Press Releases

Advancements in industry and technology are constantly demanding new solutions for the manufacturing of microchips regarding the technical, economic and also ecological perspective. The Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS has established itself as a strong partner to industry with its pioneering research and state-of-the-art equipment. The range of services includes all steps “from lab to fab” - from consulting and process development to pilot production.

More power, more energy-efficiency, more complexity - manufacturers of modern microchips are constantly facing new challenges, also regarding the electrical connections required. Fraunhofer IPMS and BASF have been working together on this problem for ten years. The teams have pooled their infrastructure and expertise and thus have made it possible to evaluate chemicals, processes and product tests for chip integration on an industrial scale.

With its spatial light modulators, Fraunhofer IPMS offers photonic systems including matching control electronics and software that enable precise control, high modulation frequencies and high image quality. They facilitate new and improved applications in industry as well as in automotive, astronomy and medical sectors.

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS have developed a Universal Display Data Converter (UDDC). This enables the transfer of image data to existing Fraunhofer microdisplays from various input interfaces. The new UDDC will be presented for the first time at the joint booth of the Fraunhofer Society in Hall B4, Stand No. B-141, at electronica 2024 in Munich.

The Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) announced the appointment of former private lecturer professor Dr.-Ing. Christine Ruffert as adjunct professor. Prof. Dr. Ruffert will continue her leading role at the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS in Cottbus and contribute to the structural change project iCampµs. From September 2024 on she will contribute her expertise in microsystems technology and applied physics to research and teaching at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dipl.-Phys. Hubert Lakner worked for 21 years as Institute Director at the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems, headquartered in Dresden. At the same time, he held the Chair of “Optoelectronic Devices & Systems” at the Institute for Semiconductor and Microsystems Technology at the University of Dresden. During this time, the institute developed into one of the most successful in the field of microelectronics in the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. On October 1, 2024, he took his well-deserved retirement.

Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS and the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Natural Sciences (MPI-NAT) have researched optical stimulators for future cochlear implants as part of the "NeurOpto" project (funded by the Fraunhofer-Max-Planck Cooperation Program: 601001). They will present tiny OLED-on-silicon-based probes for the first time at W3+ 2024 in Jena, on September 25 and 26, 2024, at booth No. C12.

Together with 24 German research institutions and companies under the coordination of Forschungszentrum (FZ) Jülich, Fraunhofer IPMS is working on an integrated German quantum computer based on superconducting quantum chips and with improved error rates. Halfway through the project, the first demonstrator can now be put into operation. The CNT at Fraunhofer IPMS is contributing its expertise of state-of-the-art, industry-compatible CMOS semiconductor manufacturing.

In order to make quantum computers usable, developing the control technology is at least as important for scaled systems, yet it is still in its infancy. Project ARCTIC brings together 36 international partners from industry, academia and leading RTOs to establish a complete and comprehensive European supply chain and develop scalable, reliable, innovative control infrastructure for cryogenic quantum processors. The German Institutes Fraunhofer IPMS and Fraunhofer IAF contribute their extensive expertise in device characterization. The EU is funding the project with over € 11 million for a duration of three years.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS is expanding its long-standing collaboration with the leading international semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries and launches several research projects on innovative integrated memory concepts.