FBH - History & Development

Selected key data on the development of the FBH:

2024

• Patrick Scheele becomes Scientific Managing Director of the Institute on January 1, 2024.
• The tenth Joint Lab has been launched, and the second with BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg: Joint Lab Electromagnetic Fields.
• With the pilot line for “Advanced Packaging and Heterogeneous Integration for Electronic Components and Systems” (APECS ), FBH is not only expanding its collaboration with FMD. APECS is an important cornerstone of the EU Chips Act to promote chiplet innovations and increase research and production capacities for semiconductors in Europe.

2023

• after 28 years of leading the Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Günther Tränkle is leaving for a well-deserved retirement

2022

• Karin-Irene Eiermann becomes new Administrative Managing Director and forms the dual leadership of FBH gGmbH with Scientific Managing Director Günther Tränkle since September
• 370 employees

2021

• Transformation into a gGmbH, a 100% subsidiary of the State of Berlin
• Commissioning of the 2. cleanroom. Within the framework of the Research Fab Microelectronics Germany state-of-the-art equipment is now available
• FBH's ninth Joint Lab, the Joint Lab Photonic Quantum Technologies is launched

2020

• Since 2018, FBH has been expanding its technological base of the Application Laboratory III/V Components for Laser Technology and Electronics. A second cleanroom is being set up
• Eighth FBH Joint Lab started with the University of Duisburg-Essen - aiming at innovative materials and components for terahertz electronics

2019

• In January, the new research area Integrated Quantum Technology was launched - with further Joint Labs with HU Berlin
• The Innovation Campus Electronics and Microsensors Cottbus starts, with FBH involved in five subprojects
• 310 employees

2017

• In March BeamXpert, the FBH tenth spin-off was launched - at that time still under the project name DOBSY - and has meanwhile received several awards
• In April, the cross-institutional BMBF-funded "Research Fab Microelectronics Germany" was started - FBH receives more than 34 million Euros of the altogether 350 million Euros investment program

2016

• Spin-off UVphotonics is awarded with the Leibniz Founder's Prize, endowed with 50,000 Euros

2015

• Laser manufacturer TRUMPF opens branch office for the development of laser diodes in Berlin - in close proximity to its research partner FBH
• Formation of spin-off UVphotonics NT GmbH
• FBH again excellently evaluated and recommended for further joint funding by Federal and State authorities
• 290 employees

2014

• Formation of Prototype Engineering Lab for the development of prototypes at FBH

2013

• FBH successful with "Advanced UV for Life" in the Twenty20 competition of the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research; the consortium will be funded with up to 45 million Euros until 2019
• Formation of spin-offs:
  • BEAPLAS GmbH
  • Brilliance Fab Berlin GmbH & Co. KG
  • Phasor Instruments UG
• Cornerstone ceremony for an extension buildung (approx. 1,800 sqm additional laboratory and office spaces), moving in in 2015
• 270 employees

2012

• Transfer prize "WissensWerte" for particularly capable diode lasers for materials processing; the award is endowed with 50,000 Euros
• Installation and commissioning of various large equipment (including a new wafer stepper & a capable analytics tool for characterization of degradation processes)

2011

• Formation of spin-off GloMic GmbH
• Günther Tränkle becomes speaker of the novel Optics Cluster Berlin-Brandenburg
• 240 employees

2010

• Laytec & FBH receive the "wissen.schafft.arbeit" technology transfer prize endowed with 20,000 Euros
• Extension and renovation works in the cleanroom, especially in the area of mounting and assembly

2009

• Change of name to Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz-Institut fuer Hoechstfrequenztechnik
• In June, the institute was awarded for the first time with the TOTAL E-QUALITY certificate for successfull implementation of equal opportunity (again: 2012, 2015, 2018 & 2021)
• Extension and renovation of the technical infrastructure (investments in equipment & energy-efficient air-conditioning and cleanroom technology)
• 230 employees

2008

• FBH cooperation within Collaborative Research Center Sfb 787 (currently in its 3. funding period valid until 2020)

2007

• Evaluation by the German Science Council with excellent result

2006

• Formation of spin-off BeMiTec AG
• Awarded as familiy-friendly company Treptow-Köpenick in 2006 (again: 2009, 2010 and 2012)
• Selected as "Landmark in the Land of Ideas" competition, jointly with Jenoptik Diode Lab
• 180 employees

2005

• First Joint Lab with TU Berlin (2016: 5 Joint Labs with regional and national universities)
• Formation of school lab MicroLAB, jointly with Lise-Meitner-Schule

2004

• Transfer award "WissensWerte" for the development of DFB high-power laser diodes
• Renovation of the historical building, inauguration of a new building (approx. 1,200 sqm laboratory & office space, seminar rooms)
• First-time ISO certification of quality management, followed later on by environmental and occupational safety
• 150 employees

2002

• Formation of spin-offs:
  • Jenoptik Diode Lab GmbH, 2006: establishment of an own manufacturing facility in Berlin-Adlershof, 2012: expansion of production by around 1,400 sqm to 3,400 sqm (gross floor area)
  • eagleyard Photonics GmbH
• 133 employees

2000

• Formation of spin-off IXYS Berlin GmbH

1999

• Formation of spin-off Three-Five Epitaxial Services AG (TESAG) – belongs to Jenoptik corporation since 2009

1998

• Positive evaluation by the German Science Council

1996

• Management: Prof. Dr. Günther Tränkle becomes Director of the FBH
• 112 employees

1993

• Renovation and remodeling of the cleanrooms
  • 1993: 1. stage of construction epitaxy
  • 1994: 2. stage of construction replacement of  climate control and ventilation technology
  • 1995-97: 3. stage of construction modernization of the cleanrooms including renewal of equipment (since 1992)
• Management: as of April 1995 provisionally Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Heinrich

1992

• Founded as Ferdinand-Braun-Institut fuer Hoechstfrequenztechnik
• Member of "blaue Liste“, since 1997 "Wissenschaftsgemeinschaft Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz" (WGL), briefly "Leibniz Association"
• Management: until February Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ingo Wolf, provisionally Dr. Reinhard Gründler, as of October 1992: Prof.  Dr.-Ing. Peter Russer
• 88 employees