Thirteen institutes have collaborated on a concept for a cross-location research factory for microelectronics and nanoelectronics.
Eleven of the institutes are from the Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics, who support German industry with application-oriented research and development for high-tech products.
They will combine their technology with two institutes from the Leibniz Association for High Performance Microelectronics (IHP) into a joint, cross-location technology pool: the Research Fab Microelectronics Germany.
The institutes’ existing locations will be retained, while expansion and operation will be coordinated and organised in a shared business office.
The aim is to be able to offer customers from large industry, small or medium enterprises and universities the entire value chain for microelectronics and nanoelectronics from a single supplier.
Four technology parks
The focus of the cross-institute work will lie on four future-relevant areas of technology:
- Silicon-based technologies;
- Compound semiconductors and special substrates;
- Heterointegration;
- Design, testing and reliability.
Thematically and logistically connected processes and infrastructures will be pooled and developed in four different “technology parks”.
This will allow the member institutes to serve all areas of technology essential to the research, development and manufacture of microsystems and nanosystems – whether it is for information gathering and processing, telecommunications, or power electronics.
The Microelectronic Fab for Research Germany will represent a reorganisation of more than 2000 scientists and the necessary equipment for technological research and development under a single, virtual roof. In the medium term, the measure is expected to create an additional 500 jobs for highly qualified candidates.
Research for the future
The Research Fab Microelectronics Germany will engage in research and development for contemporary topics such as FDSOI technology (Fully Depleted Silicon on Insulator) and power electronics and future themes.
The latter includes creating the technological basis for the industrial use of quantum technologies; integration of functional blocks at the atomic level; developing systems for the THz range; continued reduction in power requirements; and the storage and transmission of huge quantities of data.