Fraunhofer IIS, one of Europe’s leading IC design facilities, located in Erlangen, Germany, and RoodMicrotec, an independent value-added service provider in the area of micro and optoelectronics for Fabless Companies and OEMs, will combine their experience, know-how, equipment and highly skilled staff to provide their customers with a more efficient and complete supply chain solution from concept through all processes of design, manufacture, assembly, electrical test, qualification and finally delivery of the end-product ready for volume production.

“Fraunhofer IIS has a proven track record as a technology and foundry independent design facility and offers access to Multi Project Wafer fabrication as well as to single die tooling with ams AG, IHP and GlobalFoundries”, says Philip Nijenhuis, CEO of RoodMicrotec. “Based on this cooperation, we are able to offer all services required to work from a specification or a design through to fully tested ICs to ASIC users, Fabless Companies (fabless design houses) and IP providers.” Fraunhofer IIS works on advanced ASIC and IP solutions in a broad range of technologies. It has long-term business partnerships with ams AG and IHP Microelectronics and access to other world class foundries such as XFab and TowerJazz. Fraunhofer IIS also acts as GlobalFoundries channel partner.

“In times when ASIC suppliers and foundries tend to concentrate on key customers with very high volumes it is important also to provide easy access to ASICs for start-ups and companies with lower volumes”, explains Josef Sauerer, Head of the Department for Integrated Circuits and Systems at Fraunhofer IIS. “RoodMicrotec complements our service portfolio. Together, we can provide our customers with fully qualified and tested ICs in any volume.” RoodMicrotec is an established supply chain service provider that is strong in engineering, test, qualification & failure analysis capabilities. Using state-of-the-art equipment for test and qualification, it has a wide range of experience in industrial, automotive, medical and aerospace solutions. It also partners with IMEC, EMPA, Nanoscope and Nanophysics.

This partnership will not only help Fraunhofer IIS and RoodMicrotec to expand their service portfolio but will also meet customer demand in many application areas.