Fields of Research and Activity at the IGM

The traditionally most important activity at the IGM focuses on the research and development of processes for the implementation of thin film transistors and the derived circuits and transistor matrices (back planes) for high resolution flat panel displays. Currently, the IGM can produce transistors using amorphous silicon (a-SI:H), poly-crystalline silicon (LTPS), indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) and organic semiconductors (OTFT) technologies. Additional activities focus on printed electronics and sensors.

A second focus at the IGM lies in the implementation of opto-electronically active components, such as liquid crystal cells and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). In addition to conventional and wide-spread types of liquid crystal cells (TN, VA, IPS) and OLEDs that dominate the display market for tvs and smartphones, the IGM is also researching more exotic optical effects such as ferro-electric liquid crystals for bistabile displays and polarized light emitting OLEDs.

The prototypes developed at the IGM have to be able to communicate with other electronic systems. Displays require a signal to display, sensors have to be read out and their data has to be processed. This requires specific control circuits that are developed at the IGM, often in the form of student research.

The predecessor of the IGM had a decades long history of research on the sythesis of electronic filters. The IGM is using the expertise in those classic methods of filter synthesis to develop optical thin film filters.

Additional activitied focus on coherent optical signal processing and synthetic holography.

While traditional MEMS are based on small elements implemented on mono-crystalline silicon chips, the IGM is working on the research and development of MEMS using technologies from large area microelectronics. Current research includes purely electromechanical displays and phase shifting devices for synthetic holography.