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System on Chip design resources
System on Chip design resources
May 21, 2026 -
Breakthrough in chip production: As part of the European pilot line APECS, the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS has developed a method that fuses various chip components almost seamlessly into a single unit. By precisely embedding small chiplets in special silicon pockets, it has been possible for the first time to combine the advantages of a compact single chip with the flexibility of modular systems. This success proves the feasibility of so-called quasi-monolithic integration (QMI) and closes the gap between classic chip packaging and state-of-the-art semiconductor production.
The increasing demands on complexity, computing power and system compactness call for radically new approaches in semiconductor production. The vision of future-proof microelectronics envisages systems that are as powerful as a single chip but offer the flexibility of a modular system. Within APECS, the pilot line for “Advanced Packaging and Heterogeneous Integration for Electronic Components and Systems”, Fraunhofer IPMS is therefore pursuing the approach of quasi-monolithic integration (QMI): The aim is to combine different chip components such as control electronics, sensors or micro-electromechanical components (MEMS) at wafer level so efficiently that the advantages of a compact single chip are retained.
Researchers at Fraunhofer IPMS have now successfully demonstrated the first critical milestone of the QMI roadmap. “The basis of QMI are silicon wafers with structured recesses (pockets). Dummy chiplets were inserted into these so-called pocket wafers for the first time and the surface was leveled with a passivation layer for the subsequent backend-of-line wiring,” explains Dr. Lukas Lorenz, group manager at Fraunhofer IPMS. “This creates an almost monolithic system architecture that combines maximum integration density with modular expandability.” This success paves the way for the industrial maturity of the entire process chain for future industrial applications.