The future of the semiconductor industry

What do you think are the greatest successes for Fraunhofer IPMS in 2021?

Amelung — I am quite proud that we managed to achieve an excellent financial result despite all the adversities of the pandemic. All our regular customers have remained loyal to us. I see this as a sign that we are quite well positioned – in terms of both personnel and technology.

Weinreich — That’s right – it was an outstanding year from an economic point of view. I also think it’s great that we were able to establish ourselves strongly in strategic future topics last year. Be it in quantum computing, neuromorphic computing, or trusted electronics – we have positioned ourselves quite well and launched numerous new projects. We have grown together in the internal management circle and have found a common set of values. I find it absolutely fantastic that, despite the limited personal contacts, the cooperation worked so well and that we came together as a team.

What were your personal highlights in 2021?

Weinreich — Of course, I would first like to mention the area that I head, the Center Nanoelectronic Technologies. Moving our clean room to the new location is my absolute highlight. The fact that we have arrived here, set up the offices, and filled up the clean room. At the beginning of the year, we were still standing in a 4,000 m² empty room. And by the end of the year, the systems were built and running. That is simply remarkable and an incredible achievement.

Amelung — My personal highlight is the stable customer relationships that we were able to build on again in 2021. We have recently been placing great emphasis on establishing stable and strategic collaborations. This also includes the fact that we were able to solve all the technological challenges facing us in our projects in 2021. This makes us a strong research partner for our customers and contributes to their value creation. To be able to finish the year with this good feeling is a real highlight for me.

What specific goals do you have for 2022?

Weinreich — My goal is to drive forward the aforementioned strategic topics for the future and, above all, to transfer them to industrial applications. We have already formed many partnerships in the public projects and are so far advanced in development that we can support the industry with the new technologies. With neuromorphic computing, the first thing I see is the potential. Second, scientific excellence and visibility of Fraunhofer IPMS in the scientific space is quite important for me. I therefore see it as a great goal to continue to focus on publications in journals and at conferences and to stay consistent with that.

Amelung — After all, we’re talking about not only 2022 here. These topics will be with us for years to come and will generate many innovations. And this is where we want – and need – to position ourselves as innovators and drivers. I also look forward to continuing to work with our customers in a spirit of trust in our established research topics. The direct connection to industry and the transfer of our results to industry are particularly important to me.

What will change at Fraunhofer IPMS in 2022?

Amelung — The aspiration to devote ourselves to socially re-
levant issues of the future has clearly increased. This is what we want to address. One example is climate neutrality 2030, which the Fraunhofer Society as a whole – but also we as an institute – hope to achieve. We initially conducted an environmental analysis for one of our clean rooms together with Fraunhofer IZM in order to assess where we stand. This year, there will be many measures that we will implement together.

Weinreich — I can think of another topic. The conversion of the ERP system of the Fraunhofer Society to SAP will change a wide range of processes. We may not be able to define these precisely at the moment. However, I am convinced that we will have to act here in the course of the year. This also applies to the new MES system in the clean room. We intend to use this jointly in connection with Research Fab Microelectronics Germany.

Amelung — The clean rooms of the Fraunhofer Society are increasingly growing together. As a result of the new clean room strategy in the Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics, we will experience greater use of our clean room as one of the main sites. This is a challenge – but also a great opportunity – and definitely an important change for us. 

The semiconductor industry and its status in Europe is currently the subject of much discussion – keyword “chip shortage”. What is your position on this?

Amelung — I prefer to talk about technology sovereignty here because that is the real core of the discussion. In Germany, we need a strong semiconductor industry that can hold its own internationally. We don’t have to map the entire semiconductor industry. But for the core industries in Germany – such as the automotive industry – we must be able to confidently serve the entire value chain. However, this will work only if the circuit from Germany does not cost more than the one from Asia.

Weinreich — In the discussion, it should not be forgotten that the semiconductor industry is highly diverse. Of course, the main topic of discussion at the moment is the chip shortage for the automotive industry. But which chips are we talking about exactly? Which technologies are needed now or later? What about high-frequency electronics, power electronics, sensor technology, packaging, and storage? There is little or no talk about this – even though storage technologies are the be-all and end-all for any modern computing application. I see the challenge more in figuring things out: What technologies do we want and need in Europe?

Amelung — What I would also like to address is the absolute shortage of skilled workers and the promotion of young talent. We are already noticing this quite clearly in our institute. No matter what we establish technologically, we have to train young people and get them excited about microelectronics in order to remain efficient.

Weinreich — I absolutely agree with that. We have just discussed that the demand for research to deal with socially relevant topics is increasing and that climate protection and environmental awareness play a major role in this. Of course, the semiconductor industry is not exempt from this. But in perspective, microelectronics will provide many energy-efficient solutions. I believe that by communicating more strongly and contributing to a clean future through our research, we can convince young people of our work and attract new professionals.