1. Our Core Competencies

Our Core Competencies provide a cross-section of the specialities of HMT and links to more details for the application domain and markets.

1.1 Robust ICs

We design and supply ASICs for reliable and safe operation over a long life-time and under harsh conditions (temperature, environment, radiation) while handling elevated voltages and currents. This requires specific design and modelling techniques, process technologies from foundry partners and stress testing in qualification. These ASICs are often part of modules

Typical applications are motor drivers, actuators (piezo, solenoid), power supplies and line drivers, for automotive, industrial and aeronautic applications.

1.2 Low-noise ICs

Most of our ASICs are either primarily sensor ICs (eg. navigation accelerometers), or include sensing functions as part of ther operation (eg. winding voltage in a motor driver). Extracting the most from the physics requires low-noise design, optimised signal conversion (ADCs) as well as isolation of disturbing and sensitive elements.

1.3 Micro-power ICs

Battery powered devices, remote power (field power devices) and energy harvesting devices all require design for minimal consumption. HMT’s foundations in the Swiss watch industry provide the background for low consumption design and short range communication. These require design techniques with low supply voltages, for which HMT have suitable foundry partners.

Typical applications are in the medical, security identification, logging and product tracking fields.

1.4 IO-Link

IO-Link provides a physically and computationally light-weight communication protocol for industrial sensors and actuators and is ideal for incorporation in industrial sensor and actuator ICs and modules which form a significant part of HMT’s business.

HMT has a series of IO-Link IPs for incorporation into your ASICs for protocol handling and protection (EMC), a series of device PHYs as standard products and the evaluation hardware and software (mini-stack) to support their use. HMT also develops IO-Link based devices incorporating multiple sensor and actuator functions.

1.5 Miniature modules (PCB assemblies)

HMT offers a broad palette of miniature assembly techniques for miniature modules (PCB assemblies) including custom IC packages, various chip scale package CSP conversion and assembly techniques, and discrete assembly in the smallest dimensions and on different substrates.

Typical applications are in the medical, industrial sensor, aeronautic, motor control (automotive) domains.

1.6 Controlled design, qualification and production

The increasing penetration of electronics into safety critical domains (medical, functional safety, automotive, aeronautic) and the complexity of the applications requires new levels of control over the design, qualification and production processes. HMT is certified to ISO9001 and ISO13485 for the complete operations, supports DO254 in design, applies AEC-Q100 in qualification and conforms to TS16949 in production.

HMT works together with assembly partners who are qualified to ISO13485 and ISO9001 and provides supplier management and documentation to support medical and automotive product registration.

1.7 Production test facility

HMT’s in-house production test facility provides state of the art ASIC electrical volume production testing and storage for wafers and packaged devices, conformal to TS16949. HMT tests 100% of all specified parameters on 100% of all production parts and actively monitors the production statistics for all parts.

Where a zero defect strategy is implemented, HMT supports testing at multiple temperatures and the application of statistical data processing (eg. Part Average Testing).