Microelectronics research at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

The Karlsruhe Microelectronics Research Laboratory for High-Frequency System Manufacturing Technologies develops digital manufacturing technologies and innovative concepts for the assembly and connection technology of high-frequency electronic and photonic circuits. It is located at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).

In order to advance the integration of such circuits, the scientists led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Zwick are looking for new possibilities. For this reason, they are researching printed packaging solutions, for example. These enable cost-effective and rapid prototype production and can also be scaled to small and medium series.

The researchers are combining equipment for additive and maskless deposition and structuring processes to create a flexible printing platform. This allows the electronic and photonic connections between semiconductor ICs and other components to be realized with high performance in the smallest possible space. This novel assembly and connection technology enables the cost-effective manufacture of compact modules from semiconductor ICs up to the terahertz range and at optical frequencies.

With their work at ForLab DiFeMiS, the researchers aim to close a current gap in the field of RF packaging. This opens up new opportunities for many small and medium-sized companies to develop more efficient and cost-effective products. This could be of great interest, for example, for sensor technology based on radar or lidar technology. These are required in industrial automation in a wide variety of designs, each in medium quantities.