The topic of chip design has developed into a central strategic competence at the Fraunhofer EMFT in recent years. In order to further optimise its R&D portfolio, the Munich-based institute will cooperate closely with Prof. Dr.-Ing. Rainer Holmer from OTH Regensburg in the future. Such close research cooperation with a Fraunhofer Institute is a special honour for a university of applied sciences and underlines OTH Regensburg's high level of expertise in this field. The focus of the collaboration is on test development in the field of chips and systems, in which Prof Holmer will provide significant new impetus. For OTH Regensburg, this intensification of the cooperation that began in 2024 marks a further milestone in positioning Eastern Bavaria as a strong location in the global semiconductor industry.
The advancing miniaturisation and ever higher integration density of semiconductors are increasing the demands on the quality and reliability of chips, especially in safety-critical areas such as the automotive industry and medical technology. In this context, the implementation of automated test processes enables significantly reduced test times and increased test coverage at the same time. This is particularly relevant in series production, where efficiency and cost reduction are of the utmost importance.
Prof. Dr Rainer Holmer is a recognised expert in the field of test development with extensive experience in the semiconductor industry. In leading positions at Siemens and Infineon Technologies, he has played a key role in the development and optimisation of semiconductor test programmes. He has been teaching at OTH Regensburg since 2015 and, as Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, brings valuable knowledge and perspectives to academic education.
OTH Regensburg is a project partner of the ‘Bavarian Chip Design Centre’
OTH Regensburg is one of five university project partners involved in the ‘Bavarian Chip Design Centre (BCDC)’ project funded by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, which is also being led by Fraunhofer EMFT (together with Fraunhofer AISEC and Fraunhofer IIS). The official handover of the associated funding decision took place in January 2024. Prof Dr Holmer is also a member of the advisory board of the Bavarian Chips Alliance. ‘I am delighted that our research expertise and close cooperation with the regional semiconductor industry are helping to establish OTH Regensburg and the whole of Eastern Bavaria as strong partners in chip development,’ says Prof. Dr Rainer Holmer.
The new co-operation will focus primarily on the development of innovative technologies and solutions for semiconductor testing. The planned activities include parametric and functional verification, characterisation, qualification and productive testing of discrete semiconductor devices as well as integrated circuits and systems at wafer and device level. Other focal points are design for testability, test development, test optimisation (e.g. with regard to test time and test costs) and test automation.
"We will utilise the resulting research potential to acquire and successfully implement R&D contracts from industry. The close networking with industry in the Regensburg region and in eastern Bavaria offers us an ideal basis for quickly bringing the jointly developed solutions to market," says Prof. Dr Amelie Hagelauer, Director of the Fraunhofer EMFT.
University strengthens the region's competitiveness through cooperation
"The cooperation with Fraunhofer EMFT emphasises the role of OTH Regensburg as a driver of innovation in the semiconductor industry of the future. Thanks to the great commitment of Dean Prof. Dr Holmer, we are making important scientific contributions and strengthening the region's competitiveness," says Prof. Dr Ralph Schneider, President of OTH Regensburg.
In addition, the knowledge gained will also provide valuable input for the research activities of Fraunhofer EMFT as part of the new APECS pilot line: Prof. Holmer and his newly founded research team at Fraunhofer EMFT will develop a holistic test strategy for the post-silicon verification, characterisation and productive testing of 2.5/3D heterogeneously integrated systems and implement it on a professional test system.
In particular, this will give future customers of the pilot line the opportunity to access a professional, adapted test strategy alongside the developments in the field of highly integrated radar modules on flexible interposers and ultrasonic sensor technology in order to be able to offer innovations in these areas to the market quickly and with the necessary reliability. This will make a decisive contribution to strengthening European value creation.
