The Arioso company has replaced the classic membrane with silicone micromembranes with results of higher quality and intensity than the classic models
Music is a constant partner of our days. Between professionals and common enthusiasts, users are always looking for innovations and improvements. Today we present a product that could represent a turning point in the earphone market. Arioso System GmbH, spin off from the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems, developed the first earphones made entirely of silicone.
The devices are without the conventional membrane, replaced by a silicon chip with a series of small strips inside. The membranes work like the strings of an instrument, they vibrate the air between them and produce sound. The technology is based on Nanoscopic Electrostatic Drive (NED), a device patented by Fraunhofer IPMS. Technical details are published in Nature Microsystems & Nanoengineering magazine.
The earphones use a minimum amount of electricity and can reach 100 decibels of intensity. The company raised 2.6 million euros in the first crowdfunding collection. “Thanks to our technology, Arioso Systems GmbH is one of the first companies on the global market to provide a CMOS-compatible chip solution for loudspeakers” explains Prof. Hubert Lakner. “Above all, as the technology is based on silicon semiconductor processes, it is also more easily scalable than competing technologies“.