Cambridge CMOS Sensors has been acquired by sensor specialist ams in an all cash transaction. Founded in 2008 as a spin off from Cambridge University, CCMOSS has built expertise in micro hotplate design and manufacturing for gas and infrared sensing.
Alexander Everke, ams’ CEO, said: “The addition of CCMOSS makes ams the clear leader in gas and infrared sensor technology and completes ams’ portfolio of products and technologies for the environmental sensor market.
“This highly strategic acquisition is another key step in making ams the world’s leading provider of sensor solutions for consumer, automotive, industrial, and medical applications.”
CCMOSS’ micro hotplates are MEMS based devices with applications in the automotive, industrial, medical, and consumer markets. Its technology is said to complement ams’ capability in detecting gases such CO, NOx, and VOCs.
The micro hotplate allows an area on the device to be heated to as much as 1000°C in less than 25ms. Originally, this was used to create a source of IR light but, by using the same device and by adding electrodes and a suitable sensing material, the hotplate can create a chemical reaction between the sensing material and a particular gas.
Because CCMOSS makes the structures on CMOS wafers, it enables the creation of monolithically integrated CMOS sensor ICs.
CCMOSS also offers a range of IR radiation sources and detectors for sensor applications which is said to complement ams’ strategy for next generation optical sensor technologies.
Author
Graham Pitcher
Source: www.newelectronics.co.uk