Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS
Booth number: 4205-29
www.ikts.fraunhofer.de
About us
The Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS conducts applied research on high-performance ceramics. With its various sites the institute collectively represent Europe‘s largest R&D institute dedicated to the study of ceramics. As a research and technology service provider, Fraunhofer IKTS develops advanced high-performance ceramic materials, industrial manufacturing processes as well as prototype components and systems in complete production lines up to the pilot-plant scale.
At Fraunhofer IKTS, the research and development of high-purity transparent ceramics for optical systems, medical technology and ballistic protection is being steadily expanded. A technical infrastructure has been integrated on the basis of PERLUCOR®, which covers the complete value chain for transparent parts and components. The new research and development center has significantly expanded the current application scenarios of transparent ceramics with mature technologies.
Address
Michael-Faraday-Str. 1
07629 Hermsdorf
Germany
E-mail: info@ikts.fraunhofer.de
Phone: +49 36601 9301-5011
Internet: www.ikts.fraunhofer.de
Contact person:
Dr. Martin Drüe
Group Leader Transparent Ceramics
E-mail: martin.druee@ikts.fraunhofer.de
Phone: +49 36601 9301-3980
Products & Services
Current application scenarios for transparent ceramics with mature technologies:
Optics and sensor technology: chemically and mechanically stable optics for sensor systems (driving assistance and transport systems, lidar sensors for autonomous driving), active light diffraction and guidance, laser head protection systems, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems.
Civil security: chemical and mechanical protective covers for optical systems in harsh conditions (desert regions, subsea sensor systems, radiation-resistant lidar sensors on satellites, night vision devices, solar energy harvesting), ballistic protective windows and optics for vehicles, large-format scanner screens
Medical technology and biotechnology: biocompatible and biostable optics for endoscopes in human and veterinary diagnostics
Consumer industries, IoT components: scratch-resistant displays and interactive buttons for vehicles and mobile devices
Optical Elements
Miniaturization of optics and sensor systems and their lasting protection do require innovative materials. Mg-Al-Spinel ceramic with its high refractive index of 1.72, enables miniaturization of optical lenses and other optical elements. Thus, small components achieve large magnification. Based on its optical qualities PERLUCOR® is an excellent choice for cameras, sensors, and surveillance systems for vehicles - land, water, or air - as well as for other applications, such as infrared sensors.
Implant housing with optical window made of transparent ceramics
As part of the INTAKT research project a new generation of actively networked micro-implants was developed which provide an innovative approach for human-technology interaction. For an implant addressing gastrointestinal dysfunctions a rigid and hermetically sealed ceramic housing with sufficient break resistance and an optical window was developed. Transparent ceramic magnesium-aluminum spinel was chosen for its biocompatibility, transparency in the IR range and fracture strength.
Scanner Systems
Use of transparent spinel ceramic for scanners and modern displays enabling fast, safe, and error-free data collection and processing - a key application of PERLUCOR®: its extreme robustness and resistance to scratches, shocks, wear, chemicals, and breakage provide long-lasting protection in different kinds of scanning systems, e.g., at airport check-ins, for documents, fingerprint or hand scanners, in scanners in production, logistics or supermarket checkouts, as well as touchscreen displays.
Infrared sensor windows
Within project "POxIR", new types of sensors for process monitoring are being realized with resource-saving and environmentally friendly materials.
In order for compounds to be detected in process monitoring, the protective window of the sensor used must be sufficiently transparent and chemically, mechanically and thermally stable against the harsh process media and conditions. Sapphire, which is energy-intensive to manufacture, is conventionally used for this purpose.
In the project “POxIR - Production of polycrystalline oxide IR windows and their integration into an IR sensor”, we are therefore developing transparent ceramics (e.g. Mg-Al spinel, yttrium oxide and magnesium oxide). The advantage is a broader IR transmission up to 6-9 µm wavelength. The challenge now is to integrate these transparent ceramics into a sensor. For this purpose, the coating and the soldering process must be adapted to ensure a hermetically sealed sensor structure.
