Award Winner
Start Up of The Year Award
Micropelt
T
he 2009 Start Up of the Year ventilation and air-conditioning), Fibre Optics
Award has been awarded to and power generation (energy harvesting) for
Micropelt who develop thin film low power applications. Another important
thermoelectric components based on reason for the award decision was the potential
semiconductor manufacturing processes. of the companies products to respond to key
Micropelt started as a project of Infineon challenges in the microelectronics world.
Technologies in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Cooling means pumping heat out of solid
Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques materials, liquids and gases. Micropelt’s thinfilm
(Fraunhofer IPM) in Freiburg. In 2006 Micopelt thermoelectric Peltier coolers do this fast and on
was spun-off to develop and market the worlds surprisingly small footprints, with a power
18
smallest thermoelectric elements for clean tech density up to 10 times higher than convenional
power generation (energy harvesting) for TE modules. Faster and more powerful chip
www
sensing, cycling and cooling. The pilot devices are often limited in power output by so
.eur production plant at the company’s headquarters called hot spots. Micropelt’s ultra-small
oasiasemiconductor
in Freiburg have manufactured products for thermoelectric coolers (TECs) can remove the
more than 40 customers. heat directly from the spot. This prevents the
A large-scale production facility fully financed chip from overheating and allows for improved
and currently under construction in Halle, reliability and lifetime.
Germany, is expected to raise capacity to some In Micropelt’s device concept the
10 million devices per year by mid 2010. thermoelectric elements consist of n- and p-type
.com
The
Micropelt uses planar technologies and silicon semiconductor materials that are separately
wafers as substrates for Peltier cooler and produced and optimised on two different wafers.
company
thermogenerator devices. One aspect of the After sawing, the n- and p-parts are bonded
square4
Issue V 2009
company that impressed the deciding panel was together to single devices.
actively
the breadth of product and industries the Micropelt has announced the company’s first
technologies had been applied to. The company volume production site in Halle. An investment
seeks
actively seeks bespoke work and relish a new of up to €8 million will be made by Micropelt.
challenge put to them. The markets they have Funding has been raised from the fund “IBG
bespoke
entered so far cover such things as chip spot Fonds I”, managed by Goodvent VC, and from
cooling, biomedical (PCR cycler), HVAC (heating, mbg Sachsen-Anhalt, all based in Magdeburg.
work
Development subsidies of the state of Saxony
Anhalt have complete the funding. The fab will
and relish
create new jobs with 720 square meters of floor
space. Production is expected to start in spring
a new
2010. Volume ramp-up and multi-shift operation
is targeted for 2011. The company is seeing
challenge
demand for TEG, thermoelectric coolers (TEC),
and fast thermal sensors.
put forward
The IC Industry Awards team expects we
will hear a great deal more from Micropelt in the
to them
next few years.
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