06.09.22
Fraunhofer IPMS and Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID have established the Center for Advanced CMOS & Heterointegration Saxony.
A flagship of semiconductor research with international reach is emerging in Dresden. Fraunhofer IPMS and Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID are bundling their competences and establishing the Center for Advanced CMOS & Heterointegration Saxony, which recently celebrated its opening. The center will offer the complete value chain in 300 mm microelectronics, a prerequisite for high-tech research for future technologies.
With Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID and Fraunhofer IPMS’ Center Nanoelectronic Technologies CNT, two unique research facilities in Germany in the field of microelectronics are located in Saxony. Today, they are the only two German research centers for applied microelectronics research based on 300 mm wafer industry standard equipment.
With the bundling of competences and the foundation of the Center for Advanced CMOS & Heterointegration Saxony, excellent perspectives arise to attract semiconductor companies and system users as well as material and equipment manufacturers worldwide. In addition to excellent personnel and know-how, equipment with a modern equipment and plant park is crucial for industrial and research contracts.
With an investment volume of about €140 million in clean room facilities, Fraunhofer IPMS is uniquely positioned in Germany in the field of applied research on the modern 300 mm wafer industry standard in the front end of CMOS manufacturing. In the future, the center will be headed by Dr. Wenke Weinreich, division manager at CNT and deputy institute director of Fraunhofer IPMS, and Dr. Manuela Junghähnel, site manager at IZM-ASSID.
"The joint center with a clean room of 4000 square meters in size enables close cooperation and networking of the scientific and technical competencies of both research institutions. This creates an outstanding R&D technology platform as well as an increase in efficiency and completion of the value chain, which at the same time opens up new research fields," explains Dr. Junghähnel.
“The 300 mm wafer industry standard is crucial, because it is the only way to ensure a fast transfer of research results to the semiconductor industry in Saxony, nationwide and also worldwide,” Dr. Weinreich added. “On the other hand, this wafer standard is also a basic requirement for high-tech research for future technologies, such as neuromorphic and quantum computing."
The Center for Advanced CMOS & Heterointegration Saxony is being built at one of Fraunhofer IPMS’ sites in Dresden.
“Saxony is one of the leading microelectronics locations in Europe,” said Saxony prime minister Michael Kretschmer. Every third European chip is produced in the Free State of Saxony. Saxony relies on close networking between industry, science and research. The new Fraunhofer Center for semiconductor research is unique in Germany and will make a decisive contribution to innovation in Silicon Saxony. In the future, applied microelectronics research with state-of-the-art 300mm wafers will take place in Dresden at world level. I thank the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft for its clear commitment to Saxony as a location."
For the future development of the necessary competencies in microelectronics and microsystems technology, the R&D offerings of Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID and Fraunhofer IPMS with regard to 300 mm process competencies will be designed and expanded in such a way that local and national industry from SMEs to large companies (e.g. Globalfoundries, Infineon, Bosch) will be able to benefit from the latest technologies in the best possible way.
A flagship of semiconductor research with international reach is emerging in Dresden. Fraunhofer IPMS and Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID are bundling their competences and establishing the Center for Advanced CMOS & Heterointegration Saxony, which recently celebrated its opening. The center will offer the complete value chain in 300 mm microelectronics, a prerequisite for high-tech research for future technologies.
With Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID and Fraunhofer IPMS’ Center Nanoelectronic Technologies CNT, two unique research facilities in Germany in the field of microelectronics are located in Saxony. Today, they are the only two German research centers for applied microelectronics research based on 300 mm wafer industry standard equipment.
With the bundling of competences and the foundation of the Center for Advanced CMOS & Heterointegration Saxony, excellent perspectives arise to attract semiconductor companies and system users as well as material and equipment manufacturers worldwide. In addition to excellent personnel and know-how, equipment with a modern equipment and plant park is crucial for industrial and research contracts.
With an investment volume of about €140 million in clean room facilities, Fraunhofer IPMS is uniquely positioned in Germany in the field of applied research on the modern 300 mm wafer industry standard in the front end of CMOS manufacturing. In the future, the center will be headed by Dr. Wenke Weinreich, division manager at CNT and deputy institute director of Fraunhofer IPMS, and Dr. Manuela Junghähnel, site manager at IZM-ASSID.
"The joint center with a clean room of 4000 square meters in size enables close cooperation and networking of the scientific and technical competencies of both research institutions. This creates an outstanding R&D technology platform as well as an increase in efficiency and completion of the value chain, which at the same time opens up new research fields," explains Dr. Junghähnel.
“The 300 mm wafer industry standard is crucial, because it is the only way to ensure a fast transfer of research results to the semiconductor industry in Saxony, nationwide and also worldwide,” Dr. Weinreich added. “On the other hand, this wafer standard is also a basic requirement for high-tech research for future technologies, such as neuromorphic and quantum computing."
The Center for Advanced CMOS & Heterointegration Saxony is being built at one of Fraunhofer IPMS’ sites in Dresden.
“Saxony is one of the leading microelectronics locations in Europe,” said Saxony prime minister Michael Kretschmer. Every third European chip is produced in the Free State of Saxony. Saxony relies on close networking between industry, science and research. The new Fraunhofer Center for semiconductor research is unique in Germany and will make a decisive contribution to innovation in Silicon Saxony. In the future, applied microelectronics research with state-of-the-art 300mm wafers will take place in Dresden at world level. I thank the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft for its clear commitment to Saxony as a location."
For the future development of the necessary competencies in microelectronics and microsystems technology, the R&D offerings of Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID and Fraunhofer IPMS with regard to 300 mm process competencies will be designed and expanded in such a way that local and national industry from SMEs to large companies (e.g. Globalfoundries, Infineon, Bosch) will be able to benefit from the latest technologies in the best possible way.
