From Research to Application: Projects at Fraunhofer EMFT

In the CFP project, Fraunhofer EMFT, Fraunhofer IZM, and Yamagata University are developing novel chip foil packages for flexible electronics. Together, they are working on materials, interconnection technologies, and an end-to-end process chain to reliably integrate electronic functions into soft, curved, or flexible surfaces. The goal is to create chip foil packages less than 150 micrometers thick that can be manufactured efficiently and sustainably in high volumes and used in medicine, industry, mobility, and other fields of application.

With the foundation of Munich Quantum Valley (MQV) in 2022, seven leading research institutions in Bavaria, including the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, have committed themselves to an ambitious goal: Building the first German quantum computer with up to 1000 qubits “made in Bavaria”. The partners are working on realizing full-stack quantum-computer demonstrators, remotely accessible to researchers and industry. Within this framework, Fraunhofer EMFT researchers are contributing their engineering expertise to enable scaling and industrialization of the qubit platform based on superconducting qubits.

28 European research partners aim at designing, building and operating a quantum processor of up to 1000 qubits in Europe. As part of the project, Fraunhofer EMFT is providing the development of new fabrication processes for qubit chips, which will facilitate chip manufacturing on an industrial scale for commercial use in the future.

In the EU research project SUPREME, 23 partners from 8 member states are pooling their expertise to advance the development of stable manufacturing processes for superconducting quantum chips. The R&D activities specifically address the challenges related to the stability and yield of qubits – crucial factors for the scaling of quantum technologies and thus for Europe’s competitiveness in the global quantum hardware market.

The research project »Velektronik - Vertrauenswürdige Elektronik (ZEUS)« of the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF), aims to establish a networking platform for trusted electronics as an interface between research and industry.

The semiconductor industry and manufacturers of electronic components and systems test their products carefully to ensure that they function flawlessly. An important aspect is the tolerance of chips to ESD (electrostatic discharge). Fraunhofer EMFT and High Power Pulse Instruments GmbH (HPPI) have jointly developed a 2-pin test system that offers many advantages to the semiconductor industry.

Microrelative movements can lead to crack formation and crack growth in press-fit connections. Together with the Institute of Materials Engineering and the Institute of Drive and Vehicle Technology, both at the University of Kassel, Fraunhofer EMFT researchers are working on a suitable accelerating model to better understand how these undesirable effects occur.

Press-fit technology provides an innovative connection method which, due to its high reliability and robustness, is particularly suitable for safety-relevant connection points. Another advantage is that the method is much more eco-friendly than the soldering technique most commonly used to date. A Fraunhofer EMFT research team is working on a predictive model that relates easily accessible material/process data to the reliability of press-fit contacts.

Whether in automobiles – especially in the context of autonomous driving – or future industrial manufacturing: plugs and electrical connection technologies have a key role to play in digital networking. They are the main interface between machines, control units and data processing systems and so they provide the basis for the functionality, simple handling and reliability of automation technology.

In the PCB direct contacting research project (T-1753), Fraunhofer EMFT investigated PCB direct contacting systems for highly reliable mechatronic and drive technology applications. The aim was to evaluate commercially available systems in terms of technical performance, reliability and economic suitability under realistic environmental and stress conditions.