SPIE Photonics West 2026

At the trade fair, visitors will receive comprehensive information on hot viscous molding, an innovative process in micro-manufacturing. This process enables the precise manufacture of microcomponents by heating viscous materials, which are then molded into shape. Particularly noteworthy is a newly developed process at Fraunhofer ISIT based on the hot viscous molding of glass. With the help of this process, it is possible to structure glass wafers with high aspect ratios at the wafer level in such a way that the good optical properties are retained.

With the help of this unique technology, new components can be manufactured from glass at the wafer level for the first time that meet the quality requirements of optics. This allows micro lenses, reflectors, and specially shaped optical windows to be produced in large quantities at the wafer level without further mechanical processing, enabling cost-effective mass production of micro-optical components (wafer with gold-plated concave mirrors). In combination with MEMS scanners and active optical components, this manufacturing process is the key to hermetically sealed MEMS components that meet the high requirements of optical functionality (MEMS mirror with slanted windows).

Visitors can also learn about the specific steps involved in the hot viscous forming process, discover application examples in microelectronics and the semiconductor industry, and find out about current research projects and innovative developments. In addition, opportunities for collaboration in research projects that could be of great interest to interested partners will be discussed.

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Discover our advanced wafer-level packaging technologies at the trade fair! We use the precision of semiconductor and microsystem technologies to create robust and compact housings for microsensors, actuators, and micro-optical components.

Our team places particular emphasis on hermetic encapsulation and uses various joining technologies, including glass solders and metals. Our housings for micro-optical components offer optically transparent window areas for the visible range up to the far infrared. Wafer-level packaging is ideal for post-CMOS processing of customer-specific wafers and is used in areas such as IR sensors, inertial sensors, magnetic field sensors, and MOEMS components.

Visit our booth at the trade fair and learn more about our solutions and technologies! We look forward to seeing you there!

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This year, Fraunhofer ISIT is presenting new developments in the field of piezoelectrically driven MEMS mirrors. Actuation using AlScN enables remarkable mirror deflections and high frequencies in both quasi-static and resonant operation due to the material's high driving force and high elasticity. Furthermore, the MEMS mirrors are characterized by very good deflection-voltage linearity and impressive long-term stability.  Thanks to their great design flexibility, Fraunhofer ISIT's MEMS mirrors are suitable for use in a wide range of applications, such as industrial and automotive LiDAR systems, quantum computing and sensor technology, spectroscopy, and optical communication.

As part of the BMWK project “MEMS-BORO,” a MEMS-based, miniaturized borescope is being developed for inspecting heavily loaded components in aircraft engines.  The integration of a 3D LiDAR camera into the borescope enables the inspection of previously inaccessible component areas. The automated data evaluation system to be developed detects defects and can classify them, which means that the degree of automation of the engine inspection process, which is currently still carried out entirely manually, can be significantly increased.

This year, we are presenting the demonstrator of the MEMS borescope unit for the first time at our booth at SPIE Photonics West.

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The Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology specializes in the development and manufacture of a wide range of acoustic and optical microelectromechanical systems. Its state-of-the-art technological equipment based on 200 mm silicon wafer technology enables the implementation of technically sophisticated, innovative approaches and subsequent prototype production on an industrial scale. Its in-depth expertise in the deposition and structuring of silicon oxides and nitrides, as well as its many years of experience in the integration of lead-free piezoelectric materials for MEMS actuators on an industrial scale, make Fraunhofer ISIT a powerful partner in the field of photonic integrated circuits. At this year's SPIE conference, the institute will present its initial findings from this area of research. 

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Fraunhofer ISIT develops sensors based on the modulation of surface acoustic waves (SAWs). These sensors can be used to measure various physical phenomena: in addition to mass absorption, elastic, viscoelastic, or electrical effects can also be exploited. Dedicated functional layers enable a wide range of applications with pressure, humidity, electric field, vibration, gas, bio, or magnetic field/current sensors.

The special feature of SAW sensor technology at ISIT is that it is not based on single-crystal piezoelectric substrates but is instead manufactured using CMOS and MEMS-compatible silicon technology. This is made possible by the use of the high-performance piezoelectric thin-film material AlScN. In addition to high technology compatibility, further advantages include greater process flexibility with regard to the integration of functional layers, reduced chip size, and the possibility of combining different sensors on a single chip.

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Fraunhofer ISIT develops highly miniaturized piezoelectric micromechanical ultrasonic transducers (PMUTs) for a wide range of technical applications, such as distance measurement, gesture recognition, haptic feedback, and medical imaging. Depending on the target frequency and application, the concept is based on actuators or membranes made of high-performance piezoelectric materials such as AlN, AlScN, and PZT, which enable very high sound pressure levels and sensitivities. This allows efficient ultrasonic transducers with center frequencies ranging from a few kHz to several hundred MHz to be realized. Manufacturing using semiconductor technology enables both high miniaturization and cost-efficient production in large quantities.

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