IN Brief:
- Neways and Melexis agreed a multiyear partnership to package Triphibian MEMS pressure sensors.
- Both companies developed a compact protective package for pressure measurement directly in liquids and gases.
- EV and data centre thermal management are identified applications; contract value and production volumes are undisclosed.
Neways has secured a multiyear partnership with Belgian semiconductor developer Melexis to provide advanced packaging for Triphibian MEMS pressure sensors, which are used in thermal management systems for electric vehicles and AI data centres.
Engineers from the two companies have developed a compact protective package for the sensing technology. The 20 October partnership covers manufacture of the package, rather than the launch of an entirely new Triphibian sensor family. Neither partner has disclosed the contract value, production volumes, specific manufacturing site or a delivery timetable.
Triphibian devices measure pressure directly in liquids and gases. Their microelectromechanical sensing structures respond to the force applied by the medium, with associated circuitry converting that response into an electrical measurement. Direct contact can avoid some of the additional mechanical isolation arrangements required by other sensor designs, but exposes the assembly to the conditions of the fluid being monitored.
The package is consequently integral to sensor performance. It must provide a stable mechanical interface to the pressure source, protect electrical connections and allow the sensing element to respond without introducing unacceptable stresses or measurement errors. The materials and joints also need to tolerate the temperature and pressure cycles expected in the finished installation.
A change in package geometry can influence the strain experienced by a small sensing element. Semiconductor material, housing and connected components may expand at different rates as the temperature changes, potentially introducing effects unrelated to the pressure being measured. Package design therefore has to be considered alongside calibration and signal conditioning.
Sealing introduces further constraints where liquid media are involved. Surfaces in contact with the fluid must be compatible with its chemistry, while areas that are not intended for exposure require protection. Qualification must consider repeated heating and cooling as well as the operating pressure range, rather than relying on a single static test.
Melexis supplies Triphibian variants including the MLX90830 with an analogue output, the MLX90833 with LIN communication and the MLX90834 with SENT. These interface choices affect how a finished assembly connects to the electronic controller, but the October agreement does not specify the product mix planned for Neways packaging operations.
In July, Melexis extended the existing family with low-pressure variants offering configurable measurement spans starting at 2 bar. Other members of the family cover pressure ranges extending to 70 bar. Those are sensor product specifications established separately from the Neways agreement; they should not be attributed to a new package whose detailed characteristics have not been published.
Electric vehicle cooling circuits use pumps and valves to circulate coolant through batteries, power electronics and heat exchangers. Pressure measurements at defined points can help a controller observe hydraulic conditions or recognise deviations from the expected operating state.
Pressure alone cannot identify every cooling fault. Reduced circulation could arise from a restriction, leakage, pump behaviour or another cause, depending on the position of the sensor and the system design. Controllers may need temperature, flow or actuator information alongside pressure readings to distinguish those situations reliably.
Liquid cooling infrastructure in data centres presents comparable measurement requirements. A distribution unit moves coolant through cold plates and heat exchangers, with operating pressure affected by flow demand, valve settings and restrictions in the circuit. Sensor placement and the characteristics of the coolant determine how useful an individual reading will be.
Melexis develops its automotive pressure sensors with factory calibration and defined interface options, reducing some of the work needed when integrating the device into a larger module. That does not remove the need to validate the packaged sensor under the vibration, fluid exposure, temperature and electrical conditions of its intended application.
The companies say their joint engineering work has produced a package suited to demanding conditions and scalable manufacture. They have not released drawings, material specifications, sealing details, measured long-term drift or assembly yield figures, making a quantitative comparison with competing packages premature.
Neways’ contribution involves specialist microelectronics packaging as well as the production methods needed to manufacture the completed assembly consistently. Its early participation allows mechanical and process constraints to influence design choices before a sensor package reaches volume manufacturing, rather than being addressed only after the sensing chip is finalised.
The agreement provides Melexis with an additional manufacturing relationship for Triphibian packaging and extends Neways’ involvement in semiconductor-related assemblies. Customer qualification and manufacturing ramp-up will determine the commercial scale of the work, while the partners retain the potential to apply their packaging approach to other compact liquid or gas pressure sensing products.
