PHS MEMS

About PHS MEMS

PHS MEMS SA was a foundry manufacturer specializing in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) headquartered in Grenoble, France. The company was founded in 1998 and operated a foundry in the Saint Egrève district of Grenoble, with an additional office in Emeryville, California. Thierry Touchais served as the company's president and chief executive officer. The company also had Alberto Martorell as a president and CEO at one point.

The firm's core business was the custom manufacturing of MEMS components with integrated passive devices, targeting the radio frequency (RF) module market. This process involved integrating discrete passive components like resistors, capacitors, and inductors directly into a single package with an RF component. This approach was designed to reduce the component count, overall size, and cost for manufacturers of handheld wireless equipment. PHS MEMS's technology enabled the creation of functions such as harmonic filters, directional couplers, and power amplifier matching circuits. The company's business model was centered on providing design, process, and manufacturing know-how to major international clients, with a focus on volume MEMS orders. PHS MEMS held approximately 20 patents for its product technology blocks and was ISO9001-certified.

The company successfully raised capital to fund its expansion, including a round of over 45 million euros by mid-2001 and a 10 million euro round in early 2003. These funds were intended to expand the MEMS Design Centre, increase the sales and marketing force, and ramp up production volumes. Information about the company after the early 2000s is scarce, and its former CEO Thierry Touchais joined the GoodPlanet Foundation in 2013, suggesting PHS MEMS may no longer be in operation.