TechBlog of Fraunhofer ISIT

Material screening, process development and machine qualification are typical scenarios for the use of test wafers. While product wafers are usually expensive and difficult to procure, test wafers can be produced cost-effectively and tailored to the respective requirements. In addition to standardized components for typical applications, ISIT also offers customized solutions.

CAMPTON Diagnostics, a spin-off from Fraunhofer ISIT, manufactures and markets complete measurement systems using the electrical biochips developed at ISIT. These are primarily suitable for point-of-care diagnostics, i.e. for on-site examinations of patients.

The Research Group Battery Systems for Special Applications of the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology ISIT sees itself as a research and development partner for all those who want to use rechargeable lithium-ion cells in applications but cannot use "off-the-shelf" batteries due to given conditions. ISIT's researchers design custom-made cells that are exactly tailored to the customer's needs. Due to the established production technology, so-called pouch cells can be realized in a wide range of different shapes and sizes, so that the cell is adapted to the available space in the device. Even the operation of battery-powered applications at extreme temperatures (-20 to 150 °C) or pressures (>600 bar) pose a challenge that cells made by ISIT can meet.

Eight billion devices were connected to the Internet of Things by the end of 2019, without PCs, laptops or smartphones. And the trend is rising sharply: By 2025, the figure is expected to be 20 billion. "A major challenge that lies ahead of us in the next 20 years is to reduce the energy consumption of the Internet of Things by designing devices that use every conceivable source of energy such as vibration, heat and light," sums up the expert Professor Dauskardt from Stanford University. In addition to the Internet of Things, there are many other applications where devices have to work autonomot wearables. Harvesting" energy from light with solar cells has long been common practice on a large scale. If the light falls directly into an outdoor environment, this is also an excellent source of energy, as the diagram shows. But in other application environments without direct sunlight, other sources such as mechanical vibrations or electromagnetic radiation must be tapped to supply microcomponents with energy or to wake them up from a loss-free stand-by (zero power stand-by). usly, for example in medical technology or smarHarvesting" energy from light with solar cells has long been common practice on a large scale. If the light falls directly into an outdoor environment, this is also an excellent source of energy, as the diagram shows. But in other application environments without direct sunlight, other sources such as mechanical vibrations or electromagnetic radiation must be tapped to supply microcomponents with energy or to wake them up from a loss-free stand-by (zero power stand-by).

Sounds a little like something from days gone by, but in the age of artificial intelligence, autonomous driving and quantum computers, it is still the first step when it comes to realizing an initial idea, writing a piece of paper and something when building or implementing an application-oriented demonstrator. This sketch is the basis for the further design process. Based on this idea, a 3D model is used to give the whole thing precise contours, fix the dimensions, introduce further innovative aspects and, last but not least, to make the basic structure visualizable and imaginable for the development team. Already at this stage, errors can be detected early on and naturally avoided.

One of the key areas at Fraunhofer ISIT is the development of highly miniaturized MEMS loudspeakers for Augmented Reality, Hearables, wireless headphones and hearing aids, among others. Besides the development and production of the actual MEMS components, a central aspect is the realization of suitable control electronics. In the group "Acoustic Systems and Micro Actuators" a new development kit was developed for this purpose.