Press Releases

Vuzix® Corporation (NASDAQ: VUZI), ("Vuzix" or, the "Company"), a leading supplier of Smart Glasses and Augmented Reality (AR) technology and products, and Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS (Fraunhofer IPMS), a globally renowned research institution based in Germany, are excited to announce a major milestone in the development of a custom microLED backplane.

A common method to increase the brightness of OLEDs while maintaining a long lifespan is the use of multiple stacked OLEDs. Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS have now developed an innovative high-voltage CMOS backplane that enables exceptionally bright microdisplays. These will be presented for the first time at the SID Display Week 2025, from May 13 to 15, 2025, in San José, USA (Booth No. 1135 at the German Pavilion).

A newly launched interdisciplinary research project involving universities of Brandenburg and research institutions is developing new technological approaches for better and more effective integration of artificial intelligence at the edges of IT networks, so-called “edges”. These developments could be of great importance in the future, particularly for applications in industrial electronics, medical technology and environmental monitoring. Fraunhofer IPMS is contributing its expertise in miniaturized sensor structures and the integration of electronic components.

Reliability and security in broadband communication networks (5G/6G) are crucial for meeting the challenges of the digital future. Together with aconnic AG, Fraunhofer IPMS has developed an innovative IP core as part of the “RealSec5G” project, which combines the advantages of a MACsec IP core with those of a Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) IP core. This is the first time that the aspects of functional safety and data security in data transmission, which were usually considered separately, have been combined.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS has achieved another milestone in chemical liquid analysis. The electronics required to control the ion-sensitive field effect transistors (ISFET) have been successfully miniaturized. At the same time, manufacturing costs and power consumption have been reduced significantly. The new electronics can be made available for direct use or for integration into in-house measuring systems.

The Center Nanoelectronic Technologies (CNT) at Fraunhofer IPMS has recently acquired new cryostats for the research on qubits and the qualification of superconducting systems. The cryogenic measuring devices, which are particularly useful for analyzing quantum systems, are now in full operation. The provision of the equipment was funded by the Saxon State Ministry for Science, Culture and Tourism (SMWK).

Due to the increasing miniaturization and complexity in the semiconductor industry, but also in many other technical sectors and industries, high-precision and effective ways of projecting light, processing materials or sending optical signals are required - with precision in the nanometer range and high programming speed at the same time. The spatial light modulators of Fraunhofer IPMS already enable applications in the field of semiconductor technology today, thanks to customized tilting and piston mirror systems. They have the potential to become key components for future applications in material processing, 3D holographic display technology or imaging in biomedicine.

Particularly in medicine and bioanalytics, results must be determined precisely and reliably. The optical systems of Fraunhofer IPMS enable position control and gentle analysis options, which realize precise results in the shortest amount of time. The versatile applications of micro scanners in medicine include image acquisition for medical endoscopes, confocal microscopy, fluorescence microscopy and spectroscopy.

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS have developed novel OLED stacks that enable exceptionally bright microdisplays. These will be presented for the first time at SPIE AR VR MR 2025, from January 28 to 29, 2025, in San Francisco (Booth No. 6202).

The pilot line for “Advanced Packaging and Heterogeneous Integration for Electronic Components and Systems” (APECS) marks a major leap forward in strengthening Europe’s semiconductor manufacturing ca-pabilities and chiplet innovation as part of the EU Chips Act. By provid-ing large industry players, SMEs, and start-ups with a facilitated access to cutting-edge technology, the APECS pilot line will establish a strong foundation for resilient and robust European semiconductor supply chains. Within APECS, the institutes collaborating in the Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD) will work closely with European partners, to make a significant contribution to the European Union´s goals of increasing technological resilience, strengthening cross-border collaboration and enhancing its global competitiveness in semiconduc-tor technologies. APECS is co-funded by the Chips Joint Undertaking and national funding authorities of Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Portugal, Spain, through the “Chips for Europe” ini-tiative. The overall funding for APECS amounts to € 730 million over 4.5 years.

The Technical University in Braunschweig has appointed Dr. habil. Thomas Kämpfe as professor at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Information Technology, and Physics. In this role, Dr. Kämpfe will take over the chair for Neuromorphic Computing. At the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS, he heads the business unit "IoT/HPC Components and Systems" in the Center Nanoelectronic Technologies. With his expertise, the trained physicist and electrical engineer brings valuable knowledge, particularly in the research areas of microelectronics and in-memory computing.

Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS, in collaboration with HOLOEYE Photonics AG, have developed a compact LCOS microdisplay with high refresh rates that enables improved optical modulation. This innovative microdisplay will be presented for the first time at the 31st International Display Workshops (IDW) 2024 in Sapporo, Japan.

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.

Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS have significantly increased the transparency of OLED microdisplays. For the first time, a microdisplay of this kind will be presented at booth No. 38 at the "International Meeting on Information Display" (IMID) 2024 in Jeju, South Korea.

Standard medical procedures are often time-consuming and generally do not take into account the individual characteristics of patients. This can have a negative impact on the success of treatment and impair quality of life. To solve this problem, a Fraunhofer research team from Fraunhofer IPMS, Fraunhofer IZI and Fraunhofer IOF is developing disposable biosensors that deliver rapid results and have extensive multiplexing capabilities. These biosensors enable the early detection of diseases and have the potential to significantly improve healthcare.

The BIOSYNTH project is funded by the Fraunhofer Society and aims to develop a new microchip platform that enables efficient and digitally controllable cell-free biosynthesis. The Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS leads the consortium and collaborates with the Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM and the Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, part of Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses IZI-BB, on technologies that can be used in the future for mass data storage with very high storage density or in pollutant screening in human toxicology.

Image sensors and their core component, the photodiode, are indispensable in numerous applications, whether in process, measurement, automotive or safety technology. In the near-infrared range, which is particularly important for many analytical applications, silicon-based photodiodes do not yet offer sufficient sensitivity. Therefore, other materials are used, but they are expensive and sometimes harmful to the environment. In a new project at the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS, sensitive silicon-based photodiodes, which are more cost-efficient in production, are now being developed for the first time. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research in Germany (BMBF) funds the MesSi project with 566,000 euros for a period of three years.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a significant health risk. In about half of patients, the blood clot breaks away from the vein wall and travels to the lungs, where it can cause a pulmonary embolism. Approximately 25% of people who suffer a pulmonary embolism die as a result. This makes it the third leading cause of cardiovascular death worldwide, after stroke and heart attack. The danger: In up to two-thirds of all cases of thrombosis, people have no symptoms. This makes early detection a major challenge. The EU project "ThrombUS+" brings together 18 European partners to develop a new, portable diagnostic device. The EU is funding the project with €9.5 million as part of the Horizon Europe Innovation Action.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS develops and manufactures individual heatable test chips for the characterization of new gas sensor materials. Deposited sensing layers and their application-specific parameters, such as sensitivity and selectivity, can thus be specifically evaluated. Customized chip designs allow the optimal and highly accurate characterization of these thin films.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS presents a groundbreaking demonstrator for predictive maintenance of industrial equipment. The demonstrator uses advanced sensor technology combined with artificial intelligence (AI)-based data processing to detect potential machine damage at an early stage and avoid costly downtime.

The institutes Fraunhofer ISIT, IPMS and ENAS are presenting a pioneering initiative to promote MEMS-based ultrasonic sensor technology at SENSOR+TEST in Nuremberg, Germany. Their one-stop shop offers customized solutions for companies that want to benefit from the advantages of this technology.