Fraunhofer IPMS will showcase new semiconductor technologies at SEMICON Europa 2026 in Munich, highlighting advances in chiplet integration, photonics and energy-efficient memory. The developments aim to improve system performance while reducing power consumption and supporting more flexible chip manufacturing. For European semiconductor companies, the work offers new opportunities to combine specialized chip technologies and access industry-oriented pilot lines. It also highlights how EU-backed research infrastructure can help bridge the gap between laboratory developments and commercial manufacturing. Advanced packaging and chiplet integration A major focus will be the European APECS pilot line, part of the Chips for Europe Initiative under the EU Chips Act. Led by Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD) and European partners, APECS aims to give industry access to advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration technologies. Fraunhofer IPMS is developing 2.5D integration processes that connect multiple chiplets through high-density interposers. This approach allows logic, memory, sensors and other components to be manufactured separately before being combined into compact, high-performance systems. The institute has also reached a milestone in Quasi-Monolithic Integration (QMI), demonstrating the embedding of chiplets into specially structured pockets within silicon wafers. The process enables wafer-level interconnections while retaining the flexibility of modular chip designs. “Future semiconductor systems will increasingly rely on the interaction of specialized components. The key challenge is to efficiently integrate chiplets, for example with memory or photonic functions, while validating the required processes under industry-relevant conditions. Back-end process technologies are also being introduced into the front-end fabrication of highly complex chips. Together, these advances can enable powerful yet energy-efficient systems,” says Prof. Wenke Weinreich, Director of Fraunhofer IPMS. Photonics targets sensing and computing Fraunhofer IPMS will also present its silicon nitride (SiN) photonics platform, developed for 200 mm and 300 mm wafers. The technology offers extremely low optical losses across wavelengths ranging from visible light to the mid-infrared. Potential applications include photonic biosensors, optical computing, quantum technologies and hybrid electronic-photonic systems. CMOS-compatible manufacturing processes could help bring these technologies into high-volume semiconductor production. Ferroelectric memory cuts power consumption Another highlight is the institute’s hafnium oxide-based ferroelectric memory technology, including non-volatile FRAM and FeFET devices. Operating at voltages below 1 V with nanosecond switching times, these memories target embedded systems, intelligent sensors and edge AI applications requiring fast, low-power data storage. Fraunhofer IPMS is providing external partners with access to technology platforms, design kits, fabrication services and device characterization. The institute’s developments span the APECS and FAMES European pilot lines, supporting the transfer of advanced semiconductor technologies into industrial applications. The post Fraunhofer IPMS advances chiplet integration and low-power memory appeared first on eeNews Europe .