Press Releases

The Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems IMS and Ruhr University Bochum have developed a process that enables a new form of signal amplification for diagnostic tests. Through the advanced use of luminescent single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) in bioanalytics, test procedures can be carried out more sensitively, quickly and cheaply. The sensors can be used for enzymatic processes. Their adaptability to different reaction conditions opens up a wide range of applications for standard methods such as ELISAs (Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay). The results were published on 15 December 2023 in the journal »Angewandte Chemie International Edition« and open up new possibilities for improving diagnostic procedures and saving detection agents.

Within the project »KoVit - Contactless vital signs recording for an objective follow-up of post-Covid to support medical diagnostics« , the Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems IMS is working with the Department of Infectiology at Essen Uni-versity Hospital, Fimo Health GmbH and MedEcon Ruhr GmbH to sustainably improve the lives of post-COVID patients. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Educa-tion and Research (BMBF) as part of the »Hybrid Interaction Systems for Maintaining Health Even in Exceptional Situations (HIS)« program and will run from September 2023 to August 2024.

Independence from fossil fuels and the switch to regenerative energy sources require extensive electrification of production and mobility. This increases the need for compact, energy-efficient, and reliable power electronics. In the PowerCare project , novel vertical gallium nitride power semiconductors as well as real-time failure models are developed and used in a motor drive. Here, PowerCare takes a new approach to the monitoring concept by using a miniaturized motor controller with integrated AI failure prediction. The project thus lays the foundation for the next evolutionary stage of intelligent, sustainable power modules.

The transport of tomorrow will not only be autonomous — it will also be comfortable and safe. The Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems IMS presents AI algorithms that massively improve transportation safety and comfort. To achieve this, optical sensors record vital signs, such as heart and respiratory rates. This data is processed by specially developed AI algorithms. The algorithms are modular and easy to integrate into cars and existing systems. They offer entirely new measurement options for car manufacturers. This development is supported by the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP), which requires the installation of internal cameras in vehicles.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems IMS, together with its partner, has been selected by the ZukunftBIO.NRW program to carry out the InfektoFlex project. From April 2023 to May 2025, this project will develop a modular and rapidly adaptable platform for the diagnosis of dangerous pathogens to improve pandemic preparedness and response. To this end, engineered recognition structures, known as clickmers, will be combined as determinants with carbon nanotubes as optical sensors. In this way, the diagnostic functionality can be validated and the transferability to several relevant pathogens can be demonstrated. The required expertise and technology development are covered in this project by the company ClickmerSystems GmbH and by the Fraunhofer IMS, so that at the end of the project a solution close to the market can be expected.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems IMS has upgraded its LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) camera TinyOwl to 3072 pixels. A 3D integration has been technologically enhanced by Fraunhofer IMS for the SPAD-based (Single-Photon-Avalanche-Diode) camera demo. The advanced camera is particularly robust and can ensure accurate image capture even under harsh weather conditions or machine-induced vibration.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Microelectronic Circuits and Systems IMS develops a compiler for efficient hardware implementations of AI algorithms in the EU project CLEVER.

The Fraunhofer IMS welcomes a new member to its RISC-V processor product family AIRISC - the AIRISC-SAFETY. The AIRISC-SAFETY has been successfully certified as »ASIL-D ready« (automotive safety integrity level) by TÜV SGS according to ISO 26262 and is now ready for the market. The certification means that industrial customers directly receive a safety element including a manual and can thus incorporate the AIRISC-SAFETY into their own chips as a basic element for functional safety. The TÜV certificate for the AIRISC-SAFETY was already awarded in December 2022.

Double power for a German microelectronics ecosystem: We are pleased to announce together with FMD - Forschungsfabrik Mikroelektronik Deutschland that the projects FMD-QNC and the Microelectronics Academy have officially started. In the FMD-QNC project, Fraunhofer IMS provides tools to advance next-generation chip design in the quantum domain. FMD-QNC is as much an important part of the »European Chips Act« as the Microelectronics Academy. For the implementation of a national chip design ecosystem, the Fraunhofer IMS has already announced the start of the competence center CHIPS.NRW in May, which establishes an academy in chip design in North Rhine-Westphalia with various universities and companies from the region.

Intelligent power switches with the RISC-V processor AIRISC, predictive maintenance with embedded AI, RFID in metallic environments or LiDAR for 3D environment recognition – at SPS, Fraunhofer IMS presents a wide range of applications for safer and more sustainable production conditions. From November 8 to 10, you can get to know the demonstrators and exhibits in hall 7A at booth 524 at the Nuremberg Exhibition Center.