microelectronics news 63 - fraunhofer-verbund mikroelektronik · 2020-05-09 · radar with 360°...
TRANSCRIPT
From the institutes
Early detection of material flaws
Power-electronic devices are indispensable when electrical energy is to be distributed, converted, or stored. Particularly for higher voltage classes, devices made of silicon car-bide may replace conventional silicon devic-es in the future.
»» page 8
Short news
Detective work in the audio-visual jungle
»» page 12
The last word …
… today goes to our graduates
»» page 16
From the institutes
Radar with 360° vision
Nowadays it is impossible to imagine in-dustry without robots. Safety laser scan-ners are primarily used to safeguard danger-ous areas and protect people from collisions. Fraunhofer researchers have developed a new, high-frequency radar scanner that can monitor its environment in a 360-degree ra-dius. This increases workplace safety further.
»» page 6
Short news
Loudspeakers – small, smaller, MEMS chip
»» page 11
Splitter
Quadruple data rate thanks to 3D integration
»» page 14
A smart temperature display for the “coldest beer in the world”
Intelligent packaging is becoming ever more popular – and it offers customers much more than just visual effects: its main function is to provide extra information. A re-search team from Fraunhofer EMFT has developed an interactive tem-perature display for the second-largest brewery in the world, SAB-Miller. The display is integrated into a transportable cooler and shows whether the optimum drinking temperature has been reached.»» page 3
Content:
Events page 2Title page 3Special Business Areas page 4Interview page 5From the institutes page 6Short news page 10Imprint page 15
Interview with Moritz Loske. © Fraunhofer IIS » page 5
© Fraunhofer EMFT / Bernd Müller
Fraunhofer Microelectronics: here’s to the next 20 years! © Fraunhofer Microelectronics / A. Grützner » page 13
News63
Microelectronics
July 2016
Events
While every care is taken to ensure that this information is correct, no liability can be accepted for omissions or inaccuracies.
Date Event / WWW Location Group institutes involved
07/27 – 07/29 IEEE: Sixth International Conference on Communication and Electronics 2016www.icce-2016.org
Ha Long, Vietnam
FOKUS
08/21 – 08/25 6th International Congress on Ceramicswww.icc-6.com
Dresden, Germany
IKTS
09/02 – 09/07 IFA 2016www.ifa-berlin.de
Berlin, Germany
FOKUS, HHI, IIS
09/06 – 09/08 SISPAD 2016: International Conference on Simulation of Semiconductor Processes and Deviceswww.sispad2016.org
Nuremberg, Germany
IISB
09/06 – 09/09 SMM 2016www.smm-hamburg.com
Hamburg, Germany
FHR, IDMT
09/07 – 09/09 SEMICON Taiwan 2016www.semicontaiwan.org/en
Taipei, Taiwan
09/07 – 09/09 Electronic Goes Green 2016www.electronicsgoesgreen.org
Berlin, Germany
IZM
09/08 – 09/13 IBC 2016www.ibc.org
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Group institutes
09/12 – 09/16 ION GNSS+ 2016www.ion.org
Portland, USA
IIS
09/13 – 09/14 11th Future Securitywww.future-security2016.de/en.html
Berlin, Germany
IAF
09/18 – 09/22 ECOC 2016www.ecocexhibition.com
Düsseldorf, Germany
HHI, IPMS
09/20 – 09/23 Innotrans 2016www.innotrans.de/en
Berlin, Germany
Group institutes
09/27 – 09/28 PV Days 2016www.pv-days.com
Halle, Germany
IMWS
10/02 – 10/07 International Workshop on Nitride Semiconductors 2016www.mrs.org/iwn-2016
Orlando, USA
IAF
10/03 – 10/07 European Microwave Week 2016www.eumweek.com
London, UK
FHR, IAF
10/10 – 10/14 23rd ITS World Congress 2016www.itsworldcongress2016.com
Melbourne, Australia
10/25 – 10/27 SEMICON Europa 2016www.semiconeuropa.org
Grenoble, France
Group institutes
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Cold beer and summer go hand in hand – and for some people, the beer can’t be cold enough: SABMiller recommends that its customers serve its South African Castle Lite beer at 4 °C. At the moment, custom-ers in some liquor stores can enjoy a very special promotion by the brewery: a trans-portable cooler that keeps the amber nec-tar cool and, as an additional feature, also offers an integrated display with a ther-mometer. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Microsystems and Solid State Technologies EMFT developed the temperature display together with SAB-Miller. The Munich-based scientists have many years of experience in the areas of foil technology and flexible electronics – and this know-how is currently in high de-mand thanks to the trend towards smart packaging, i.e. packaging with electron-ic elements. This, however, does require flat and flexible devices that can be discreet-ly integrated in materials and even be ap-plied to convex surfaces. In the case of the temperature display on the cooler, the Fraunhofer EMFT researchers housed the SMD circuit and the button cell battery for the energy supply in a recess in the box’s polystyrene insulation and combined it with a sensor strip that measures the temper-ature inside the box. The display, and the pushbutton used to activate it, are in a visi-ble location on the outside of the box. The sensors and operating elements of the sys-tem are ultra-flat and were manufactured entirely using a printing process.
Silicon and foil technology: an unbeatable team
Increasingly, there is demand for smart packaging solutions that are more than just eye catchers. On the contrary, the packag-ing is intended to provide consumers with additional information, such as features of the product inside. In order to be able to offer even more complex functions within this kind of packaging electronics, the work of the Fraunhofer EMFT researchers con-
centrates on completely integrating multi-functional systems into flexible substrates. Printing technologies meet classic technol-ogies, which can be further developed if necessary: the thinning process known as “dicing-by-thinning” and developed and patented by Fraunhofer EMFT allows the manufacture of flexible silicon chips with a thickness of only 10 µm – creating the link
between silicon and foil technology. The re-searchers are able to combine the benefits of both worlds of technology: while silicon is unbeatable when it comes to device size and output, the flexibility of foil electronics offers greater design freedom.
Cost-effective production “off the roll”
In order to be able to produce large quanti-ties of packaging electronics at a low cost, the roll-to-roll technology established at Fraunhofer EMFT has proved to be a very promising approach: similar to a newspaper printing machine, a substrate (usually a PET or polyamide foil) is wound around a roll. The opposite side has an empty roll. In be-tween the two, the individual process steps take place one after the other; the foil is spooled onto the empty roll on the other side of the machine. This technology has turned out to be a key factor in being able to offer smart packaging to a large market in the future.
Title
Contact: Gerhard KlinkPhone +49 89 [email protected] Fraunhofer Research Institution for Microsystems and Solid State Technologies EMFTHansastrasse 27 d80686 MunichGermanywww.emft.fraunhofer.de
An ice-cold treat: the display shows whether the recommended drink-ing temperature of 4 °C has been reached.© Fraunhofer EMFT / Bernd Müller
Temperature display on foil. © Fraunhofer EMFT / Bernd Müller
A smart temperature display for the “coldest beer in the world”
Intelligent packaging is becoming ever more popular – and it offers cus-tomers much more than just visual effects: its main function is to provide extra information. A research team from Fraunhofer EMFT has developed an interactive temperature display for the second-largest brewery in the world, SABMiller. The display is integrated into a transportable cooler and shows whether the optimum drinking temperature has been reached.
Energy Efficient Systems
SPECIAL BUSINESS AREAS – PART II
Smaller, lighter, faster: power electronics made of gallium nitride
Crystalline gallium nitride is considered the semiconductor material of the future be-cause it is needed for special electronic devices, such as in energy-efficient, robust power transformers. The market is con-stantly growing, but the production of GaN substrates is still very expensive. The crys-tal growing experts from the Fraunhofer Technology Center for Semiconductor Ma-terials THM in Freiberg have managed to use a new HVPE (hydride gas phase epi-taxy) system concept to reduce the manu-facturing costs of GaN substrates and thus to make their commercial use possible. The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF is no stranger to gallium nitride, either. The use of gallium nitride transistors has now allowed LED lamps to shine even more brightly and to use even less power. LEDs have the best chance of becoming the light source of the future. The tiny diodes offer a whole host of advantages: they are environmentally friendly, they contain no harmful substances, consume little energy, and, with a lifetime of between 15,000 and 30,000 hours, last longer than convention-al light sources.
Diamonds for “greener” power electronics
Diamonds as semiconductors may soon count among the most sought-after mate-rials in power electronics. This is because, compared with conventional semiconduc-tor elements such as those made of sili-con, components made of diamond would significantly increase the energy efficiency of photovoltaic plants, high-voltage grids, wind parks, or electric cars. The scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF are, as part of the EU’s “Green Diamond” project (Green Electron-ics with Diamond Power Devices), working on manufacturing the first prototypes of power-electronic devices out of diamond.
Even at high temperatures, the components based on the diamond crystals can be oper-ated without cooling.
Optical high-speed data transmission or energy-efficient data transport using light
Large computer centers and super comput-ers are soon to become significantly more cost-efficient, energy-efficient, and power-ful. This is the aim of the scientists from two Group institutes – the Fraunhofer Insti-tute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM and the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute HHI – together with 17 partners from research and industry within the EU’s “PhoxTroT” project. The intention of the research is to reduce energy consumption by at least 50 % while also increasing the capacity of optical data connections from one to 2 Tb/s. The key to achieving this is optical data transmission: this is because data transmission using light consumes only a fraction of the energy that conventional methods need.
Flexible battery management for complex battery systems
Battery systems for high voltages comprise a large number of individual battery cells. In order to be able to use the maximum avail-able battery capacity and guarantee se-cure operation, each individual cell must be monitored. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS have de-veloped an effective battery management system: a small electronic module at each cell records cell parameters such as voltage and temperature and actively controls sym-metrization to balance the charge between the cells.
Cost-efficient and energy-efficient power supply
For over 20 years, the Fraunhofer microelectronics institutes have been working on a sustainable and cost-efficient energy supply. To do this, it is essential to use available resources more economically, to increase energy efficiency, and to reduce the cost of generating and using renewable ener-gies. In this special, we present some examples of applications from the “Energy Efficient Systems” business area.
Contact: Dr. Joachim PelkaPhone +49 30 [email protected] Fraunhofer Group for MicroelectronicsAnna-Louisa-Karsch-Strasse 210178 BerlinGermanywww.mikroelektronik.fraunhofer.de
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About the business area:The focus of the “Energy Efficient Sys-tems” business area is on the develop-ment of electronics for efficient energy conversion and energy management. Particularly in the case of mobile ap-plications, constantly increased power and energy densities are required while design sizes and weight must be re-duced. The energy supply is relevant to all areas of application as a subsystem. It touches on questions regarding the smart grid and energy harvesting, but also power electronics as well as en-ergy storage and energy management.
A high-purity single-crystal dia-mond made at Fraunhofer IAF. © Fraunhofer IAF
Optical data transmission could reduce the energy consumption of large computer centers by 50 %. © Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
“Energy-independent systems are one possible component in the energy revolution.”
Energy efficiency is the keyword in the “Energy Efficient Systems” business area. Fraunhofer Microelectronics spoke to Moritz Loske from Fraunhofer IIS about the opportunities and risks involved in energy- efficient and energy-independent systems.
Let’s start small. We use classic energy converters such as bicycle dynamos, wristwatches, or solar calculators every day. What do you expect the future to bring?
In addition to new, efficient energy con-verters and storage technology for mobile applications, demand is growing for ener-gy-independent systems. “Energy harvest-ing” is the key term here. This term refers to technologies that obtain utilizable en-ergy from environmental conditions such as vibrations, temperature differences, and sunlight.
We need usable energy around the clock: it starts in the morning when we take a hot shower, take the subway, or work on a computer. Despite strong optimization efforts, energy is still lost. How can we optimize the use of these energy sources in the future?
Losses in the form of dissipated heat or un-used energy can never be completely elim-inated. The aim, however, ought to be to keep these losses as small as possible. Exist-ing common measures to increase energy efficiency include energy recuperation and combined usage of energy, as in a com-bined heat and power plant. Alternatively, efficient usage that is adapted to the situa-tion in question can also contribute to im-prove energy efficiency.
Since Germany’s nuclear power phase-out, and even before, new technologies for alternative energy generation have been developed and optimized. What chances are offered and what risks are posed by current trends?
The planned end of nuclear power and the resulting increase in renewable energies in the German power grid present us with new challenges. In particular, the fluctuat-ing generation and decentralized infeed of renewable energies require a rethink of grid management and grid architecture to en-
sure a reliable energy supply. The “ener-gy revolution” requires an increased effort when it comes to grid control and regula-tion. But with reliable and secure communi-cation between the system components, it will certainly be manageable.
People have high expectations of local, efficient use of energy in independent systems. In a joint project between the Fraunhofer institutes IISB and ISC, you are researching the reconstruction of the energy supply by means of expand-ing existing technologies – the “SEEDS” (Smart Ecological Energy Domains) – that can be combined to form almost energy-independent complexes. What does this mean for the transition to a completely regenerative energy supply?
Energy-independent systems are one pos-sible component in the energy revolution. A complete regenerative energy supply for such systems does, however, require intel-ligent load management and sophisticated control algorithms in order to keep fluctu-ating generation and consumption in bal-ance. In addition to storage technologies, a reconsideration of the use of energy has to take place.
We all know the situation when you’re on the go and your smartphone bat-tery is low. What options do you see for maximizing the operation and service life of energy systems like that?
I can see two options: reducing the ener-gy consumption of the device, e.g. by using energy-efficient parts or, alternatively, in-creasing its storage capacity. In any case, sophisticated energy management will be required.
Mr. Loske, thank you very much for talking to us.
Moritz Loske was talking to Farina Bender.
Contact: Moritz LoskePhone +49 911 [email protected] Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IISNordostpark 8490411 NürnbergGermanywww.iis.fraunhofer.de
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About Moritz Loske:Moritz Loske is an engineer in the field of Electrical Engineering and Informa-tion Technology and has been a re-search associate at Fraunhofer IIS since 2014. In the department for network systems and applications, Loske works on the design and system architecture of networked systems such as smart grids, local and decentralized energy systems, and Industry 4.0 and IoT ap-plications. His work focuses on secure and reliable data communication. His research interest lies particularly in real-izing innovative and sustainable multi-energy systems. In 2015, Moritz Loske was the co-author of a joint European study on the issue of “Semiconductors for Smart Cities” and he is currently involved in research projects such as “LZE” (www.lze.bayern) and “SEEDS” (www.energy-seeds.org).
Moritz Loske. © Fraunhofer IIS
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Increasing connectivity of production sys-tems is driving a trend towards industrial robots that operate without protective bar-riers. Currently, laser scanners are used to monitor the danger zone around machin-ery, and to stop the machine as soon as a person enters the zone. However, optical sensors do not always achieve reliable re-sults under changing light conditions. They also do not work if smoke, dust, or fog lim-its visibility.
That is not the case with the new com-pact 360-degree radar scanner developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF: the radar works with mil-limeter waves that are reflected by the ob-jects to be observed, such as people. Trans-mitted and received signals are processed and evaluated using numerical algorithms. Based on the calculations, it is possible to determine the distance, position and speed of the objects at any time. If several radar units are used, an object’s location in the room can also be determined, as can the direction in which it is moving. Fraunhofer IAF’s 360-degree radar can penetrate op-tically opaque material, which means it can identify the employee even if there are boxes, cardboard walls, or other obstacles in the way.
High-frequency board technology for cost-effective systems
There are already millimeter-wave radar sys-tems, but they are expensive, large, and heavy. The scanner developed by the Freiburg-based scientists, on the other hand, has a diameter of only 20 cm and is 70 cm high. The high-frequency module, which is based on indium gallium arsenide semicon-ductor technology and is no larger than a pack of cigarettes, was developed in coop-eration between the Fraunhofer Institutes for Reliability and Microintegration IZM and Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA. Thanks to a cost-effective mounting and interconnection technology as well as spe-cially developed circuit boards, the Fraunhofer IAF experts can replace the previously used wave guides with the high-frequency mod-ule that has been integrated onto a board measuring just 78 × 42 × 28 mm³.
Suitable for near and far ranges
In addition to the signal processor, the com-plete system comprises a transmitting and receiving antenna with a dielectric – that is, electrically non-conducting – lens. A self-turning mirror affixed at a 45-degree angle deflects the millimeter waves, guides them, and evaluates the entire space. Thanks to the use of a dielectric antenna, the angle of aperture can be freely selected. That means nearby objects as small as a centimeter in size can be detected as easily as large sur-faces that are far away. The system‘s range of operation is dependent on the applica-tion and can be up to several hundred me-ters. The scanner includes an Ethernet in-terface and is therefore suitable for Industry 4.0 networks. The researchers have carried out hundreds of measurements in the lab with the radar scanner. Maximum deviation from the mean was less than a micrometer; standard deviation was 0.3 µm.
From the institutes
Contact: Michael TeiwesPhone +49 761 [email protected] Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAFTullastrasse 7279108 FreiburgGermanywww.iaf.fraunhofer.de
Radar with 360° vision
Nowadays it is impossible to imagine industry without robots. Safety laser scanners are primarily used to safeguard dangerous areas and protect people from collisions. Fraunhofer researchers have developed a new, high-frequency radar scanner that can monitor its environment in a 360-degree radius. This increases workplace safety further.
Thanks to a cost-effective mounting and interconnection technology as well as specially developed circuit boards, the high-frequency module has been integrated onto a board measuring just 78 × 42 × 28 mm³. © Fraunhofer IAF
The complete radar scanner: the radar module is located in the lower silver area; the mirror is attached on the top. © Fraunhofer IAF
The radar module is no larger than a cigarette packet. © Fraunhofer IAF
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Terahertz radiation was a big issue even ten years ago. It was hoped that the tech-nology could be used to develop measur-ing systems for materials testing and check-ing parts. Despite these high expectations, it took a long time for terahertz technology to make a breakthrough as – compared to conventional processes – it was considered too expensive, awkward, and generally un-suitable for practical applications.
Measuring system with a new type of sensor head
Scientists at the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute HHI have now managed to devel-op terahertz devices that, for the first time, are made of cost-effective standard parts and are comparatively easy to handle. At the Hanover trade fair, the researchers pre-sented a terahertz measuring system with a new type of sensor head that can be used to inspect various types of device simply and quickly. The first prototypes are already being used in the production of plastic tubes. They are also particularly suitable for inspecting coatings on fiber composite ma-terials. The principle applied by Fraunhofer HHI to generate terahertz radiation is based on an opto-electronic process. A special semiconductor is used to convert laser light pulses into electrical terahertz pulses that only last trillionths of a second. The fact that terahertz technology has not previous-ly been very successful is largely due to the properties that the semiconductors used must have. These properties could previous-ly only be attained with materials that re-quired illumination with a wavelength of around 800 nm. Both the lasers and the optical components of the terahertz sys-tem, however, are much too expensive at this somewhat exotic wavelength and are not robust enough for industrial use.
Widespread wavelength standard
“That is why we developed a semicon-ductor that can be actuated by laser light with a 1.5 µm wavelength,” outlines Thor-sten Göbel, head of the terahertz research group at Fraunhofer HHI. “This is the wave-length standard in optical telecommunica-
From the institutes
Contact: Anne Rommel Phone +49 30 31002-353 [email protected] Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute HHI Einsteinufer 37 10587 Berlin Germany www.hhi.fraunhofer.de
For the sensor head of the tera-hertz technology, the scientists at Fraunhofer HHI manufactured a chip that can transmit and receive at the same time to make it possi-ble to use a single optical lens. © Fraunhofer HHI
Industry-ready terahertz technology
Parts and surfaces can be inspected without destruction using terahertz radiation. At the moment, the devices and, in particular, the test heads are expensive and difficult to use. The researchers at Fraunhofer HHI have managed to make the test heads much more compact and thus cheaper to produce. This makes it much easier to handle them.
tions technology, meaning that there are a large number of cost-effective and high-quality optical devices and lasers.” There was still one more hurdle to be overcome before an affordable and easy-to-use tera-hertz system for materials testing was at-tained: the sensor head that is used to scan the parts was previously far too large and difficult to handle. The reason was that
the terahertz transmitter and the receiv-er were two separate components that had to be mounted in a housing at great ef-fort and with great precision. The disadvan-tage of this arrangement was that samples could only be measured at an angle. This means that, currently, an object must lie ex-actly in the focus of the transmitter and the receiver to ensure that the terahertz sig-nal sent from the transmitter via the sam-ple is mapped on the receiver. If the dis-tance between the sensor head and the sample changes, e.g. due to vibrations on a production line, it makes it very difficult to measure. The scientists solved this prob-lem by manufacturing an integrated chip that can transmit and receive simultaneous-ly. This means that it is now possible to use a single optical lens that “looks” straight at the object and thus allows a flexible work-ing distance. The researchers packed this transmitting and receiving unit, the trans-ceiver, in a small, easy-to-use sensor head with a diameter of only 25 mm and a length of 35 mm.
The researchers packed the transmitting and re-ceiving unit in a small, easy-to-use sensor head with a diameter of only 25 mm and a length of 35 mm. © Fraunhofer HHI
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Power-electronic devices must be particu-larly reliable if they are used in central or hard-to-access points in the energy grid, such as in offshore wind farms. Semicon-ductor devices made of silicon carbide (SiC) may play a central role in future power-electronic systems. Compared to conven-tional silicon-based power electronics, SiC allows significantly more energy-efficient solutions to be realized.
Demanding semiconductor material
SiC is a demanding material when it comes to manufacture and processing. So far, the commercially available unipolar SiC devices have proved to be very reliable. On the other hand, bipolar SiC devices, which are needed for applications in energy systems with higher voltage classes, are still much more susceptible to certain material de-fects. These defects do not always cause an immediate failure, but may result in insidious degradation that, with today’s technology, can only be detected at great effort during manufacture or during the manufacturer’s final testing. As part of the “SiC-WinS” project, the researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB, together with their project partners, developed a cost-effective test that can be used to find the smallest defects on silicon carbide wafers – the raw material for innovative, particularly energy-efficient devices.
Measuring technology has room for improvement
Currently, an electrical stress test is used to detect degradation of SiC bipolar devices. Because this test is time-consuming and ex-pensive, and cannot be used early in pro-duction at wafer level but can only be car-ried out on encapsulated devices, this method is not suitable for industrial pro-duction. The project partners’ idea was to measure the root cause of device degrada-tion by means of direct mapping. For this reason, the researchers decided on the mapping photoluminescence (PL) method at room temperature in order to verify criti-cal defects in industrial production lines. Until now, there has not been a PL measur-
ing device that was fast enough to perform defect analysis on whole wafers, which would make it suitable for use in a produc-tion line.
Serial examination of SiC wafers
This challenge was met within the SiC-WinS project. A newly developed PL measuring device provides images of entire SiC wa-fers and all partially processed devices on it with a resolution of 2–5 µm. Critical de-vices that would fail later during operation can thus be identified with certainty and marked. The non-destructive and contact-less measurement of a 150 mm wafer takes less than 30 minutes and can be repeat-ed after different stages in the processing of the wafer. Already after the first process step in device production – epitaxial deposi-tion of the drift area – the PL scanner iden-tifies material defects in some of the as-yet unfinished devices. These are the devices that later fail during operation. This makes the newly developed inspection procedure an ideal complement to the quality control methods for the industrial production of bipolar SiC high-voltage devices. Thanks to its prediction of defective behavior, the PL measuring technology makes a direct contribution to the introduction of reliable and efficient bipolar SiC power devices in the energy and high-voltage market.
From the institutes
Contact: Dr. Jochen FriedrichPhone +49 9131 [email protected] Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISBSchottkystrasse 1091058 ErlangenGermanywww.iisb.fraunhofer.de
Early detection of material flaws
Power-electronic devices are indispensable when electrical energy is to be distributed, converted, or stored. Particularly for higher voltage classes, devices made of silicon carbide may replace conventional silicon devices in the future.
Photoluminescence shot of a sili-con carbide semiconductor wafer with partially processed devices. The marks indicate conspicuous structures that lead to malfunction-ing or unreliable devices. © Fraunhofer IISB
The newly developed photolumi-nescence measuring system means that the smallest material faults in silicon carbide wafers can be de-tected during production. © Fraunhofer IISB
About the project:In addition to Fraunhofer IISB, the following project partners are also involved: Infineon Technologies AG • Intego GmbH • Friedrich-Alexan-der-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. For the development of the innova-tive power electronics test, the proj-ect partners were presented with the SEMIKRON Innovation Award 2016. The SiC-WinS project was funded by the Bayerische Forschungsstiftung (Bavarian Research Foundation).
L-R: Bettina Martin (SEMIKRON-Stiftung), Prof. Lorenz (ECPE e.V.), Dr. Berwian (Fraunhofer IISB), Larissa Wehrhahn-Killian (Infineon Technol-ogies AG), Dr. Krieger (LAP, Friedrich- Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg), and Dr. Oppel (Intego GmbH). © SEMIKRON
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In many cases, computed tomography (CT) is useful in non-destructive testing of com-plex devices and materials. It provides high-resolution 3D volume images to depict the finest structures and details. In the case of flat devices, however, the technology is hit-ting its limits, as certain irradiation direc-tions necessary for reconstruction are not possible. New, time-saving, and thus cost-effective testing methods are in demand.
High-resolution images even with large objects
With the X-ray inspection system “CLARA®” (computed laminography and radiography system), researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Non-Destruc-tive Testing IZFP have developed an effi-cient and effective alternative: the system is based on computed laminography (CL), which has been applied so far to investi-gate electronic circuit boards as well as – increasingly – in the medical field. Similar to CT, radiographs are taken from different angles to compute a three-dimensional rep-resentation of the object’s internal structure using a reconstruction algorithm. Unlike CT, however, the rotation axis is not orthogo-nal, but inclined to the beam direction. By this inclination, the otherwise inevitable col-lision between the object and the source or the detector can be avoided. The arrange-ment ensures the penetration of the object covering any necessary irradiation angles. As a consequence the individual section planes can be reconstructed at any relevant resolution and represented adequately. Un-like CT, CL is perfectly suited for high-res-olution inspection of large or planar com-ponents. Compared to CT, the inspection time can be significantly reduced. Addition-ally, a variety of different recording shapes are available, which also enables adjust-ments to perform fully automated batch in-spection. The scrutinizer receives the result of the measurements and a complete vol-ume reconstruction of the object within just a few minutes.
From the institutes
Contact: Dr. Michael MaislPhone +49 681 [email protected] Fraunhofer Institute for Nondestructive Testing IZFPCampus E3.166123 SaarbrückenGermanywww.izfp.fraunhofer.de
Computed laminography – a better way to inspect large CFRP devices
In the field of non-destructive inspection, computed tomography (CT) is a reliable and effective method for three-dimensional examination of the in-ternal structure of objects. However, the inspection of flat components by means of CT has its limits when it comes to large, flat CFRP devices. Fraunhofer researchers have developed a time-saving and cost-effective alternative: a X-ray system based on computed laminography.
Trend towards lightweight construction boosts demand
Inquiry for a technological replacement in-stead of CT should continue to grow as, in many areas, fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP, GFRP) are used for wind turbines or in the automobile industry and in aviation. These materials can be comprehensively and ef-ficiently inspected using CLARA®. Further applications concern the defect inspection of parts or components, e.g. the detection of porosities or inclusions in car body parts or the detection of micro-cracks in photo-voltaic modules.
The CLARA® X-ray inspection system. © Fraunhofer IZFP
Delaminations in fiber-reinforced plastics determined by CL inspec-tion. © Fraunhofer IZFP
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Space experiment: better understanding of the production of solar silicon
The unmanned research rocket “TEXUS 53” operated by the German Aerospace Center was launched into space on January 23, 2016 from the Esrange Space Center in Sweden. During the flight, there were six minutes of absence of gravity. The research-ers from Fraunhofer IISB and the University of Freiburg used this time to grow a silicon crystal without the influence of gravity on board the rocket. The “ParSiWal-II” space experiment helps us to understand the earth-based production, so called crystalli-zation, of silicon crystals for photovoltaics. The aim is to detect the mechanisms that can explain the incorporation phenomena of silicon nitride particles into the growing silicon crystal. Particles in the form of silicon nitride and silicon carbide play an important role in the production of silicon for photo-voltaics. The presence of these particles can
Short news
Contact: Sabine Poitevin-BurbesPhone +49 681 [email protected] Fraunhofer Institute for Nondestructive Testing IZFPCampus E3.166123 SaarbrückenGermanywww.izfp.fraunhofer.de
Contact: Dr. Jochen FriedrichPhone +49 9131 [email protected] Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISBSchottkystrasse 1091058 ErlangenGermanywww.iisb.fraunhofer.de
Another important criterion is the shape ac-curacy of the cubes’ surface structure. To enable the measurement of gravitation-al waves the two cubes have to come with extremely precisely shaped surfaces. Thus, scientists and engineers of Fraunhofer IZFP tested both cubes, each with a mass of 2 kg, for their surface homogeneity by high-frequency ultrasound examinations of the cubes’ near-surface regions. These in-vestigations resulted in insights concerning the question of whether the cubes’ gravi-tational homogeneity is sufficient. The con-clusions substantially affected the decision of which side of each cube was to be pro-cessed further to “specular surfaces”.
Scanning electron microscope image of silicon nitride needles. Their behavior in becoming incor-porated into the silicon crystal dur-ing the crystal growth process is being investigated within the TEXUS 53 mission. © Fraunhofer IISB
lead to problems for mechanical processing and can reduce the efficiency of solar cells. For this reason, the incorporation of such particles into the silicon crystal needs to be avoided in industrial production. During crystallization, silicon carbide particles form in the molten silicon. The carbon enters the molten silicon through the gas phase. Sili-con nitride particles, however, are generally added to the molten silicon due to erosion of the silicon nitride coating on the cruci-ble, which is used for melt containing. Both types of particles move with the melt flow through the molten volume and then re-main in the solid form. After TEXUS 53’s flight, a parachute brought the payload safely back down to the ground. The exper-iment will now be evaluated to develop new routes to avoid particle incorporation during industrial crystal growth.
Fraunhofer IZFP scruti-nizes gold / platinum cubes for ESA outer space mission
In 1915, Albert Einstein published his Gen-eral Theory of Relativity. A consequence of this theory relates to gravitational waves whose existence, however, turned out to be elusive and difficult to prove. It took over 100 years before an experiment could pro-vide evidence for gravitational waves being real entities.
Even though Fraunhofer IZFP was not di-rectly involved in this success, the institute is part of experiments related to the same issue. In December 2015, the European Space Agency (ESA) sent the “LISA Path-finder” satellite into an orbit around the sun-earth libration point L1, in a distance of approximately 1.5 million km from earth to verify techniques for proving the existence of gravitational waves. The central experi-ment of the mission involves two virtually identical high-precision cubes made from a gold / platinum alloy. Serving as test masses each of them is held in its own vacuum container. After reaching the final position in space they will be released and then, floating freely, sited in zero gravity. Their mutual position must be stabilized and maintained with absolute precision.
LISA Pathfinder in space. © ESA–C. Carreau
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available lighting power – the headlight sys-tem is also extremely energy-efficient. With-in the project, the experts at Fraunhofer IZM developed two approaches to form the contact between individual pixels and the driver chip, allowing each point of light to be controlled individually. In the first vari-ant, a gold / tin alloy is applied to the chip in a structured manner. The technology is established in opto-electronics. However, the fine grid structures with spacing of only 15 µm, such as those required for the LED chip, could not yet be produced in the past. In the second approach, the researchers are working with a gold nano-sponge that can be compressed like a real sponge and fitted perfectly to the topography of the device. Small non-planarity of only a few microm-eters that will inevitably occur can thus be simply and quickly smoothed out.
In order to be able to control each point of light independently, a gold nano-sponge forms the contact be-tween the individual pixels and the driver chip. The nano-porous gold structure can be compressed like a sponge and adapted precisely to the topography of the device. © Fraunhofer IZM
Loudspeakers – small, smaller, MEMS chip
Microelectronic devices and microsys-tems with integrated sensors and actua-tors are the core of many mobile end de-vices. Thanks to MEMS technology, these highly integrated and multifunctional devic-es are getting smaller and smaller, meaning that they can be produced as cost-effec-tive and energy-saving mass merchandise. MEMS stands for “micro-electromechani-cal systems” and combines classic semicon-ductor technology with miniature mechan-ics in the micrometer range. Scientists at Fraunhofer ISIT are now working together with Fraunhofer IDMT in Ilmenau to devel-op miniaturized and energy-efficient loud-speakers based on MEMS technology. This is, as yet, uncharted territory for science, as
Better vision when driving at night
Most accidents happen during twilight or at night – and poor visibility is often the culprit. Smart headlights that adapt to the current traffic situation can help reme-dy the problem. Previous solutions, how-ever, are quite large and expensive, and they only offer very limited control options. Fraunhofer researchers, together with part-ners from industry, have developed a high-resolution lighting system with more than 1000 LED pixels. Four LED chips, each with 256 pixels, are robustly connected to the driver electronics chip. This high resolution allows the distribution of the light to be controlled in minute detail and adapted to the current situation – such as the course of the road, the oncoming traffic, and the distance from and position relative to other road users. As only the pixels that are cur-rently needed are switched on – which is generally no more than 30 % of the total
Contact: Claus WackerPhone +49 4821 [email protected] Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology ISITFraunhoferstrasse 125524 ItzehoeGermanywww.isit.fraunhofer.de
Contact: Dr. Hermann OppermannPhone +49 30 [email protected] Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZMGustav-Meyer-Allee 2513355 BerlinGermanywww.izm.fraunhofer.de
the market currently only offers convention-ally produced miniature loudspeakers with unsatisfactory sound quality and too large dimensions. In developing their project aim, the Fraunhofer researchers took their cue from a “cousin” of the loudspeaker: MEMS microphones already exist, and they are a great commercial success as they work reli-ably, robustly resist mechanical effects and are easy to integrate thanks to their small dimensions. The project team would like to achieve the same thing with the MEMS loudspeakers – combined with a solid out-put strength and excellent sound quality. The newly developed MEMS loudspeakers will, depending on the application, have a diameter of between three and twelve mil-limeters and will be used in mobile com-munication devices such as tablets, laptops, and headphones.
Prototype of a MEMS actuator chip. © Fraunhofer ISIT
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High Performance Center Functional Integration in Micro- and Nanoelectronics
The Saxon Fraunhofer institutes IPMS, ENAS, IZM-ASSID and IIS / EAS, the tech-nical universities in Dresden and Chem-nitz, and HTW Dresden have been work-ing together since February 2016 in the High Performance Center “Functional In-tegration in Micro- and Nanoelectronics”. The High Performance Center is the shared technology platform and a central con-tact point and coordination center for bun-dling and marketing joint activities. The aim is to strengthen the competitiveness and in-novativeness of, in particular, the medium-sized companies in Saxony in the areas of sensors and actuators, measuring technolo-gy, and machinery and system construction by quickly turning research results into new types of products. The technology platform addresses all relevant aspects from system design and new types of components and production technologies to heterogeneous system integration and reliability evalua-tion. The specific skills of the participat-ing Fraunhofer institutes and universities in these fields are networked and bundled to-
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Contact: Konrad HerreMario WaltherPhone +49 351 [email protected] Maria-Reiche-Strasse 201109 DresdenGermanywww.leistungszentrum-mikronano.de
© Fraunhofer IZM
© High Performance Center Func-tional Integration in Micro- and Nanoelectronics
gether, producing more complex systems with new integrated sensors. Based on characterization data, model libraries and system models are created in tandem with integrated technology demonstrators. Proj-ects are then implemented together with industry: the technologies developed by the platform are turned into tangible applica-tions and future products. The High Perfor-mance Center will explore its roadmap as well as current and future projects inten-
sively together with industry and, with the help of additional research partners, will ex-pand its technology platform and make a significant contribution to strengthening the competitiveness of microelectronics in Germany. The High Performance Center is funded jointly by the Free State of Saxony and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.
production are used in other reports. This helps content aggregators and broadcasters avoid redundancies and inconsistencies in the content. High quality is often a decisive factor when it comes to the continuous use of audio material. The Audio Forensics Tool-box allows media archivists to check con-tent for previous encoding steps in an effi-cient and convenient manner, as wells as to optimize the encoding process.
The Audio Forensics Toolbox was presented for the first time at the international broad-casting trade fair NAB Show in Las Vegas in April 2016. At the same event, Fraunhofer IDMT also introduced an update to its AV-Analyzing Toolbox which also offers the functionality of finding and marking identical video segments in a collection of video data.
Detective work in the audio-visual jungle
Is that quote being played on the radio the original one? Or has it been edited by the author possibly changing its original meaning?
Finding out if an audio file has been mod-ified from its original version is a difficult task, sometimes even when the original signal is available. This is why Fraunhofer IDMT has developed the “audio detective.” A tool that allows the detection of specific audio samples and reveals chains of editing steps performed to the audio file. Users can rely on the “Audio Forensics Toolbox” to obtain accurate information about the tech-nical quality of data, to draw conclusions about the authenticity of audio reports and to simplify the production process.
During the recording and production of audio data, clear traces are left behind. The Audio Forensics Toolbox can identify meta-data such as information of the devices and microphones used to produce the data. Furthermore, the Audio Forensics Toolbox can detect cuts in the audio material, and can verify whether segments from an audio
Contact: Julia HallebachPhone +49 3677 [email protected] Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMTEhrenbergstrasse 3198693 IlmenauGermanywww.idmt.fraunhofer.de
The Audio Forensics tools help the recording devices used to be clearly identified. © Fraunhofer IDMT
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creation chain for microelectronics and na-noelectronics. State Secretary Dr. Schütte formulated the government’s expectations of and recommendations to the Group in his speech, “The importance of microelec-tronics for Germany and Europe in the age of digitization.”
Dr. Reinhard Ploss, the CEO of Infineon Technologies AG, used his speech to form a bridge to practical applications. As a member of the advisory council of the Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics, Thilo von Selchow illustrated the valuable and close collaboration between Fraunhofer’s research and the microelectronics industry. The current Group Chairman, Prof. Lakner, spoke about the strategic direction of the Group and the future of microelectronics in Germany and Europe. In the podium discus-sion that followed, the former Group chair-men Prof. Herbert Reichl and Prof. Heinz Gerhäuser looked back at some eventful years and spoke together with Prof. Lakner about the plans and wishes for the future. We need to keep our shoulders to the wheel – there will be plenty for the Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics to do over the next 20 years.
Headquarters of Fraunhofer AISEC in Garching near Munich. There is a secondary office in Berlin. © Fraunhofer AISEC
The speakers at the anniversary celebration after the Fraunhofer strategic paper was handed over to the BMBF (L-R): Thilo von Selchow, Prof. Neugebauer, Dr. Schütte, Prof. Lakner, Dr. Ploss. © Fraunhofer Microelectronics / A. Grützner
Introducing Fraunhofer AISEC and Fraunhofer IMWS
On April 1, the Fraunhofer Institute for Ap-plied and Integrated Security AISEC and the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstruc-ture of Materials and Systems IMWS joined the Fraunhofer Group for Microelectron-ics as guest members. This means that the Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics now has eleven full members and seven guest members.
Under the management of Prof. Claudia Eckert, Fraunhofer AISEC was set up in 2009 as a project group of Fraunhofer SIT in Munich; it became a research facility within the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft on July 1, 2011. Since December 2013, Fraunhofer AISEC has been an independent institute within the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. Fraunhofer AISEC deals with all relevant issues regarding IT and Cyber Security. Fraunhofer AISEC has comprehensive expe-rience with the analysis of new technologies and the development of security solutions. The areas of hardware security in particular and the security of embedded systems in general are being expanded to become
Fraunhofer Microelec-tronics: here’s to the next 20 years!
On May 23, jubilant tones filled the SpreePalais in Berlin – the reason for the celebration was the 20th anniversary of the Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics. Under the motto of “20 years of micro-electronics as a driver of innovation – smart systems make all the difference,” the President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Prof. Reimund Neugebauer, and the Group Chairman, Prof. Hubert Lakner, welcomed the invited guests. In his opening speech, Prof. Neugebauer stressed the importance of the Group for Microelectronics to the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and presented
Prof. Lakner with the Fraunhofer Medal for his dedication to microelectronics. In anoth-er highlight, he handed over the strategic paper “On the Way to a Joint Fab for Research” to the State Secretary of the Fed eral Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Dr. Georg Schütte. To ensure suc-cessful implementation of this concept, the institutes in the Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics will, among other mea-sures, organize themselves into a research “fab” – a decisive part of a complete value-
Contact: Viktor DeleskiPhone +49 89 [email protected] Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and In-tegrated Security AISECParkring 485748 Garching b. MünchenGermanywww.aisec.fraunhofer.de
Michael KraftPhone +49 345 [email protected] Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWSWalter-Hülse-Strasse 106120 HalleGermanywww.imws.fraunhofer.de
Contact: Akvile ZaludaitePhone +49 30 688 3759-6101akvile.zaludaite@ mikroelektronik.fraunhofer.de Fraunhofer Group for MicroelectronicsAnna-Louisa-Karsch-Strasse 210178 BerlinGermanywww.mikroelektronik.fraunhofer.de
world-class thanks to funding programs by the Bavarian ministry of economics.
Fraunhofer IMWS, with its headquarters in Halle, does research into the areas of materials science and materials technolo-gy. The aim of the research carried out at Fraunhofer IMWS is to identify faults and weaknesses in materials, devices, and sys-tems at the micro and nano scales, to find out their causes, and to offer solutions based on these find-ings. Fraunhofer IMWS was spun off from the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM in Freiburg as an in-dependent Fraunhofer in-stitute at the beginning of 2016 under the man-agement of Prof. Ralf B. Wehrspohn.
The main building of Fraunhofer IMWS in Halle. © Fraunhofer IMWS
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Automated microscope scanner – an all-round talent
With the “SCube®,” researchers at Fraunhofer IIS have developed a fully auto-mated microscope scanning system. What’s really remarkable is that the system is an all-rounder that combines both high-resolu-tion transmitted-light microscopy with im-mersion oil and fluorescence microscopy. The cost-effective and very compact system, which has a side length of approximately 40 cm, has a modular structure and can be precisely tailored to the requirements of in-strument manufacturers and individual lab-oratories. Special cassettes with up to ten slides for cell or tissue samples can be placed in the system. A gripper arm inside the system removes one slide at a time and transports it to the beam path between the condenser and the lens. An integrated cam-era captures the individual images to pro-duce a virtual slide. The slide is then re-turned to the cassette and the next slide is loaded. Thanks to an open software frame-work, instrument manufacturers can in-clude their own image analysis procedures for automated cell and tissue analysis, if re-
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Contact: Andy HeinigPhone +49 351 [email protected] Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IISDivision Engineering of Adaptive Systems EASZeunerstrasse 3801069 DresdenGermanywww.eas.iis.fraunhofer.de
Contact: Thoralf DietzPhone +49 9131 [email protected] Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IISAm Wolfsmantel 3391058 ErlangenGermanywww.iis.fraunhofer.de
that energy consumption drops. The ex-perts needed around a year and a half for theoretical development and construction of a prototype. The development partner, Dream Chip Technologies, supported the team particularly in the area of applications. The current structure of the 3D microchip was developed with special consideration for ultra HD cameras. It could, however, be used in the future in other areas such as graphic cards or switching nodes for fiber-glass networks. The Memory³ project was supported by Germany Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy as part of the Central Innovation Program SME.
The SCube® microscopy platform offers a modular solution for digi-tal pathology. © Fraunhofer IIS / Kurt Fuchs
quired. A cassette loading system currently being developed by the Fraunhofer re-searchers will allow up to 20 cassettes to be added automatically at a time – this will enable the scanner to run overnight, re-cording microscopic image data the whole time. The system also contains a module with various lenses that switch automatical-ly according to requirements. Another mod-ule also makes it possible to record fluores-cence signals of a sample: the sample is stimulated from above by means of the lens, and the fluorescent light radiated by the sample is observed. The automatic ap-plication of immersion oil allows even finer details to be detected. A web-based plat-form with a viewer allows the user to first see the image results of the individual sam-ples as a rough top view. In the case of conspicuous results, certain regions of the cell or tissue samples can be reviewed in greater detail using various magnification levels. The prototype was presented to the public at Analytica in May 2016 in addition to suitable technologies for image analysis.
Quadruple data rate thanks to 3D integration
Small is beautiful – and that applies to microchips too. We have reached the stage, however, where classic structures with stan-dardized device sizes are pushing at their limits. One example is the electronics in ultra HD cameras, which can capture four times as many pixels as cameras with full HD. In order to be able to process the quantities of data produced in an energy-saving manner and in a small space, the ar-rangement of the processor and the wide I/O memory on the circuit board was re-thought three dimensionally. This idea was put into practice by researchers from Fraunhofer IIS’ division EAS. For the “Mem-ory³” project, they developed a chip struc-ture that can satisfy the high-performance requirements of ultra HD cameras. The “trick” behind the new chip is to reduce the line width: the processor and memory are arranged in the same housing. Between them, a thin substrate (known as an inter-poser) functions as a data line. This super-fine line structure allows the processor and the memory to “merge” so closely that data exchange is considerably accelerated. The data can be transmitted at a speed of up to 400 GBit/s – four times what has pre-viously been possible. Another advantage is
A comparison of Memory³ chip structures. © Fraunhofer EAS / IIS
Microelectronics News
Editorial notes
Microelectronics News, Issue 63July 2016© Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics, Berlin 2016
Fraunhofer Group for MicroelectronicsSpreePalais am DomAnna-Louisa-Karsch-Strasse 2 10178 BerlinGermanywww.mikroelektronik.fraunhofer.de
The Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics, founded in 1996, combines the expertise of 18 Fraunhofer institutes, with a total of more than 3,000 employees. Its main focus is the prepa-ration and coordination of interdisciplinary re-search pro jects, conducting studies and to as-sist in the process of identifying strategies.
Editorial team: Christian Lüdemann [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Mö[email protected] Zaludaiteakvile.zaludaite@mikroelektronik.fraunhofer.deTranslation: Andrew [email protected]
© pixelio.de / hldg
© Fraunhofer ENAS
Printed on 100% recycled paper.
Obituary
On May 25, 2016, the director of our Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS
Prof. Dr. Dr. Prof. h. c. mult. Thomas Geßner
suddenly and unexpectedly died at the age of 61 years.
Professor Geßner was at the same time full professor of the chair of Microtechnology of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology and director of the Center for Microtechnologies at the Technische Universität Chemnitz.
Professor Geßner’s scientific activities were not only characterized by the initiation of new fundamental topics but also by his ambition to transfer scientific results to application- relevant research and new products. Consequently, he turned towards the Fraunhofer- Gesellschaft. In 1998 he established the department Micro Devices and Equipment at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM. In the following years, his department developed into the Chemnitz branch of the Fraunhofer IZM, and later the Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS, which was headed by him.
Since 2005, Professor Geßner worked in Saxony and on a national and international level on the integration of microelectronics, microsystem technology, and other components into intelligent systems, so-called smart systems. His name, like no one else’s, represents different activities in the context of smart systems, especially in Europe. Professor Geßner was not only one of the founders of EPoSS, the European Platform on Smart Systems Inte-gration, but he also launched the Smart Systems Integration Conference and Exhibition in 2007. This scientific conference was successfully established under his direction as chair-man and developed into a competitive international conference.
Our thoughts are with his family, especially with his wife, his two children, and his beloved grandson.
Prof. Thomas Otto Prof. Stefan SchulzDirector (acting), Fraunhofer ENAS Deputy Director, Fraunhofer ENAS
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The last word …
... goes today to our graduates
At the beginning of spring, three edi-tors left the Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics and, as they have now completed their master’s degrees, are off to pastures new. Which career path have you chosen for the future?
Anna: I now work as an advisor for re-search and quality development at the “Haus der kleinen Forscher” (“House of Little Researchers”). In the “Education for sustainable development” project, we are aiming to convey an awareness of acting sustainably to children between three and ten years.
Lisa: My passion for science communica-tion and my enthusiasm for the “group” idea have accompanied me in starting my career at BG-Hospitals. As an assistant for corporate communications in the public health sector, I am able to help shape cross-clinic PR work.
Susann: As a trainee in company commu-nications at ProSiebenSat.1, I will get to know all the processes and structures in one of the largest media businesses in Eu-rope and its digital subsidiaries, while also learning day-to-day PR work from scratch.
Something you all share is that you have been at the Fraunhofer-Gesell-schaft for a long time. What will you take with you into the future that you will think of when you look back at your time here?
Anna: I am grateful for the constructive and pleasant team structures as well as the chance to deal with responsible jobs and get an insight into some exciting areas. I will remember the birthday cakes, the Christmas parties, a boat trip where we spoke a mixture of German and English, and, of course, the great collaboration.
Lisa: A member institute whose name was spelled wrong, a typo in the name of our contact person, a trade fair delegation abroad without a hotel reservation – I’ve experienced a lot. Each little memory makes me smile.
Susann: I have to agree with what you’ve just said. Personally, the people I have got-ten to know here will be something I will take with me. In addition to my profession-al experience at the Fraunhofer-Gesell-schaft, on a personal level I was always given advice and support.
Lastly, the editors of Microelectronics News would like to thank you and wish you all the best. Now you literally have space for a “last word.”
Anna: Thank you for the lovely time I had at Fraunhofer; I will always remember it fondly. It was a time that enabled me to find myself and get oriented between fin-ishing school and going to college, a time that offered me professional experience and a welcome break from everyday univer-sity life. You always meet twice – or indeed three times!
Lisa: Whether it was at Fraunhofer IZM or at the Group for Microelectronics, Fraunhofer accompanied me throughout my entire degree program. The fact that I was able to write my master’s thesis with the help of colleagues from various insti-tutes was both a pleasure and an honor. This trusting collaboration was a reflection of how we worked with each other daily. Thank you very much for that!
Susann: I would like to invite all my col-leagues to remain in contact with me using all channels. I had a lovely time and I will always feel connected to it. I thank my col-leagues from Fraunhofer IGD and from the Group for Microelectronics for all the expe-riences and all the support I got over the years.
About the interviewees:After Anna-Maria Gelke accompanied the busi-ness office’s move in 2008 and 2009, she re-turned to the Group in 2013. In addition to of-fice management, her duties included main-taining the website and managing events. In 2010, Lisa Schwede started as an employee in the PR department and has since then dedi-cated herself to editing Microelectronics News, designing the website, and managing events. Since 2012, Susann Thoma was not only re-sponsible for editing “The last word” and the events, but was also an important part of orga-nizing events and managing the Group’s web-site within the PR department.
SpreePalais am Dom
All photos © Fraunhofer Microelectronics
Anna-Maria Gelke
Lisa Schwede
Susann Thoma