Successful Cooperation with Tohoku University Sendai is being continued

Chemnitz /

During a festive ceremony on December 17, 2018, the continuative contract between Tohoku University Sendai, one of the Excellence Universities in Japan, and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft for the continuation of the Fraunhofer ENAS Project Center “NEMS/MEMS devices and manufacturing technologies at Tohoku University” was signed.

The signing ceremony was attended by President Prof. Ohno, Prof. Aoki, Prof. Kotani, Prof. Esashi, Prof. Tanaka, Prof. Ikeda, Prof. Froemel, and Prof. Nguyen from Tohoku University as well as on the part of Fraunhofer by Prof. Otto, Dr. Wiemer, Prof. Streiter, and Mr. Hayashida. The long-standing and successful cooperation between the Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS and Tohoku University will be continued. During the new contract term, the research focusses on:

  • MEMS sensors and actuators (e.g. acoustic, optical, and inertial MEMS)
  • Bonding technologies for chip- and wafer level packaging (e. g. permanent and temporary as well as low temperature wafer bonding technologies)
  • Bonding by using nano scale effects and innovative materials
  • Mechanical and structural properties of micro structures made from sputtered amorphous metal
  • Deposition and integration of magnetic materials for MEMS applications
  • Thin film encapsulation technologies

During the ceremony, various topics were addressed: Prof. Otto gave a talk about “Smart Systems Integration by using micro and nano technologies at Fraunhofer ENAS”, Prof. Nguyen spoke on the “Development of thin film metallic glass for MEMS microphone” and Dr. Wiemer lectured about “Low-Temperature Particle- and Printing Based Wafer Level Bonding Processes”. Moreover, the previous head Prof. Esashi did a “Review of Fraunhofer Project Center at Tohoku University”.

By signing the new contract, the baton was officially handed over to Prof. Kotani, Prof. Frömel (both from Tohoku University Sendai), Prof. Otto and Dr. Wiemer (both Fraunhofer ENAS).

The Project Center

FPC is targeting on research and development in the field of smart systems integration by using micro and nanotechnologies and implementing newest material knowledge. With its orientation toward smart systems integration, the FPC addresses the challenges of a digitized world, the internet of things as well as industry 4.0 and hence, global challenges in Japan and Germany such as an aging population and society 5.0 as well.

History

For more than 15 years, scientists from Fraunhofer ENAS and Chemnitz University of Technology cooperate closely with partners from Tohoku University in Sendai. Since 2008, a research group, which was previously managed by Prof. Dr. Thomas Geßner, the former Director of Fraunhofer ENAS and the Center for Microtechnologies at Chemnitz University of Technology, conducted research under the Japanese Excellence Initiative WPI-AIMR. In 2012, the Fraunhofer Project Center “NEMS/MEMS Devices and Manufacturing Technologies at Tohoku University” was established. Since then, joint research and development, education and technology transfer are pursued. Initially, the heads of the Fraunhofer Project Center were Prof. Dr. Thomas Geßner, Prof. Dr. Masayoshi Esashi and Prof. Dr. Shuji Tanaka from Tohoku University.

Tohoku University

Tohoku University was founded in 1907 as the third Imperial University of Japan. Even from the very beginning, it displayed to the world a commitment to an “Open Door” policy. This policy has contributed to producing a large number of notable research achievements and outstanding scholars, including Nobel Prizes in 2002, 2007 and 2011. The Tohoku University is a leading research-intensive university and has a worldwide-recognized strength in materials engineering and science. The university is comprised of 10 undergraduate faculties, 16 graduate schools, 3 professional graduate schools, 6 research institutes, 13 research centers and a university hospital. As of May 2012, there were about 6000 faculty and staff members as well as approximately 18,000 students.

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