What does Teledyne MEMS do?
We operate as what is known as a pure play foundry. This means we provide semiconductor manufacturing services to external customers. Specifically, we manufacture micro electro-mechanical systems, or MEMS, at wafer level. MEMS devices generally fall into two main categories, sensors and actuators. Everything we produce is fully custom. We do not have standard products. Each device is designed and manufactured to meet a specific customer requirement. In addition, we supply CCD sensors to our colleagues in the Machine Vision Camera group, serving the semiconductor and industrial markets. We currently have a major ongoing project to migrate the 150 mm CCD manufacturing line to 200 mm. This transition is critical to ensuring a sustainable supply of these sensors for the next 20 years. Finally, we are pursuing an expansion of our development center (C2MI) to enable advanced packaging technologies for our next generation image sensors and MEMS, leveraging 3D stacking capabilities such as hybrid bonding and copper through silicon vias on both 200 mm and 300 mm wafers.
Teledyne MEMS brings decades of expertise in advanced sensing and imaging technologies, including the development and manufacturing of microbolometers for infrared imaging. Produced in our North American facilities in Canada, these technologies are part of the broader Teledyne ecosystem supporting high-performance sensing solutions used in some of the most demanding environments from deep sea to deep space.
What markets do you serve?
We describe ourselves as market agnostic. Our customers operate across industrial, automotive, biomedical, semiconductor, photonic and space sectors. We work with both small innovative companies and large global organisations. In addition, as noted above, we manufacture image sensors internally for Teledyne’s Machine Vision Camera Group in Waterloo, as well as for e2v and FLIR. Internal customers represent around ten percent of our overall revenue.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
We define ourselves as a solution provider, so I truly enjoy working with our customers and our employees to solve challenges that no one else can. Technology is evolving rapidly toward smarter components and smarter chips, and there is always something new being developed. It is motivating to collaborate on products that will become part of next generation vehicles, wearable devices, data centers, aircraft systems or space missions. Even if we do not always see the final product ourselves, we know our technology is embedded within it, and that is very rewarding.
Teledyne MEMS supports the space sector. What does that mean to the team?
Space represents a smaller portion of our revenue, but it is incredibly meaningful for our employees. All rovers that have successfully landed on Mars are equipped with image sensors produced here in Bromont. This legacy began in 2000 with the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) sensor, which was used on the Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance missions. That is something our team is very proud of. We have mission photos displayed on the walls to remind everyone that we were part of those achievements. Even though space is not our largest commercial market, it has a strong inspirational impact internally.
What trends are driving growth for the business?
Several major global trends are driving demand for our sensors and photonic devices. Data centers driven by AI demand is certainly a hot topic today. Electrification, particularly in electric vehicles, is a significant factor, as these platforms require increasingly sophisticated sensing solutions. We are also seeing strong momentum in robotics and automation, as well as predictive maintenance, where sensors play a critical role in monitoring performance and reliability.
In addition, the rapid expansion of large-scale data centers and artificial intelligence is accelerating demand, especially for photonic technologies that enable faster data transmission and lower power consumption. Biomedical applications, including disease diagnosis and DNA sequencing, are another important growth area. All of these applications rely heavily on advanced sensing technologies, and as a result, we are currently fully booked in development.
What challenges do you see in the near future?
Our biggest challenge is attracting and retaining skilled talent. Semiconductor manufacturing requires highly trained engineers and technicians, and we operate continuously. We need to ensure we can attract the right people, onboard them effectively and train them efficiently so we can keep pace with customer demand while maintaining the highest quality standards. Managing growth while building and sustaining expertise will be a key focus over the next few years.
Are there any major investments underway?
Yes, we are investing significantly in expansion. As noted above, we are converting our CCD line from 150mm to 200mm wafers, supported by important government grants. This is a major capital investment that will strengthen our manufacturing capability.
There is also a one hundred and sixty million Canadian dollar ecosystem investment at C2MI, our nearby research and development facility located about one kilometre from our main plant. This expansion will be compatible with both 200 mm and 300 mm wafers, enhancing advanced packaging capabilities and supporting future MEMS semiconductor innovation. It is encouraging to see strong government support for the semiconductor industry, as it enables long term development and growth.
What is a key focus for the future?
A key priority is strengthening collaboration across Teledyne semiconductor fabrication plants and sharing best practices between sites. There is strong interest from our teams in learning from one another and continuously improving processes and performance. By working more closely together and sharing expertise, we can continue to grow and support our customers more effectively. We are also pursuing growth opportunities within Teledyne that leverage our fab capabilities to produce differentiated chip and sensor solutions, enabling strong competitive advantage versus our peers.
Teledyne Space is a collective that incorporates Teledyne Space Imaging as well as space-related products and services supplied by Teledyne MEMS.
