XMEMS Labs has introduced what it claims is the world’s first monolithic microelectromechanical system (MEMS) tweeter designed for smart glasses and mixed reality headsets.
Called Tomales, the MEMS features a 1 mm thin profile to simplify speaker placement and positioning to direct audio toward the ear in smart glasses and in mixed reality headsets.
Tomales delivers 75 dB SPL at 2 kHz, 90 dB at 4 kHz and more than 108 dB at 10 kHz. The sensor is based on XMEMS’ second generation M2 speaker cell architecture that improves loudness in small form factors.
“Producing high-quality audio in thin form factors such as eyeglass frames can be challenging,” said Mike Householder, VP of marketing and business development at XMEMS. “It is difficult for a single speaker to produce acceptable low-end bass response while also delivering clear vocals and rich instrumentals.”
The MEMS is a monolithic architecture using both actuation and diaphragm in silicon that results in frequency response consistency and reduction of speaker matching or calibration time. The transduction mechanism eliminates spring and suspension recovery of coil speakers, improving audio quality and sound field reproduction, XMEMS said.