Press Releases

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.