SAWLab Saxony - The competence and application center for acoustoelectronic fundamentals, technologies and devices

The SAWLab Saxony combines the research activities and expertise of the Leibniz-Institute IFW Dresden in the field of acoustoelectronics with competences and skills of local research institutes, universities and high-tech companies. The mutual interplay between basic and applied research at the IFW Dresden and the close collaboration with all members and partners thereby enables a comprehensive investigation of microacoustic devices and adjacent technologies comprising

  • the theory of solid state and acoustic wave phenomena,
  • innovative electrode materials and material systems,
  • novel single crystal, flexible and thin film substrate materials,
  • advanced technologies for functional film deposition and patterning, and
  • future microacoustic devices and applications

accompanied by sophisticated thin film analytics. The fundamental research and utilization chain of the SAWLab Saxony includes the joint development of application-specific demonstrators, the corporative use of equipment and facilities as well as the transfer of technology to and from industrial partners involved in all stages of development. This approach allows us to address economic sectors with high growth dynamics, such as telecommunication, MEMS, sensors and actuators as well as Smart Systems and Life Sciences.

Due to the wide fundamental, technological and analytical R&D expertise, the SAWLab Saxony is a professional project partner for national and international cooperation projects and with the aim to transfer scientific and technological knowledge into future, industry-relevant acoustoelectronic applications.

Our Mission

  • Joining of research activities and expertise of the IFW Dresden in the field of acoustoelectronics with competences and skills of cooperating groups of Saxon universities and high-tech companies in a dedicated application center
  • R&D activities towards advanced materials and technologies for high performance
  • Generating an internationally visible interdisciplinary research
  • Sustainably strengthens the role of the IFW as a competent cooperation partner for national and international industrial partners and so the Free State of Saxony as a science and business location
  • Transfer of advanced technologies to industrial partners
  • Qualification and advanced training of internal and external staff.

Partners (in alphabetic order)

  • Signal generators for resonant systems (Power SAW Generator)
  • Temperature controller for heaters and Peltier elements
  • Consulting and development of supplies for electronic and mechanical systems

  • Electrochemistry
  • Silicon technology

  • Thin film deposition processes
  • Deposition facilities

  • High-temperature x-ray analysis
  • Raman spectrometry

  • Wave propagation in material systems with piezoelectric crystals including acoustofluidics
  • Extraction of electromechanical material parameters from experimental data
  • Analysis of microacoustic components (filters, resonators, sensors, actuators)

  • Thermal and plasma assisted atomic layer deposition of nanometer thin films (Al2O3, TiO2-TiN, W, WOx)
  • Characterization of thin films and nanostructures

  • Fabrication processes
  • Technology development
  • Marketing

  • Processes and equipment for frequency trimming
  • Processes and equipment for thin film deposition

  • Ion implantation
  • New materials and thin film systems
  • Study of mechanical properties

  • Advanced packaging

  • Thin film analytics based on the Kossel technique
  • X-ray diffraction material analysis

  • SAW driven microfluidics with biological cells

  • Thin film deposition with CVD, PECVD, e-beam, sputtering, ALD
  • Chemical-mechanical polishing, wet chemistry
  • Mask design and lithography

  • Highly resolved measurement techniques based on laser and ultrasound waves
  • Investigation of complex flows of transparent fluids using laser waves
  • 3D shape and vibration measurements

  • Theoretical fundamentals
  • Ion beam deposition
  • Piezoelectric films
  • Electrical characterization