Where research meets science: the »IMTEK Research Day«

On Monday, 9th of December, the Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK) of the University of Freiburg held its annual Research Day.

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Scientists of Fraunhofer IAF discuss their latest results.

At the »IMTEK Research Day«, participants have the chance to exchange information about the department’s research activities and their latest research findings. The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF was represented by presentations on the fields of optoelectronics and compound semiconductor microsystems.

Following the motto »Visions become reality«, scientists at IMTEK develop and realize new ideas for applications in the areas of Energy Autonomous Microsystems, Smart Systems Integration, Lab-on-Chip and Medical Microsystems or Optical Systems. With 120 posters from 19 different research fields, the scientists gave an overview of their research activities and presented their latest findings. Also researchers from Fraunhofer IAF informed about their projects.

The research field optoelectronics was represented by the presentation of projects for the development of lasers and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). One research group showed results of a cochlea-implant, in which LEDs function like a light organ to activate the neurons of the internal ear. Just recently, the scientists succeeded in developing an implant of 1 cm length and ¼ mm width, containing 100 individually controllable LEDs.

To pursue the aim of developing a compact short-pulse laser system, blue and violet LEDs were integrated in an external resonator for the first time by a further IAF research group. This external resonator allows extremely short pulses with a pulse interval below one picosecond. Furthermore, scientists are working on epitactically grown layers for green LEDs, in which the lattice constant of the gallium nitride-substrate is adjusted to that of the InGaN-quantum film. To inform about this project, the scientists presented results of a photoluminescence-spectroscopy with a high spatial resolution of partially relaxed layers. The focus of this spectroscopy was set on interactions between obstructions and restraints.

One of the highlights presented by the research field of compound semiconductor microsystems was the outcome of a study, confirming the high potential of oscillating nano-diamond spheres for high frequency filters. Furthermore, scientists from this research field presented a recently developed broadband amplifier for the mobile communication. This amplifier is characterized by its high efficiency.

For the scientists themselves, the Research Day offers a chance to exchange information about latest findings. For Andreas Steffen, who is working on his Master thesis at Fraunhofer IAF, it was particularly interesting to see how many different research activities are being pursued at IMTEK . Andreas Steffen himself presented the development of an optical gas-sensor based on lll/V-semiconductors. »The special feature of this sensor is that both the stimulation and the detection are carried out optically«, explained Steffen during his poster presentation.

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