Montreal-based timing specialist Stathera, Inc. secured the Best MEMS Solution category at the 2026 Best of Sensors Awards on May 6. The selection panel recognized the company for its breakthrough architecture in the STA320 DualMode MEMS Oscillator, a technology that fundamentally alters how electronic systems manage clock cycles.
The Technical Breakthrough: Dual Frequencies from One Resonator
In conventional electronic design, engineers are routinely forced to separate low-power system management from high-frequency processing. This typically requires deploying two distinct components: a tuning-fork quartz crystal operating at 32.768 kHz to manage sleep cycles and real-time clocks, and a separate Megahertz quartz oscillator to drive active system processing.
Stathera’s STA320 dismantles this paradigm. Utilizing advanced state-of-the-art fusion bonding technology, the company has introduced the world’s first genuine dual-mode MEMS oscillator capable of generating both kHz and MHz frequencies concurrently from a single MEMS resonator.
Mechanical Rigidity and Environmental Limits
While traditional quartz crystals are prone to physical fracturing or frequency shifting when subjected to sudden force, the STA320's silicon architecture is designed to withstand harsh industrial and automotive operational environments:
Mechanical Shock Resistance: It sustains forces up to 1500g under MIL-STD-883 (Method 2002) testing standards without structural or operational degradation.
Mechanical Vibration Resistance: It maintains frequency stability when subjected to vibration forces reaching up to 70g under MIL-STD-883 (Method 2007) protocols.
Operating Temperature Range: The device functions across a full industrial temperature envelope, rated from -40 degrees C to +85 degrees C.
Packaging and Form Factor
To ensure direct drop-in compatibility with existing hardware designs, Stathera avoids proprietary footprints:
Dimensions: Built into an industry-standard 2.5 x 2.0 mm footprint.
Enclosure: Utilizes a rugged 6-pin ceramic package, which provides the hermetic seal required to maintain the vacuum environment around the internal resonator.
Launch Timeline and Sample Availability
The STA320 is moving directly into commercial production following its recognition at Sensors Converge.
Product Launch: Scheduled for June 2026.
Current Availability: Stathera is actively sampling Engineering Samples to strategic customers for validation and early-stage circuit board integration.
Other winners of the Best of Sensors 2026 are available online.