At the most general level, photonics is understood as the interdisciplinary employment of light to benefit people*. Applications for photonic development projects range from the generation of electrical power and efficient LED lighting, to telecommunication and sensors, right through to futuristic computer equipment based on pure optical chips. Fraunhofer IZM develops technologies for packages, modules, PCBs and systems that meet these challenges. Our approach is adapting established microelectronic techniques like wafer-level testing and packaging, conventional assembly techniques, surface-mount technology and self-aligning processes to optoelectronics using standard equipment. These technologies are combined with microoptic packaging techniques and planar optical waveguide structuring in glass and polymer substrates or optical fiber technology (GOF, POF, PBF) with high-frequency and microwave techniques that are reliable and can be automated. The ongoing development of our expertise, currently focused on solid-state lighting, silicon photonics and microwave photonics, ensures we are a capable partner in challenging projects.

* French physicist Pierre Aigrain in 1967

• Solid State Lighting
• Data Communication
• Sensor Technology
  
• Photovoltaics (generation of electrical energy)
• Silicon Photonics