CD Laboratory for Technology Guided Electronic Component Design and Characterization

When we talk about complex smart, wirelessly networked devices, most people think of a smartphone. As in many other electronic devices, complex technologies are used here to integrate the many electronic components in three dimensions. This allows the components to be optimally connected to each other and the devices to be miniaturised by minimising the distances between them. However, this also leads to undesirable electromagnetic interactions between the individual components and even to failures in the system.

This CD Laboratory is researching ways of embedding electronic components in three dimensions while guaranteeing reliable multifunctionality.

By 2030, 500 billion devices are expected to be connected to the internet. The fact that these devices are networked and communicate wirelessly with each other is almost a matter of course these days. The supported application areas range from smart cities, smart homes, smart factories, smart grids, automated driving and healthcare to space travel.

When many devices want to communicate wirelessly at the same time, mutual interference often occurs. To avoid this, ever higher frequencies are being used. Future 5G systems will therefore increasingly use frequencies in the millimetre wave range. In addition, several transmit and receive channels will increasingly be installed simultaneously in the devices in order to ensure secure and robust data transmission. This in turn leads to a greater need for integration and miniaturisation of all electronic components. Individual components often have to take on several positions at the same time, such as an antenna that can also filter signals at the same time. However, the embedding of electronic components in carrier materials and the necessary connection technologies have largely not yet been researched. There is a lack of precise measurement methods, suitable models and efficient design strategies to accurately predict their behaviour at high frequencies and high integration density.

If electrical components are placed very close to and on top of each other, mutual interference can easily occur due to strong electromagnetic interaction. This is not only a problem with wireless networked devices; mutual interference is also a major issue in power electronics due to the high packing density of the components. On the one hand, mutual interference must not lead to reduced performance of the device, and on the other hand, interference with other devices in the vicinity must be avoided. This electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) places high demands on the underlying circuit and device design. New methods and concepts are required here in order to guarantee electromagnetic compatibility during the design phase of a device despite the high integration density.

In the new CD Laboratory for "Technology-based Design and Characterisation of Electronic Components", or "TONI" for short, new concepts and solutions for connection and integration technologies are being developed. It also includes the minimisation of unwanted electromagnetic interactions in circuit design and the associated measurement technology. New materials and innovative technologies are intended to further improve functionality. The development of new methods for broadband microwave measurements should increase the accuracy of production and automatically recognise errors in the measurement process. A simulation and design framework is being researched in order to predict electromagnetic compatibility and its effects right at the start of the development process.