Silex Microsystems

Silex Microsystems, founded in 2000 by Edvard Kälvesten, is the world's largest pure-play Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) foundry. The company is headquartered in Järfälla, Sweden, and manufactures custom MEMS-based products like sensors and actuators for a global client base. Kälvesten, along with four other MEMS doctors from KTH Royal Institute of Technology and research institute Acreo, founded the company, leveraging deep industry experience. Silex operates as a subsidiary of a consortium of Swedish investors including Bure and Creades, a change that occurred in June 2025 to foster growth in a complex geopolitical landscape after being majority-owned by Chinese firm Sai Microelectronics since 2015.

The company's business model is centered on being a "pure-play" foundry, meaning it does not design or sell its own branded products. This model ensures customer intellectual property (IP) is protected, attracting innovation leaders who require a secure manufacturing environment. Revenue is generated through B2B transactions for its foundry services, focusing on long-term partnerships. Silex serves high-tech companies in diverse sectors including medical technology, telecommunications, consumer electronics, automotive, and industrial applications. For the fiscal year 2024, the company reported revenues of SEK 1,226 million with a 28% EBIT margin.

Silex provides advanced process technologies and high-volume manufacturing capacity on dedicated 6-inch and 8-inch wafer production lines. Key technological offerings include its Sil-Via® and Met-Cap™ platforms, which provide all-silicon and copper-based Through-Silicon Vias (TSVs) for wafer-level packaging, enabling reduced product sizes and high-yield, low-cost packaging solutions. The company's capabilities cover a wide range of processes such as lithography, plasma etching, wafer bonding, and atomic layer deposition. Silex has expanded its capacity through strategic moves, including the acquisition of Elmos Semiconductor's 200mm wafer factory in Dortmund, Germany, to enhance its automotive-qualified CMOS capabilities.

Keywords: MEMS foundry, pure-play foundry, micro-electro-mechanical systems, semiconductor manufacturing, wafer fabrication, Through-Silicon Via, TSV, sensors, actuators, wafer-level packaging, Sil-Via, Met-Cap, MEMS manufacturing, advanced packaging, consumer electronics, automotive sensors, medical devices, industrial automation, telecommunications components, semiconductor technology