Free State of Saxony Supports New Semiconductor Test and Reliability Center in Chemnitz with European Union Funds

v.l.n.r. Sebastian Gemkow (links, Sächsischer Staatsminister für Wissenschaft, Kultur und Tourismus), Prof. Dr. Harald Kuhn (Institutsleiter, Fraunhofer-Institut für Elektronische Nanosysteme ENAS) und Thomas Schmidt (Sächsischer Staatsminister für Regionalentwicklung). © Fraunhofer ENAS / From left to right: Sebastian Gemkow (left, Saxon State Minister for Science, Culture, and Tourism), Prof. Dr. Harald Kuhn (Director, Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS), and Thomas Schmidt (Saxon State Minister for Regional Development) © Fraunhofer ENAS

The Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS in Chemnitz will receive 9.51 million euros from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the "Just Transition Fund" (JTF) for the establishment of a modern competence center for the testing and reliability evaluation of semiconductor product.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS in Chemnitz has reached an important milestone. The Saxon State Minister for Science, Culture and Tourism, Sebastian Gemkow, today presented Prof. Dr. Harald Kuhn, Director of the Fraunhofer ENAS, in the presence of the Saxon State Minister for Regional Development, Thomas Schmidt, the two approval documents for the new competence center, which will advance the testing and reliability evaluation of semiconductors. The investment is supported with 9.51 million euros from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Just Transition Fund (JTF). The funds will make an important contribution to increasing the economic attractiveness of Saxony as a business location and to securing European independence in semiconductor production.

The "Test and Reliability Center" (TRC) will cover research and development in the field of testing and reliability assessment of semiconductor devices as a strategic activity of the European Union. This is particularly important as the latest semiconductor chips and systems are becoming increasingly complex and therefore require new and innovative test and reliability methods. In addition, test and reliability data have become an important source for further optimization of semiconductor production.

"In addition, the capacity for semiconductor testing in Europe is limited; service providers are mostly located in Asia. Our new test center in Chemnitz, near the region's semiconductor manufacturers, bundles important test and reliability expertise, trains tomorrow's specialists and enables regional test and reliability service providers to locate here. This will cover the entire value chain in Saxony and Europe and provide it with sustainable support in the form of research, well-trained scientists and skilled workers," says Prof. Harald Kuhn.

Science Minister Sebastian Gemkow said: "With the TRC, Europe is taking its test capacities for domestic chip research and industry to a new level. Important development steps towards the next generation of chips can be taken here in Saxony. Fraunhofer ENAS works at the interface between basic research and industry-oriented application research. In combination with the training of specialists at Chemnitz University of Technology, an important link in Saxony's semiconductor value chain is being strengthened.”

As Saxony's representative in the European Committee of the Regions, Minister of State Thomas Schmidt has been following the semiconductor issue in Brussels for years: "As the Committee of the Regions' rapporteur on the European chip law, I have been closely involved in the discussion. The aim is to make Europe less dependent on semiconductor production in Asia or North America. This includes not only new chip factories, but also the entire chain from development to production and, of course, quality assurance. I am therefore very pleased that this funding will strengthen an area that has been underrepresented up to now and will now further increase the attractiveness of Silicon Saxony as the largest semiconductor cluster in Europe. I am sure that Fraunhofer ENAS will be able to make a significant contribution to this.”

The Fraunhofer ENAS in Chemnitz has many years of experience in thermo-mechanical reliability testing of electronic systems. Together with the Chemnitz University of Technology as a project partner, the institute is now starting to build up the new "Test and Reliability Center". Together, the expertise in the field of test and reliability at module, chip and wafer level will be gradually built up and expanded for research and development purposes.

The next step is to develop test and inspection methods for demonstrators, pilots and low-volume production and make them available to companies at a low threshold. The TRC will focus on testing in the areas of high-performance electronics, photonics and quantum technologies, as well as sensors and actuators, magnetostriction and the development of a test data infrastructure. The TRC is aimed at test equipment manufacturers, semiconductor companies, and innovative small and medium-sized companies in the semiconductor industry, which will gain access to experimental test capabilities through the TRC.

In parallel, the TRC will continue to research new test methods. The TRC will thus close the European gap in the competence area of testing and reliability evaluation of semiconductor components. In addition to research and transfer activities, the TRC will also contribute to the training of specialists. The new course "Design and Test for Integrated Circuits" will start in October 2024 at the Chemnitz University of Technology to train the urgently needed junior staff for the semiconductor industry.