Silex Microsystems is the first pure-play MEMS foundry to offer PZT in volume production, with over 15 years of dedicated investment in piezoelectric thin-film development. Operating on a 200 mm platform and offering both PZT and KNN within a single foundry environment, Silex works with customers to tailor piezoelectric processes to specific application requirements – from early feasibility through to scalable manufacturing. Key decisions around material selection, device architecture, and process integration are often best addressed early in the development cycle. Silex is actively developing KNN process integration, including ion beam etching through a partnership with SCIA Systems and in-house reactive ion etching on its 200 mm platform. This helps position KNN as a genuinely scalable lead-free alternative alongside its established PZT offering. For most organisations developing PiezoMEMS devices, working with a dedicated MEMS foundry is the most practical path from early feasibility through to volume production. A foundry partner brings not only the manufacturing infrastructure, but the process knowledge, characterisation capability, and integration experience that would otherwise take years to build.
