The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering (IOF), also referred to as the Fraunhofer IOF, is an institute of the Fraunhofer Society for the Advancement of Applied Research (FHG). The institute is based in

Jena Jena () is a German city and the second largest city in Thuringia. Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 inhabitants, while the city itself has a po ...

. Its activities are attributed to applied research and development in the branch of

natural sciences Natural science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer review and repeatab ...

in the field of

optics Optics is the branch of physics that studies the behaviour and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behaviour of visible, ultrav ...

and

precision engineering Precision engineering is a subdiscipline of electrical engineering, software engineering, electronics engineering, mechanical engineering, and optical engineering concerned with designing machines, fixtures, and other structures that have exce ...

. The institute was founded in 1992.

Research and development

Building upon the experience of the Jena region in the field of surface and thin film technologies for optics, the Fraunhofer IOF conducts research and development in the area of optical systems aiming at enhancing the control of light – from its generation and manipulation to its actual use. The combination of competences in the areas of optics and precision engineering is particularly important. The focuses also result in the department structure: * Opto-mechanical System Design * Micro and Nano-structured Optics * Opto-mechatronical Components and Systems * Precision Optical Components and Systems * Functional Optical Surfaces and Layers * Laser- and Fiber Technology * Imaging and Sensing * Emerging Technologies * see also:

thin film A thin film is a layer of material ranging from fractions of a nanometer ( monolayer) to several micrometers in thickness. The controlled synthesis of materials as thin films (a process referred to as deposition) is a fundamental step in many ...

technology, surface physics,

microstructure Microstructure is the very small scale structure of a material, defined as the structure of a prepared surface of material as revealed by an optical microscope above 25× magnification. The microstructure of a material (such as metals, polymers ...

technology, nanotechnology, micro-optics, measurement technology, quantum technology

CMN-Optics

In July 2006, the Fraunhofer IOF opened the Center for Advanced Micro- and Nano-Optics (CMN-Optics). The core of the facility is the SB350-OS

electron beam lithography Electron-beam lithography (often abbreviated as e-beam lithography, EBL) is the practice of scanning a focused beam of electrons to draw custom shapes on a surface covered with an electron-sensitive film called a resist (exposing). The electron ...

system. This device, also known as an "electron beam recorder", allows minimal structure sizes in the range of 50 nm with a high accuracy on substrate sizes up to 300 mm. The center is operated jointly with the Institute for Applied Physics (IAP) of the

Friedrich Schiller University of Jena The University of Jena, officially the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (german: Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, abbreviated FSU, shortened form ''Uni Jena''), is a public research university located in Jena, Thuringia, Germany. The un ...

. The facility is also used by the Institute for Photonic Technologies (IPHT), Jena. The facility cost twelve million euros and was financed by the European Union, the Free State of Thuringia and the Fraunhofer Society.

Cooperations

In 2003, the Fraunhofer Society concluded a cooperation agreement with the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena. It is the basis for collaboration between Fraunhofer IOF staff and the staff of the Institute of Applied Physics at the University of Jena. The aim of the cooperation is to provide practical training for the students, to improve the implementation of research results into practice and to share the high-quality equipment and infrastructures of both institutions.

Infrastructure

At the end of 2020, Fraunhofer IOF had almost 330 employees, most of whom are scientists and technicians. The operating budget for the Fraunhofer IOF was EUR 51,5 million in the 2020 financial year. The Fraunhofer IOF has been headed by Andreas Tünnermann since 2003, who is also Director of the Institute of Applied Physics at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena.Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Andreas Tünnermann
- Official website of Institute of Applied Physics, Jena The institute has excellently equipped laboratories on an area of 3830 m² plus 1115 m² clean room (ISO class 1 - ISO class 7), a mechanics workshop meeting the highest demands as well as a test field for extensive testing and demonstration purposes. In the years 2002 and 2013 expansion facilities were built on the

Beutenberg Campus The Beutenberg Campus is a science and research site situated in southern Jena, Germany. The physician Hans Knöll founded the first biomedical research institute at Beutenberg in 1950. From 1970, it was run as the Central Institute of Microbiolo ...

in Jena. In 2017 a fiber technology center was inaugurated at Fraunhofer IOF, which includes new special laboratories for the production of active and passive micro- and nanostructured optical fibers and one of the world's most powerful fiber drawing towers.25th institute anniversary: Fraunhofer IOF opens new fiber technology center in Jena
Fraunhofer IOF (Press Release, July 5, 2017)

Awards

German Future Prize The German Future Prize award is considered one of the most prestigious conferred for science and innovation Innovation is the practical implementation of ideas that result in the introduction of new goods or services or improvement in offer ...

2007 In cooperation with the semi-conductor manufacturer company Osram Opto Semiconductors from Regensburg, researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute in Jena, headed by Andreas Bräuer, received the German Future Prize worth EUR 250,000 on December 6. Their innovation consisted of improved chips, packages and a special optical system that enable more powerful light-emitting diodes.Osram LED researchers win German Future Prize 2007
(LEDs Magazine, Dec 7, 2007) *

2013 Stefan Nolte from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering (IOF) and

Friedrich Schiller University Jena The University of Jena, officially the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (german: Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, abbreviated FSU, shortened form ''Uni Jena''), is a public research university located in Jena, Thuringia, Germany. The un ...

were together with Jens König ( Robert Bosch GmbH) and Dirk Sutter (Trumpf Lasers) awarded for their work with ultra-short pulse lasers on December 4, 2013. Ultrafast laser team wins German Future Prize.
(optics.org, Dec 5, 2013)
German Future Prize 2013. Fraunhofer Society (Press Release, Dec 10, 2013) *

2020 For their project "EUV Lithography - New Light for the Digital Age", the team of experts led by Sergiy Yulin (Fraunhofer IOF), Peter Kürz (ZEISS Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology (SMT) division), and Michael Kösters (TRUMPF Lasersystems for Semiconductor Manufacturing) was awarded the prize for technology and innovation.

References

External links

Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering (IOF)
- Official website {{authority control 1992 establishments in Germany Engineering research institutes Fraunhofer Society Laboratories in Germany Organizations established in 1992 Robotics organizations Scientific organisations based in Germany