Innovations for High Performance Microelectronics

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Leibniz Institute for Innovative Microelectronics
Leibniz Institute for Innovative Microelectronics
Logo of the IHP GmbH
Category: research Institute
Membership: Leibniz Association
Type of research: Basic research , applied research
Subjects: Natural sciences , engineering
Areas of expertise: Materials science , semiconductor technology , circuit design , systems development
Basic funding: Federal government (50%), states (50%)
Management: Gerhard Kahmen
Manfred Stöcker
Employee: approx. 300 (2016)
Homepage: www.ihp-microelectronics.com
IHP building 2009

The Institute for Innovative Microelectronics (IHP; Innovations for High Performance ) is an institute of the Leibniz Association and conducts research and development on silicon-based systems, high-frequency circuits and technologies, including new materials. It develops innovative solutions for areas of application such as wireless and broadband communication, security, medical technology, Industry 4.0, mobility and space travel. The IHP employs around 300 people. It has a pilot line for technological developments and the preparation of high-speed circuits with 0.13 / 0.25 µm BiCMOS technologies, which is located in a 1000 m² class 1 clean room .

history

prehistory

The beginnings of the IHP go back to 1958, when the VEB Physikalische Werkstätten was founded in Berlin-Rahnsdorf and a branch in Falkenhagen was opened in 1962 . In 1963 the physical workshops went as III. Physico-Technical Institute into the German Academy of Sciences. In the course of the reform of the academy, the institute was given a new profile and renamed the Institute for Physics of Materials Processing (IPW) of the GDR Academy of Sciences. Starting in 1972, basic research into the abrasive processing of silicon wafers for silicon components began in the Falkenhagen branch, and from 1975 research into the optimization of sub-steps of the technological component process, cycle I of silicon component technology. In 1979, a new building for the institute with a technical center in Frankfurt (Oder) was planned in the Falkenhagen branch and the gradual settlement of scientists in Frankfurt began. The foundation stone was laid on April 29, 1981.

Foundation of the IHP

The Institute for Semiconductor Physics (IHP) was constituted on December 22, 1983 as the institute of the Academy of Sciences of the GDR . The new institute had the task of developing the scientific basis for the construction of microelectronic components. The focus was on further reducing the dimensions of electronic structures. With the political and economic upheaval of 1989 , the IHP was repositioned in the German research landscape.

Establishment and reorientation of the IHP

The IHP, with its many years of experience in silicon-based microelectronics, was re-established on January 1, 1992 as an institution on the Blue List in the form of a GmbH . From 1999 the IHP operated as an institute for innovative microelectronics while retaining the already established acronym IHP, which stands for Innovations for High Performance microelectronics .

From 1996 the research focus shifted to wireless and broadband communication . In 1999 the IHP moved to the East Brandenburg Technology Park and the 1000 square meter class 1 clean room with 0.25 µm BiCMOS technology was put into operation. The research areas were gradually expanded to include the automotive industry, medical technology, automation technology and aerospace segments. The 0.13 µm BiCMOS technology with a cut-off frequency of 300 GHz has been in use since 2008.

In December 2008 the IHP celebrated its 25th anniversary with a ceremony. With the resolution of the shareholders' meeting on December 15, 2008, the word "Leibniz" was added to the name, the IHP now officially bears the name addition Leibniz Institute for Innovative Microelectronics .

IHP Solutions GmbH

IHP Solutions GmbH was founded in August 2015 in Frankfurt (Oder) as a 100% subsidiary of the renowned research institute IHP - Leibniz Institute for Innovative Microelectronics. The core task is the technology transfer of research results - in the form of industrial projects, commercial applications and spin-offs. IHP Solutions acts as a commercial, market-oriented interface for industrial customers of the IHP with its world-leading SiGe BiCMOS technology with the associated manufacturing capacities for customer-specific ASICs .

The service portfolio of IHP Solutions includes all transfer-oriented services and ranges from the licensing of IP, development and manufacture of application-specific demo systems for specific application scenarios to the production and delivery of customer-specific ASICs. The further processing of the ASICs for direct use in products is also part of the service portfolio of IHP Solutions.

In addition, patent management services for the IHP as well as the support of researchers interested in founding a company in developing a business model and in finding investors are among the tasks of IHP Solutions.

Research and service

The IHP works on long-term research topics, combining basic research and applied research . It develops key technologies in the form of technological modules and realizes prototype applications for central areas of society.

The four research programs of the IHP are closely linked and pursue the following objectives:

  • Wireless systems and applications: Complex systems for wireless communication and their applications are investigated and developed. The goal is hardware / software system solutions on highly integrated single chips, system-on-a-chip (SoC) or system-in-packages (SiP). For high-performance WLANs, data rates of up to 100 Gbps at carrier frequencies of up to 300 GHz should be achieved in the long term  . To implement sensor networks with low energy consumption, research is being carried out into new network architectures, distributed, low-resource middleware approaches, energy-efficient media access protocols and energy-efficient transceivers . Secure wireless data transmission and wireless sensor networks to ensure security are key research goals in this program.
  • High-frequency circuits: Integrated millimeter-wave circuits and synthesizers (10 GHz to over 500 GHz for bandwidths of over 25 GHz and 100 Gbps data rate) are developed and implemented as prototypes. For fiber optic broadband communication, concepts and electronic components for fiber optic systems with data rates of 10–400 Gbps per laser wavelength are being developed. Extremely energy-saving HF - frontends and other RF components are being developed for wireless sensor networks.
  • Technology platform for wireless and broadband communication: The IHP pursues a "More than Moore " strategy of integrating additional functions into its 0.25 / 0.13 µm SiGe BiCMOS technologies. Heterobipolar transistors with a maximum oscillation frequency of 500 GHz are available, research is being carried out on 700 GHz. Important additional functionalities of the BiCMOS technology are realized through the integration of HF MEMS structures or optical components (silicon photonics).
  • Materials for micro- and nanoelectronics: The aim is to integrate innovative module concepts into the technology. For example, germanium is being researched as an alternative light source for integrated photonics or the potentials of HfO 2 -based resistance-switched RRAM memory arrays and aluminum nitride- based surface acoustic wave filters that are integrated in the backend are evaluated. Basic research and component physics of innovative graphene-based components are the focus of exploratory investigations into new materials.

A complete pilot line for integrated circuits in 0.25 µm and 0.13 µm SiGe- BiCMOS technology is available for technological developments and numerous joint research projects with industry, universities and other research institutes . Building on this, the IHP has been offering, as a research-based service, the preparation of circuits in its pilot line with its own SiGe-BiCMOS technologies as a multi-project wafer service (MPW) or for the production of small series with customer-specific wafers ( engineering Runs ).

Personnel and Financing

The IHP employs more than 300 people from 20 nations, of which around 130 are scientists (as of mid-2017). The institute is financed by a basic grant of € 21.3 million  from the federal government and the state of Brandenburg . In addition to this funding, the IHP acquires extensive third-party funding (€ 13 million in 2012) through research projects with industry and funded by the EU, the federal government, the state of Brandenburg and the DFG, as well as through research-based services.

The institute is a recognized training company. In 2010 it was recognized as a family-friendly company and received the title Total E-Quality .

In July 2017, the IHP received extensive funding of € 34.2 million from the Federal Microelectronics Research Factory Germany program, which is on a par with the Ferdinand Braun Institute from Berlin, which is also funded . A further twelve non-university research institutions are involved in this program. With a total of € 400 million, the federal government wants to “advance excellent research on microelectronics in Germany”. The main aim of the money is to network, bundle and expand research capacities and to equip them with the most modern devices in order to strengthen Germany's microelectronics location internationally. The promotion of excellence was announced by the Federal Minister Johanna Wanka and the Brandenburg Research Secretary Ulrike Gutheil .

Cooperations

The IHP maintains extensive cooperative relationships with national and international universities, research institutions and companies. Industrial cooperation partners are primarily active in the areas of communication, semiconductor technology and health. The cooperation mostly takes place within the framework of joint national and European research projects as well as when using the services of the IHP.

The IHP has been a member of the Leibniz Association since 2008 and actively cooperates in its networks such as the Transferverbund Mikroelektronik and the Netzwerk Nano.

The IHP attaches particular importance to intensive cooperation with regional companies, educational and research institutions. As a particularly close form of cooperation, the IHP works with universities and colleges in the framework of joint laboratories in which research is carried out on topics that are important to both partners. This usually involves joint appointments, teaching activities by IHP employees at universities and joint research projects.

Joint laboratories:

  • Joint Lab IHP / BTU Cottbus (since 2000): In the Joint Lab "Dependable Sensor Networks" ("Reliable Sensor Networks") research is carried out on secure networks and highly reliable IT structures that are a prerequisite for Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things.
  • Joint Lab IHP / TH Wildau (since 2006): The main research areas are the development of novel silicon-based component concepts and technologies for high-speed electronics and photonics .
  • Joint Lab IHP / TU Berlin (Silicon Photonics, since 2010): The subject of research is the connection of silicon electronics and optoelectronics to silicon photonics
  • Joint Lab IHP / TU Berlin ( bioelectronics , since 2012): In this joint laboratory, potentials from IHP and TU Berlin are brought together in order to develop innovations in the field of bioelectronics.
  • Joint Lab IHP / HU Berlin (since 2012): This Joint Lab focuses on the research and development of high-performance wireless communication systems, advanced signal processing algorithms and architectures, and model-based system design.
  • Joint Lab IHP / Poznań University of Technology (since 2014): Under the guiding principle Połączyć - Interfacing - Connect , the Joint Lab aims to bring together the competencies of both scientific institutions in student training and basic research and form the basis for joint research activities in the field of modern materials research for the Silicon microelectronics.
  • Joint Lab IHP / Sabancı University Istanbul (since 2014): The Joint Lab focuses on research into integrated circuits, components, MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems), NEMS (nano-electromechanical systems) and micro-nano-electronics.

Spin-offs

Spin-offs from research institutions are part of a strategy wanted by the federal and state governments to utilize marketable research results that have been funded from public funds. That is why the IHP is working intensively on the realization of further spin-offs.

So far (as of the end of 2016) the following companies have been spun off from the IHP:

  • Lesswire AG (founded in 1999): Lesswire offers products and solutions for the wireless transmission of data and the use of information on mobile devices in "Wireless Worlds". Lesswire AG has been part of the Prettl Group since 2006 .
  • Silicon Radar GmbH (founded 2006): Silicon Radar develops and sells highly integrated millimeter wave circuits at the highest technological level, manufactured using cost-effective silicon-germanium technology.

literature

  • Annual Report 2015 (Annual Report 2015)
  • The Leibniz Association: Yearbook 2014

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ New managing director: https://www.moz.de/artikel-ansicht/dg/0/1/1776957/
  2. ↑ a b c Jens Blankennagel: Millions for Frankfurt researchers . In: Berliner Zeitung , July 7, 2017, p. 15.
  3. ↑ Video through the clean room
  4. ↑ BTU Cottbus: Cooperation with the Brandenburg Technical University Cottbus
  5. ↑ Joint Lab IHP / TH Wildau: Joint training and research center with the Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau ( Memento of the original from June 22, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.th-wildau.de
  6. ^ Joint Lab IHP / TU Berlin: Silicon Photonics
  7. ^ Joint Lab IHP / TU Berlin: Bioelectronics
  8. ^ Cooperation with the University of Poznań
  9. ↑ German-Turkish Science Year in the press ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.deutsch-tuerkisches-wissenschaftsjahr.de
  10. ↑ Lesswire AG - leading in wireless worlds
  11. ↑ Silicon Radar GmbH: Integrated high-frequency circuits for radar applications and wireless communication