Press releases 2022

A new high-performance white-light laser is expected to speed up quality control in the semiconductor industry and provide closer monitoring of toxicity tests in microbiology. In one step, this laser enables the two-sided characterization of surfaces and can be integrated into production chains. The technology has been developed at the Fraunhofer Application Center for Optical Metrology and Surface Technologies (AZOM) and Westsächsische Hochschule Zwickau (WHZ) as part of a PhD thesis.

Nano- and microstructures can now be incorporated into surfaces in an instant using lasers. The technology is being developed and marketed by the Dresden-based start-up Fusion Bionic, a spin-off from the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS. The possibilities are virtually endless when it comes to laser structuring. It has the advantage of being fast and much more versatile than coatings.

It is used millions of times a day all over the world: as a portable miniature laboratory, the Corona antigen rapid test is currently clearly demonstrating the potential of lab-on-chip systems. Analysis within a very short time is of immense importance, especially during a pandemic. Ever more of these miniature medical systems are being used in diagnostics. However, the development and manufacture of more complicated test systems is associated with high costs. In the SIMPLE-IVD research project, scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS are working with several partners to develop new manufacturing processes and methods for the cost-efficient production of rapid test cartridges.