sensiBel and X-Celeprint Partner for High-Volume Optical MEMS Microphone Production

Norwegian deep-tech firm sensiBel has partnered with Irish industrial manufacturing company X-Celeprint to scale high-volume production of its optical-detection module, optoKore, utilizing Micro-Transfer Printing (MTP) technology. The collaboration aims to overcome traditional photonics assembly limits by enabling wafer-level…

Norwegian deep-tech firm sensiBel has partnered with Irish industrial manufacturing company X-Celeprint to scale high-volume production of its optical-detection module, optoKore, utilizing Micro-Transfer Printing (MTP) technology. The collaboration aims to overcome traditional  photonics assembly limits by enabling wafer-level manufacturing for high-performance acoustic sensors and digital  microphones.

According to sensiBel CEO Kieran Harney, the micro-electronics industry has long sought a means to overcome the traditional limitations in photonics assembly. By adopting X-Celeprint’s MTP platform, sensiBel can now combine tiny, non-native components onto a single substrate with precise nanoscale alignment. This shift replaces slower, higher-cost die-bonding methods with fast array transfers of multiple device types, including lasers, modulators, photodetectors, amplifiers, and passive optics, as detailed by X-Celeprint.

Moving to MTP aligns the fabrication of the optoKore module directly with standard microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) processes at a wafer scale. As a result, sensiBel can manufacture thousands of optical modules on a single wafer. X-Celeprint CEO Peter Smyth noted that the platform supports high-volume manufacturing environments while maintaining extreme precision, positioning sensiBel to meet demand in consumer electronics and other mass markets.

The optoKore module serves as the core optical-detection module inside sensiBel’s microelectromechanical systems sensors, combining a traditional ASIC and MEMS sensor. As sound waves strike the MEMS diaphragm, the internal optical path shifts. The module measures diaphragm displacement across a range—from femtometers to micrometers—and converts those physical changes directly into a digital audio signal.

According to technical specifications released by sensiBel, this optical approach yields a high dynamic range exceeding 136dB, a broad frequency response spanning from direct current (DC) to megahertz (MHz), low power consumption, and a miniature footprint in the cubic millimeter range. These engineering attributes allow sensiBel’s digital microphones to achieve a minimum signal-to-noise ratio of 80dBA, an acoustic overload point exceeding 146dB SPL, and a total dynamic range surpassing 132dB.

The strategic manufacturing agreement addresses a fundamental scaling barrier for high-performance acoustic sensors. By shifting production to X-Celeprint’s automated MTP tools—located across operational facilities in Europe and Asia—sensiBel secures the fabrication capacity required for high-volume commercial deployment.

The partnership highlights a broader industry shift toward heterogeneous integration, where disparate optical and electronic components are fused at nanoscale precision without sacrificing manufacturing throughput. With high-volume production lines scaling up, sensiBel and X-Celeprint aim to transition advanced optical acoustic sensing from specialized applications to mainstream consumer hardware.