Integrated Photonics

Storing digital information in synthetic DNA is seen as a promising way to store mass data in the future with extreme storage density and longevity. Fraunhofer IPMS is part of the BIOSYNTH project, which is developing a modular microchip platform for writing DNA, RNA and peptides as the basis for biological storage technologies.

Advanced MEMS and Thermal Control Technology Powering Next-Gen DNA Data Storage

Our Integrated Silicon Systems (ISS) branch is developing the thermally active MEMS level of the platform. With the help of surface micromechanical structures (inspired by CMUT technology) precise temperature control is made possible for the synthesis of biological sequences. In addition, we contribute our simulation expertise for thermal optimization. The focus is on miniaturization: current synthesis systems are large, expensive and inefficient. The new platform, on the other hand, will be highly parallel, cost-effective and portable - a real technology shift for DNA-based data storage. Applications in toxicology, personalized medicine or bio-computing are also conceivable.

With BIOSYNTH, Fraunhofer IPMS is opening up new fields of application for integrated photonics, microsystems technology and synthetic biology for the data world of tomorrow.

Photonic biosensors are ideally suited for fast and precise molecular analysis in point-of-care applications, enabling early disease detection as an alternative to traditional blood culture methods. They are also valuable tools for food safety testing and environmental monitoring.

Cutting-Edge Silicon Nitride Microring Resonators for High-Sensitivity Biosensing

At Fraunhofer IPMS, we develop photonic biosensors based on silicon nitride microring resonators as sensitive transducer elements. These biosensors operate by detecting shifts in the resonance wavelength caused by target bioproteins binding to the functionalized microring surface. This binding alters the effective refractive index of the optical mode within the resonator, resulting in a measurable spectral shift at the output.

The sensitivity of the sensor increases with narrower resonance peaks in the transmission spectrum. By functionalizing the microring surface with specific bioactive receptors, such as antibodies or DNA, the biosensor can selectively detect analytes like biomarker proteins at concentrations as low as 10 pg/ml.

Our goal is to develop a highly sensitive, cost-effective, reliable, and scalable on-chip biosensor platform featuring multiplex architecture and optimized light coupling, enabling comprehensive and efficient biomolecular analysis.

Conventional focus and zoom systems rely on the mechanical displacement of lens elements, making integration into compact devices challenging due to their size.

Innovative Miniaturized Variable-Focus Microlenses

Fraunhofer IPMS has developed a microlens with a variable focal length that boasts a remarkably compact and integrable design. The focal length is adjusted by deforming a membrane through hydraulic pressure generated by voltage-controlled fluid displacement. This is achieved via an electroactive polymer actuator with high deformability, housed within a microfluidic silicon chamber. The lens is manufactured using wafer-level technology, enabling precise structuring, accurate alignment, and scalable production.

With an aperture of only a few millimeters and a broad voltage-controlled focus range, this microlens is ideal for compact autofocus or zoom modules in mobile devices, as well as applications in photonics, optoelectronics, and image processing.

Fraunhofer IPMS develops advanced devices and photonic integrated circuits (PICs) based on silicon nitride waveguides. Using customized technologies, we enable the monolithic integration of waveguides with CMOS devices while achieving low optical losses. A unique advantage is our ability to combine silicon nitride waveguides with liquid crystal waveguides, where tailored electrode configurations allow the creation of programmable photonic devices for a wide range of applications.

Our expertise covers the design, fabrication, and characterization of waveguide devices and PICs, which are used in optical communication networks (such as wavelength filters, switches, and multiplexers), spectroscopy, and as transducer elements in optical sensors and biosensors.

Manufacturing is carried out on 200 mm wafers in the Fraunhofer IPMS cleanroom, with characterization performed in specialized laboratory setups to ensure the highest quality and performance.

With MEMS-on-PIC, Fraunhofer IPMS has developed a universal manufacturing technology that combines photonic integrated circuits (PICs) with MEMS structures, compatible with all established material platforms such as silicon, silicon nitride, and lithium niobate.

CMOS-Compatible MEMS Integration on Photonic Circuits

The MEMS structures are fabricated directly on the waveguide level of existing PICs without compromising their optical properties, enabled by nanometer-thin, transparent protective layers. MEMS-on-PIC uses a CMOS-compatible 200 mm wafer process and complements Fraunhofer IPMS’s silicon nitride photonics platform. Central to this technology are optical MEMS phase shifters that alter the refractive index of waveguides via mechanical movement. These phase shifters serve as the foundation for photonic processors used in AI and quantum applications, offering low energy consumption and high integration density, even in cryogenic environments.

Beyond phase shifters, MEMS structures can function as switches, modulators, or filters, making them ideal for applications in communications, sensor technology, and spectroscopy. MEMS-on-PIC provides a scalable, energy-efficient, and versatile solution for the integrated photonics of the future.

We develop customized OLED-on-silicon components for industrial partners as a key technology for integrated photonic systems. Our services cover the entire development chain, from CMOS design, OLED stack optimization, and optical design to system integration and interface programming. The goal is to seamlessly combine optical and electronic functions on a single chip for compact, high-performance applications.

Fraunhofer IPMS: Your Partner for Scalable OLED and Organic Photodiode Solutions

We offer technology-driven development projects starting with feasibility studies and project conception through pilot production and technology transfer. Our expertise includes realizing structured OLEDs and organic photodiodes (OPDs) tailored to your specific requirements for sensor technology, augmented reality (AR), medical technology, or security solutions.

Our solutions are flexibly scalable on rigid substrates like silicon or glass, as well as on flexible materials. We also provide evaluation kits and enable design and technology transfer for rapid integration into your product development. With our bidirectional OLED microdisplays and function-integrated CMOS ICs, we deliver essential building blocks for industrial implementation of integrated photonic systems.