MEMS Microphone Market Exceeds $1 Billion: Domestic Chips Continuously Break Through SNR Limits, with AI as a Key Driver

As the consumer electronics market recovers, rising demand for MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) in automotive, industrial, and communication sectors has reversed the industry’s downward trend in 2023. According to Yole Development, the global MEMS market size reached $14.6 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow to $20 billion by 2029, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5%. Among key applications, the communication sector leads with a CAGR of 25%. MEMS can be categorized into actuators and sensors, with the latter including inertial, pressure, acoustic, environmental, and optical sensors. Yole forecasts that by 2028, the MEMS microphone segment will exceed $1 billion, reaching an estimated $1.436 billion.

In the domestic market, evolving technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), smart home devices, and Industry 4.0 are expanding the application scope of MEMS microphones, driving sustained demand for high-performance products.

High Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) Becomes a Critical Development Direction

Technical innovation is central to competitive advantage in the MEMS microphone industry. Consumer electronics like smartphones and wearables, automotive electronics, and communications are demanding ever-higher performance, driving iterative improvements in three key areas:

1. Enhanced Performance: Improved SNR, dynamic range, sensitivity, and bandwidth.
2. Miniaturization & Integration with Low Power Consumption: Balancing compact design and energy efficiency.
3. Robust Anti-Interference Capability: Resistance to electromagnetic and environmental noise.
4. Material & Process Advancements: For example, Wuxi Silicon Source Technology Co., Ltd. (SISTC) is developing high-end silicon microphones using heterogeneous integration and hybrid bonding technology. In the first half of this year, the company produced demo devices with three-layer dual backplates, validated bonding processes for three-layer dual-diaphragm engineering wafers, and completed the structural design for four-layer dual-diaphragm dual-backplate devices. These future products will target applications in smartphones, smart speakers, medical devices, and intelligent transportation.

Leading the SNR race, Infineon pioneered Dual Backplate Technology (DBP), boosting sensitivity and achieving an SNR of 70 dB. In 2019, its dual-diaphragm technology further increased SNR to 75 dB. Research shows that a 75 dB SNR MEMS microphone captures audio 40% more accurately than standard models, critical for improving speech recognition accuracy and enabling advanced voice 交互 (voice interaction).

Domestic chipmakers are also advancing MEMS technology:

• AAC Technologies mass-produced 70 dB SNR MEMS microphones in 2020, now offering a range from 63 dB to 70 dB, with bone-conduction microphones achieving 76 dB.
• SISTC provides microphone MEMS processes with SNR ranging from 58 dB to 72 dB, applicable for high-end phones, TWS earbuds, consumer electronics, and automotive microphones. The company’s proprietary technologies—high-precision stress control, sealed dual-diaphragm encapsulation, ultra-thin wafer handling, and adhesion-free release—are stated to be at the international leading level.

AI Voice Interaction Drives MEMS Technological Iteration

SNR improvements are pivotal for AI voice interaction, which also demands high sensitivity, enhanced noise cancellation, and support for complex microphone arrays. The surge in AI functionality—forecast by SAR Insight & Consulting to drive annual sales of 3 billion voice-assistant-integrated devices by 2028 (CAGR: 5%)—is a key driver for MEMS innovation. Products like smartphones, wearables, smart speakers, and AR/VR headsets increasingly rely on AI, creating opportunities for advanced microphones.

Goertek highlights AI’s role in expanding demand for acoustic sensors, planning to extend high-end technologies to mid-low-end products and IoT devices. 

Knowles Electronics’ SiSonic™ SPK81AOLR5H-1 (SNR >70 dB, high dynamic range) supports multi-microphone systems for accurate audio capture, adopted in vivo X100 Ultra as a “studio-grade” microphone for directional sound focusing.

TDK’s innovations include the T5838 (acoustic activity detection, AAD) and T5848 (AAD + I²S interface, 68 dBA SNR, 133 dB SPL acoustic overload point), designed for low-power AI applications like AR/VR glasses. The AAD feature wakes devices only when sound is detected, achieving ultra-low power consumption (330 µA at 1.8V, 130 µA in low-power mode).

Conclusion

Continuous advancements in SNR, sensitivity, and power efficiency are not only revitalizing downstream markets but also enabling more sophisticated human-machine interaction. As the MEMS microphone segment grows, 产业链 (industry chain) players stand to benefit from sustained demand driven by technological innovation and expanding AI applications.