Arioso Systems GmbH, a company spun off from the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems, is ready to take its micro loudspeaker made from 100% silicon to market. It took years to develop the MEMS (micro-electromechanical system)-based micro-speaker technology, which is based around something the company calls a Nanoscopic Electrostatic Drive – a silicone chip with rows of 20-micrometer-wide bending strips built into its body. The strips have electrostatic actuators inside that react to the audio signal voltage. The subsequent vibrations are heard as sound.
These new miniaturized headphones – aka ‘hearables’ – and their revolutionary loudspeaker technology can considerably extend the functional scope of micro-headphones. The innovative sound transducer principle not only reproduces high fidelity sound but could also replace electrodynamic speakers in wireless earphones – meaning they’ll be able to connect to the Internet of Things (IoT) independently.
The company explained in a press release:
The new silicon-based sound transducer principle from the Fraunhofer IPMS no longer has a conventional membrane. Instead, this is installed inside the body of a silicon chip as a series of bending strips similar to the strings on a harp. New electrostatic actuators called Nano E-Drives are integrated inside the just 20 µm wide bending strips, which are energized by vibrations from the audio signal voltage. These vibrations are heard as sound. As these components can be directly integrated into the silicon chip, they take up less space and are significantly more energy-efficient than conventional loudspeakers. This new type of extremely small micro loudspeaker is therefore perfectly suited for future, highly-integrated in-ear headphones or hearable applications, such as instant translation, pay functions, and other speech-based Internet services.
There are significant advantages with this method over traditional designs, such as improved energy efficiency and a reduced overall footprint – which frees up space for tiny antennas for getting online and data processors to interact with voice services without needing any other device.
Dr. Hermann Schenk of Arioso Systems said:
The market response to our technology is remarkable. Our all-silicon micro-speaker enables completely new design possibilities and has the potential of creating attractive new value chains.
The Arioso Systems’ chips can be easily mass-produced since they are based on the CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) manufacturing process, which accounts for more than 90% of worldwide MEMS production.
The company has already attracted about €2.6 million (US$2.84 million) in investments. It’s now focused on developing its technology for the Internet of Voice applications. It’s also eager to work with audio brands around the world – to match its core technology with specific market requirements. The highly flexible silicon MEMS design platform can easily be tuned to the needs of its customers.
