Silicon Clocks

# Silicon Clocks: High-Level Overview

Silicon Clocks was a fabless semiconductor company that developed high-performance timing and sensor designs using proprietary CMEMS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor MEMS) technology.[1][2] Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Fremont, California, the company created timing chips that eliminated the need for off-chip quartz crystal resonators, resulting in significant cost reduction and a 10x decrease in power dissipation for timing components.[2] The company served hard disk drives, disk controllers, communications devices, and consumer electronics manufacturers by licensing its CMEMS technology to fabless electronic companies, design houses, foundries, and integrated device manufacturers (IDMs).[4]

Silicon Clocks addressed a fundamental challenge in semiconductor design: traditional quartz-based timing solutions were bulky, power-hungry, and costly. By integrating timing functionality directly onto chips using MEMS technology, the company enabled manufacturers to reduce component counts, lower power consumption, and decrease overall system costs—a compelling value proposition for the electronics industry in the mid-2000s.

# Origin Story

Silicon Clocks was co-founded in 2006 by Dr. Roger Howe, a UC Berkeley Professor of Electrical Engineering and former co-director of the Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center, and Emmanuel Quevy, a BSAC post-doctoral researcher.[1] The founding team also included inventors Andrea Franke, Tsu Jae King Liu, and Hideki Takeuchi, reflecting deep academic expertise in MEMS and sensor technology.[1]

The company emerged from cutting-edge research at UC Berkeley's Sensor and Actuator Center, where the founders had developed the underlying CMEMS technology. This academic pedigree attracted backing from leading venture investors including Tallwood Venture Capital, Charles River Ventures, Formative Ventures, Lux Capital, and Silicon Labs.[1] Lux Capital invested in 2007, validating the technology's commercial potential early in the company's lifecycle.[2]

# Core Differentiators

• Proprietary CMEMS Technology: Silicon Clocks' patented CMEMS approach integrated timing and sensor functions directly onto semiconductor chips, eliminating external quartz resonators and delivering superior performance characteristics.[1][2]

• Power Efficiency: The technology achieved a 10x reduction in power dissipation for timing components compared to traditional solutions, a critical advantage for battery-powered and power-constrained devices.[2]

• Cost Reduction: By consolidating multiple discrete components into a single integrated design, the company reduced bill-of-materials costs and manufacturing complexity for customers.[2]

• Licensing Model: Rather than manufacturing chips directly, Silicon Clocks licensed its CMEMS IP to a broad ecosystem of fabless companies, design houses, foundries, and IDMs, maximizing market reach and adoption.[4]

• Academic Credibility: Founding leadership from UC Berkeley's renowned MEMS research center provided technical credibility and access to cutting-edge research, differentiating the company in a competitive semiconductor landscape.

# Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Silicon Clocks rode the wave of MEMS miniaturization and system-on-chip (SoC) integration trends that dominated semiconductor design in the 2000s. As consumer electronics became smaller, more portable, and power-constrained—driven by the rise of mobile devices, laptops, and portable storage—the demand for integrated timing solutions grew sharply.

The company's timing was strategic: the hard disk drive industry was experiencing explosive growth during this period, and manufacturers were actively seeking ways to reduce power consumption and component counts. By offering a drop-in replacement for quartz oscillators with superior performance, Silicon Clocks positioned itself at the intersection of two powerful forces: the push toward integration and the relentless demand for power efficiency.

The company's success also reflected the broader strength of the UC Berkeley innovation ecosystem and the venture capital community's appetite for deep-tech semiconductor plays backed by world-class academic founders.

# Quick Take & Future Outlook

Silicon Clocks was acquired by Silicon Laboratories in 2010 (with some sources citing 2011), marking a successful exit for early investors and founders.[1][2] The acquisition reflected Silicon Labs' strategic interest in expanding its timing and sensor portfolio—Silicon Clocks' CMEMS technology complemented Silicon Labs' existing mixed-signal semiconductor offerings and provided access to next-generation timing solutions.

While Silicon Clocks as an independent entity no longer exists, its legacy persists within Silicon Labs' product portfolio. The company exemplified a successful model for deep-tech semiconductor startups: leverage academic research, develop a defensible IP position, build a licensing business to maximize reach, and exit to a larger player capable of manufacturing and distributing the technology at scale.

The broader lesson from Silicon Clocks remains relevant today: MEMS-based solutions continue to power modern electronics, from sensors in smartphones to timing circuits in data centers. The company's early bet on integrated timing proved prescient, even as the specific market dynamics have evolved with the shift from mechanical storage to solid-state drives and cloud computing.