horntvedt.
Business
The main product of Sensonor has long been MEMS manufactured pressure sensors and gyros / inertial measurement systems. After the transition into an independent company, the company has made it clear that it wants to develop new products in the gyroscopeGyroscope
A gyroscope is a device for measuring or maintaining orientation, based on the principles of angular momentum. In essence, a mechanical gyroscope is a spinning wheel or disk whose axle is free to take any orientation...
and night vision
Night vision
Night vision is the ability to see in low light conditions. Whether by biological or technological means, night vision is made possible by a combination of two approaches: sufficient spectral range, and sufficient intensity range...
business.
History
The company was first established in Horten in 1985, and was founded on knowledge and research from Akers Electronics.In the 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
Sensonor had international success with SA20, a sensor for Airbag systems
Airbag
An Airbag is a vehicle safety device. It is an occupant restraint consisting of a flexible envelope designed to inflate rapidly during an automobile collision, to prevent occupants from striking interior objects such as the steering wheel or a window...
. It was made up of a piezoresistive beam of Silicon
Silicon
Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table...
. Around 35 million sensors were sold all over the world, and the company had an estimated 60-70% of the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an market for airbag sensors.
However, Sensonor failed in developing their next generation of the crash sensor, SA30, which was eventually given up. This led to a decrease in the revenue
Revenue
In business, revenue is income that a company receives from its normal business activities, usually from the sale of goods and services to customers. In many countries, such as the United Kingdom, revenue is referred to as turnover....
s from 170 mNOK in 1997 to 50 mNOK in 1999. Thus, the early 2000s were economically difficult years for the business and stock market speculation increased the instabilities. Eventually, Sensonor was purchased in full by the large German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
semiconductor
Semiconductor
A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity due to electron flow intermediate in magnitude between that of a conductor and an insulator. This means a conductivity roughly in the range of 103 to 10−8 siemens per centimeter...
company Infineon Technologies
Infineon Technologies
Infineon Technologies AG is a German semiconductor manufacturer and was founded on April 1, 1999, when the semiconductor operations of the parent company Siemens AG were spun off to form a separate legal entity. , Infineon has 25,149 employees worldwide...
.
In parallel with the development of the SA30 sensor, Sensonor had also been working on a pressure
Pressure
Pressure is the force per unit area applied in a direction perpendicular to the surface of an object. Gauge pressure is the pressure relative to the local atmospheric or ambient pressure.- Definition :...
sensor, named SP12. It was designed for usage in TPMS
TPMS
TPMS can stand for any of the following:* Tire pressure monitoring system, a safety device made to alert automobile operators when their tires are under-inflated* Transaction Processing Management System, a transaction processing monitor from ICL...
applications, i.e. monitoring of the air pressure in car tire
Tire
A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground...
s. As with earlier products, SP12 was also based on piezoresistive elements implanted in a Silicon crystal
Crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. The scientific study of crystals and crystal formation is known as crystallography...
, but additionally, the Silicon wafer was encapsulated between two Pyrex
Pyrex
Pyrex is a brand name for glassware, introduced by Corning Incorporated in 1915.Originally, Pyrex was made from borosilicate glass. In the 1940s the composition was changed for some products to tempered soda-lime glass, which is the most common form of glass used in glass bakeware in the US and has...
glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
wafers. It was this technology which made the Norwegian company an interesting investment for Infineon.
Later, Sensonor developed improved versions, SP30 and SP35. Today, these are still sold to producers of TPMS-systems through cooperation with Infineon. In February 2009, Infineon announced that Sensonor were to be sold to Norwegian private investors, in a move that would "benefit both SensoNor and Infineon".
External links
- http://www.sensonor.com