Press Releases

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.

Together with 24 German research institutions and companies under the coordination of Forschungszentrum (FZ) Jülich, Fraunhofer IPMS is working on an integrated German quantum computer based on superconducting quantum chips and with improved error rates. Halfway through the project, the first demonstrator can now be put into operation. The CNT at Fraunhofer IPMS is contributing its expertise of state-of-the-art, industry-compatible CMOS semiconductor manufacturing.

In order to make quantum computers usable, developing the control technology is at least as important for scaled systems, yet it is still in its infancy. Project ARCTIC brings together 36 international partners from industry, academia and leading RTOs to establish a complete and comprehensive European supply chain and develop scalable, reliable, innovative control infrastructure for cryogenic quantum processors. The German Institutes Fraunhofer IPMS and Fraunhofer IAF contribute their extensive expertise in device characterization. The EU is funding the project with over € 11 million for a duration of three years.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS is expanding its long-standing collaboration with the leading international semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries and launches several research projects on innovative integrated memory concepts.

Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS have significantly increased the transparency of OLED microdisplays. For the first time, a microdisplay of this kind will be presented at booth No. 38 at the "International Meeting on Information Display" (IMID) 2024 in Jeju, South Korea.

Standard medical procedures are often time-consuming and generally do not take into account the individual characteristics of patients. This can have a negative impact on the success of treatment and impair quality of life. To solve this problem, a Fraunhofer research team from Fraunhofer IPMS, Fraunhofer IZI and Fraunhofer IOF is developing disposable biosensors that deliver rapid results and have extensive multiplexing capabilities. These biosensors enable the early detection of diseases and have the potential to significantly improve healthcare.

The BIOSYNTH project is funded by the Fraunhofer Society and aims to develop a new microchip platform that enables efficient and digitally controllable cell-free biosynthesis. The Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS leads the consortium and collaborates with the Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM and the Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, part of Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses IZI-BB, on technologies that can be used in the future for mass data storage with very high storage density or in pollutant screening in human toxicology.

Image sensors and their core component, the photodiode, are indispensable in numerous applications, whether in process, measurement, automotive or safety technology. In the near-infrared range, which is particularly important for many analytical applications, silicon-based photodiodes do not yet offer sufficient sensitivity. Therefore, other materials are used, but they are expensive and sometimes harmful to the environment. In a new project at the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS, sensitive silicon-based photodiodes, which are more cost-efficient in production, are now being developed for the first time. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research in Germany (BMBF) funds the MesSi project with 566,000 euros for a period of three years.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a significant health risk. In about half of patients, the blood clot breaks away from the vein wall and travels to the lungs, where it can cause a pulmonary embolism. Approximately 25% of people who suffer a pulmonary embolism die as a result. This makes it the third leading cause of cardiovascular death worldwide, after stroke and heart attack. The danger: In up to two-thirds of all cases of thrombosis, people have no symptoms. This makes early detection a major challenge. The EU project "ThrombUS+" brings together 18 European partners to develop a new, portable diagnostic device. The EU is funding the project with €9.5 million as part of the Horizon Europe Innovation Action.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS develops and manufactures individual heatable test chips for the characterization of new gas sensor materials. Deposited sensing layers and their application-specific parameters, such as sensitivity and selectivity, can thus be specifically evaluated. Customized chip designs allow the optimal and highly accurate characterization of these thin films.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS presents a groundbreaking demonstrator for predictive maintenance of industrial equipment. The demonstrator uses advanced sensor technology combined with artificial intelligence (AI)-based data processing to detect potential machine damage at an early stage and avoid costly downtime.

The institutes Fraunhofer ISIT, IPMS and ENAS are presenting a pioneering initiative to promote MEMS-based ultrasonic sensor technology at SENSOR+TEST in Nuremberg, Germany. Their one-stop shop offers customized solutions for companies that want to benefit from the advantages of this technology.

Following an invitation from German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, French President Emmanuel Macron made the first official French state visit to Germany in 24 years. During their three-day schedule, both presidents also visited the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS in Dresden to highlight the importance of collaboration between France and Germany in ensuring Europe's technological sovereignty, particularly in the field of microelectronics.

A groundbreaking integration technology for the simultaneous measurement of various water parameters using ion-sensitive field-effect transistors (ISFETs) is presented by the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS. The newly developed n-well integration technology makes it possible to measure pH values, nitrate, phosphate and potassium concentrations in parallel and continuously with only one sensor chip. This innovation opens new horizons for environmental and bioanalytics.

In a joint development project spanning around one year, important progress was made in the production of “Smart power technologies”. Fraunhofer IPMS provided significant support to the semiconductor manufacturer Infineon by supplying selected process modules within the entire CMOS process value chain on 300 mm wafers.

As part of the HOT project (High-performance transparent and flexible microelectronics for photonic and optical applications), scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS have developed a semi-transparent microdisplay. This microdisplay is significantly lighter than conventional combiner-based optical see-through near-to-eye systems and offers high resolution. The microdisplay will be presented at the SID Display Week 2024 in San Jose, USA, at the German Pavilion, booth number 1124.