Microelectronics Vollrath

[Apolito Ghosh]

Togetherwe are stronger - this also applies to the Fraunhofer Groups. In the Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics, 16 Fraunhofer Institutes pool their expertise - Fraunhofer FHR also contributes its know-how.

The Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics (VE) is one of the nine research groups of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and currently consists of eleven full members and five guest institutes from other Fraunhofer Groups. The Alliance spokesperson is Prof. Albert Heuberger, Institute Director of Fraunhofer IIS. Prof. Heberling is the representative of Fraunhofer FHR in the VE.

Since April 2017, eleven Fraunhofer institutes in the Microelectronics Alliance have also been working together with the two Leibniz institutes FBH and IHP as the Research Fab Microelectronics Germany, or FMD for short.

The alliance is a network within the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft that serves three dimensions: internal political representation, external representation and mutual support. As far as the internal representation is concerned, the VE represents the microelectronics institutes and their needs towards the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, e.g. clean room technology, investment or energy requirements. Furthermore, the group also acts externally vis--vis politics and industry. Here, the focus is primarily on the independence of supply chains, after all, microelectronics is a key technology. Thus, the VE also has a great importance in the external area by carrying the thematic focal points of the network to the outside.

FMD is the central point of contact for all issues relating to microelectronics and nanoelectronics in Germany and Europe. As a pioneer for cross-site and cross-technology collaboration, FMD addresses current and future challenges in electronics research and provides important impetus for the development of elementary innovations for the world of tomorrow. With more than 4,500 employees, FMD is one of the largest research and development associations of its kind.

As a one-stop store, FMD combines the scientifically excellent technologies, applications and system solutions of the cooperating institutes into a combined overall offering in the field of micro- and nanoelectronics. For example, many companies are unsure which is the right semiconductor technology for their application: the silicon technology used in computers and smartphones, the silicon-germanium technology used in the automotive sector, or the III-V semiconductors that are elementary for power amplification, among other things? This is where FMD offers external partners the necessary support and brings together the excellent individual competencies of its member institutes to create a holistic offering. With this cross-institutional bundling of know-how, the entire value chain can be served. As a one-stop store, FMD is thus the central point of contact for cooperation and industry inquiries. Research from a single source, in other words.

A high-ranking delegation from Indonesia, led by the Indonesian Ambassador His Excellency Arif Havas Oegroseno, visited Ulm University to find out about research activities, cooperation partners and study programmes in semiconductor research and microelectronics. Ulm University enjoys an excellent reputation in this field in the world's largest island state. A solemnly signed "Letter of Intent" confirms the desire for future co-operation.

The visit to Ulm University was one of four stages of the "Semiconductor Education Roadshow 2024 - Indonesia - Germany". Indonesia, which is one of the most populous and economically strongest countries in the world, would like to expand the strategic partnership for research and education in semiconductor technology in a targeted manner. The 50 members of the delegation included numerous representatives from the Indonesian consulate and embassy as well as members of several Indonesian ministries, universities and research institutions. The world's largest island state has a long-standing and close partnership with Germany, particularly in the economic and educational fields. More than ten thousand young people from Indonesia are currently studying in Germany, many of them in STEM subjects.

Word of Ulm University's good reputation has spread to the island state

The delegation was received in the Yellow Lecture Hall at the University West, where they were welcomed by host Professor Carl Krill, Dean of Studies for Engineering. The Deputy Director of the Institute for Functional Nanosystems warmly welcomed the high-ranking group of visitors in the guests' native language. University President Professor Michael Weber then presented the university's main areas of research and handed over the university mascot to the Indonesian ambassador. "The little Ulm University bear with its graduate hat represents all future Indonesian students who will graduate or do their doctorate at Ulm University," said Weber. The delegation came to Ulm because German companies enjoy a great reputation in Indonesia and graduates of Ulm University have an excellent reputation in many large companies. German company executives recommended Ulm University to the Indonesian ambassador as one of the locations where students receive an excellent education in the field of microelectronics and semiconductor technology.

In his short speech, the Indonesian Ambassador His Excellency Arif Havas Oegroseno explained the background to the visit. He had been commissioned by the Indonesian government to establish cooperation with German universities and research institutions in order to advance Indonesia in the field of semiconductor technology. The country, which has developed excellently economically - with economic growth of more than five per cent and a low unemployment rate - is increasingly relying on high technology for the future in order to make further economic progress. Ulm is one of the best places to study microelectronics, which is why they are now here on the university campus. With the intention of strengthening and expanding the cooperation in the future, a "Letter of Intent" was also ceremoniously signed at the event in the lecture theatre - by the Ambassador of Indonesia and the President of Ulm University. A memorandum of understanding based on this is already in the works.

The two English-language Master's degree programmes "Communication and Information Technology" (CIT) and "Quantum Engineering" (QE) were of particular interest to the international visitors. In close connection with research, these degree programmes impart interdisciplinary basic and application knowledge in the field of microelectronics and communication and information technology respectively and thus offer close links to semiconductor and quantum research. The QE degree programme in particular, which is coordinated by the Faculty of Natural Sciences, has an interdisciplinary focus. The degree programmes were presented by Professor Maurits Ortmanns, Head of the Institute of Microelectronics. Representatives from the degree programme coordination office and the International Office provided information on practical questions about studying in Ulm and the support services available locally. Finally, the delegation members had the opportunity to visit various specialised laboratories in electrical engineering and other areas of engineering to gain a personal impression of the research and training infrastructure at the university. After a convivial end to the visit, the guests were bid farewell. What remained was the impression of a cordial and lively encounter, which will certainly form a good basis for further cooperation and exchange programmes.

The focus of Osiris International GmbH is the development and manufacturing of photolithographic process equipment for surface coatings used in the semiconductor and microelectronics (MEMS) industries.

Since 2021, Osiris International GmbH have been majority-owned by LAB14, a wholly owned subsidiary of RSBG SE, the holding company of the RAG Foundation, one of Germany's largest foundations under private law.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are cylinders of one or more layers of graphene (lattice). Diameters of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) are typically 0.8 to 2 nm and 5 to 20 nm, respectively, although MWNT diameters can exceed 100 nm. CNT lengths range from less than 100 nm to 0.5 m.[1]

As of 2013[update], carbon nanotube production exceeded several thousand tons per year, used for applications in energy storage, device modelling, automotive parts, boat hulls, sporting goods, water filters, thin-film electronics, coatings, actuators and electromagnetic shields. CNT-related publications more than tripled in the prior decade, while rates of patent issuance also increased.[2] Most output was of unorganized architecture. Organized CNT architectures such as "forests", yarns and regular sheets were produced in much smaller volumes.[2] CNTs have even been proposed as the tether for a purported space elevator.[3][4]

Recently, several studies have highlighted the prospect of using carbon nanotubes as building blocks to fabricate three-dimensional macroscopic (>1 mm in all three dimensions) all-carbon devices. Lalwani et al. have reported a novel radical initiated thermal crosslinking method to fabricated macroscopic, free-standing, porous, all-carbon scaffolds using single- and multi-walled carbon nanotubes as building blocks.[5] These scaffolds possess macro-, micro-, and nano- structured pores and the porosity can be tailored for specific applications. These 3D all-carbon scaffolds/architectures may be used for the fabrication of the next generation of energy storage, supercapacitors, field emission transistors, high-performance catalysis, photovoltaics, and biomedical devices and implants.

CNTs exhibit dimensional and chemical compatibility with biomolecules, such as DNA and proteins. CNTs enable fluorescent and photoacoustic imaging, as well as localized heating using near-infrared radiation.[2]

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