Atomica Launches Physical AI Sensor Platform

Atomica, a U.S.-based microfabrication foundry, has launched a new Physical AI Sensor Platform aimed at meeting the growing demand for sensors in robotics, autonomous systems, and other intelligent devices. The platform integrates multiple sensor families to provide compact, reliable, and integrated devices that can be manufactured at scale, addressing the complex requirements of these emerging technologies.

"As artificial intelligence moves into more physical systems, the need for accurate sensing capabilities will only grow," said Eldon Klaassen, CEO of Atomica. "Our platform is designed to bridge the gap between sensor innovation and manufacturability, ensuring that customers can turn their sensor concepts into viable, high-performance devices."

The Physical AI Sensor Platform covers five major sensor families: motion and inertial, pressure, force, and acoustic, environmental and chemical, magnetic and position, and optical and spectral sensing. These include a range of devices such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, pressure and flow sensors, microphones, and gas and chemical sensors, among others.

Atomica's platform leverages its extensive capabilities in microfabrication, including deep silicon etching, thin-film deposition, membrane and cavity formation, wafer bonding, metallization, optical coatings, microfluidics, through-wafer interconnects, interposers, and wafer-level packaging. By reusing and modifying these elements, the platform enables customers to develop manufacturable sensors while preserving space for innovation in sensing materials, device geometry, functional layers, optical features, and packaging.

"One of the key challenges in developing advanced sensors is the need for repeatable fabrication, integration, and qualification," Klaassen explained. "Our platform addresses these challenges early in the development process, allowing customers to focus on differentiating their product rather than reinventing the wheel."

The platform's approach to integration is crucial for the success of products that combine multiple forms of sensing. For instance, a robot may use inertial, force, position, and optical inputs, while a drone may require motion, pressure, magnetic, optical, and environmental sensing. Industrial systems and medical devices also benefit from the platform's ability to monitor vibration, gas, flow, pressure, and optical signals.

Integration into the larger product is another critical aspect. Atomica's platform ensures that sensors can be seamlessly connected to readout electronics, local processing, and system control, reducing the risk of commercial failures that may arise from laboratory testing. The platform supports a wide range of microfabrication needs, enabling customers to build on established process knowledge and focus on innovation.

Customers can start with a sensing concept, material, device architecture, or proof of principle and progress through feasibility structures, engineering samples, prototype hardware, qualification, pilot production, and scalable manufacturing. By reusing established process knowledge, Atomica can help customers streamline their development efforts and bring their products to market more efficiently.

The Physical AI Sensor Platform is part of Atomica's broader strategy to support the development of advanced AI hardware, photonics, sensors, MEMS, and biotechnology devices. The platform's launch marks a significant step in enabling the integration of physical intelligence into a wide range of applications, from robotics and autonomous systems to industrial automation and medical devices.