Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Mechanics

Fraunhofer Institute for ; Applied Optics and Precision Mechanics
	; Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Mechanics
Category:	research Institute
Carrier:	Fraunhofer Society
Legal form of the carrier:	Registered association
Seat of the wearer:	Munich
Facility location:	Jena
Type of research:	Applied research
Subjects:	Natural sciences , engineering
Areas of expertise:	Optics , precision mechanics
Basic funding:	Federal government (90%), states (10%)
Management:	Andreas Tünnermann
Employee:	about 300
Homepage:	www.iof.fraunhofer.de

The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Mechanics (Fraunhofer IOF) is an institution of the Fraunhofer Society . The institute is based in Jena , Thuringia. Its activities can be assigned to applied research and development in the natural sciences in the field of optics and precision mechanics . The institute was founded in 1992.

Research and Development

The Fraunhofer IOF conducts research and development in the field of optical system technology with the aim of better control of light - from generation to guidance and manipulation to application. The combination of competencies in the fields of optics and precision mechanics should be emphasized.

The focal points also emerge from the department structure:

Optical and mechanical design
Micro and nano structured optics
Opto-mechatronic components and systems
Precision optical components and systems
Functional surfaces and layers
Laser and fiber technology
Imaging and Sensing
Future technologies

See also: thin-film technology , surface physics , microtechnology , nanotechnology , micro-optics , metrology , lasers , quantum technology

CMN-Optics

In July 2006 the Center for Advanced Micro- and Nano-Optics (CMN-Optics) was opened at Fraunhofer IOF . The heart of the facility is the SB350-OS electron beam lithography system. This system, also called “ electron beam writer ”, enables structure sizes in the range of 50 nm on substrate sizes of up to 300 mm. The center is operated jointly with the Institute for Applied Physics (IAP) of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena , the facility is also used by the Institute for Photonic Technologies (IPHT), Jena. The system cost twelve million euros and was financed with funds from the European Union, the Free State of Thuringia and the Fraunhofer Society.

Cooperations

In 2003 the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft signed a cooperation agreement with the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena. It is the basis for the collaboration between the employees of the Fraunhofer IOF and the employees of the Institute for Applied Physics at the University of Jena. The aim of the cooperation is to provide students with a practical training, better implementation of research results in practice and the joint use of the high-quality equipment and infrastructures of both institutions.

The institute is a member of the Fraunhofer Vision Alliance , an amalgamation of institutions of the Fraunhofer Society on the subject of image processing and machine vision , and a member of the Fraunhofer Space Alliance, which conducts applied research for space.

Infrastructure

Modern extension of the IOF

Precision mechanics from the 19th century: Meridian circle instrument in the foyer of the institute

At the end of 2019, the Fraunhofer IOF employed almost 300 people, the majority of whom are scientists and technicians.

The operating budget of the Fraunhofer IOF in the 2019 financial year was 42.4 million euros.

The institute has been headed since 2003 by Andreas Tünnermann , who is also director of the Institute for Applied Physics at Friedrich Schiller University Jena .

The institute has laboratories on an area of 3830 m² plus 1115 m² clean room (ISO class 1 - ISO class 7), a mechanics workshop and a test field for test and demonstration purposes.

In 2002 and 2013, extensions were built on the Beutenberg Campus in Jena.

In 2017 a fiber technology center was inaugurated at Fraunhofer IOF, which includes new laboratories for the production of active and passive micro- and nano-structured optical fibers and a fiber drawing tower.

Awards

German Future Prize 2007

Together with the semiconductor manufacturer Osram Opto Semiconductors from Regensburg , researchers at the Jena Fraunhofer Institute, headed by Andreas Bräuer , received the German Future Prize on December 6, 2007, endowed with 250,000 euros. Their innovation consisted of improved chips, a housing and special optics that enable more powerful light-emitting diodes.

German Future Prize 2013

Stefan Nolte (Fraunhofer IOF and Friedrich Schiller University Jena ) together with Jens König ( Robert Bosch GmbH ) and Dirk Sutter ( Trumpf Laser ) received the award for their work with ultrashort pulse lasers on December 4, 2013.