Sensonor

Sensonor AS is a Norwegian producer and developer of high precision and light-weight MEMS gyros and IMUs. The company has approximately 50 employees and is localised in Vestfold, Norway, with offices and fabs in Horten (front end) and at Skoppum (back end and calibration). The CEO is Thomas Bull-Larsen.

Sensonor AS
Public
IndustryMEMS
Founded1985
HeadquartersHorten, Norway
ProductsGyros, IMUs, pressure sensors
Number of employees
50
Websitehttp://www.sensonor.com

Business

The main product of Sensonor has long been MEMS manufactured pressure sensors, gyros and inertial measurement systems. The company has focused on MEMS gyros since 2009, and the main product line consists of the gyros STIM202, STIM210 and the IMU STIM300.[1]

History

The company was first established in Horten in 1985, founded on knowledge and research from Akers Electronics.[2]

In the 1990s Sensonor had international success with SA20, a sensor for airbag systems. It was based on a piezoresistive beam of silicon.[3] Around 35 million sensors were sold worldwide, and the company had an estimated 60-70% of the European market for airbag sensors.[4]

However, SA30, their next generation of the crash sensor, was delayed, and failed commercially.[5] This led to a decrease in the revenues from 170m NOK in 1997 to 50m NOK in 1999.[6] 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.[7] Sensonor was owned by them from June 2003 [8] until February 2009,[9] under the name Infineon Technologies SensoNor. In this period, the company was world leading in the TPMS market. 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 tires. 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.[10][11] It was this technology which made the Norwegian company an interesting investment for Infineon.[12]

Later, Sensonor developed improved versions, SP30 and SP35. These were sold to producers of TPMS-systems by 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".[13]

In February 2012, the company filed for bankruptcy, but already in April 2012, new owners purchased the estate and reestablished the company.[14]

References
  1. sensonor.com, 12. April 2012
  2. forskning.no, 10. oktober 2002: Mikroelektronikkens Grand old man
  3. hive.no, 20. februar 2009 Archived 24 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  4. hibu.no, 20.februar 2009 Archived 24 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  5. etn.se 1.april 2000
  6. forskning.no, 10. oktober 2002: Mikroelektronikkens Grand old man
  7. SmallTimes.com, 23. juni 2003: Infineon: SensoNor agrees to acquisition
  8. SmallTimes.com, 23. juni 2003: Infineon: Sensonor agrees to acquisition
  9. tu.no, 20. februar 2009: SensoNor igjen på norske hender
  10. sensonor.no, 20. February 2009 TPMS Technology Archived 8 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  11. hive.no 20. februar 2009 Sensonor SW4 intro Archived 24 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  12. SmallTimes.com, 26. juli 2006: Tire sensor maker ready to take U.S. market for a ride
  13. tu.no, 20. februar 2009: SensoNor igjen på norske hender
  14. Gjengangeren.no, 30.mars 2012: Nye eiere på Sensonor

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