Featured
Exhibition at the OECHER LAB
June 8th, 2022 | by Alexandra Boom
© Christiane Antweiler
The Institutes of Communications Engineering and Communication Systems of RWTH Aachen have participated in the Future Space “Smarte Kids – Smarte Stadt” of the OECHER LAB with the subject area of communication systems. In May and June 2022, this Future Space will present exhibits from the STEM field. In addition to communication systems, information can also be obtained on the topics of virtual reality, robotics & microcontrollers and CO2 meters in a manner appropriate to the target group.
The exhibit of the RWTH institutes uses a video to show the performance of three generations of video coding methods that have been developed in recent years. An audio demonstration takes visitors on a short journey through the development of telephony. The goal of current research is spatial telephony, which is also exemplified in the audio track.
Discover our exhibits until the end of June in the OECHER LAB, Kapuziner Karree, Kapuzinergraben 19. For more information, please visit the OECHER LAB website.
© Christiane Antweiler
New Publication by Professor Lemme and Colleagues
June 8th, 2022 | by Alexandra Boom
Portrait of Prof. Lemme (© JRF)
Healing Achilles heel of two-dimensional transistors
Stability – in the sense of stable operation thorough lifetime – is one of the key characteristics that an electronic device need to present to be suitable for applications. And it is the Achilles heel of transistors based on two-dimensional materials, which typically show much worse stability than devices based on silicon. A team of researchers from TU Wien, AMO GmbH, RWTH Aachen University and Wuppertal University has now demonstrated a novel engineering approach to enhance the electrical stability of two-dimensional transistors by carefully tuning the Fermi energy. The results have been reported in Nature Electronics.
Today, there is little doubt that devices based on graphene and other two-dimensional (2D) materials can exceed the state of the art for certain applications, thanks to their intrinsic properties. Two-dimensional materials are also seen as some of the most promising candidates for realizing ultimately scaled transistors at the end of the roadmap of silicon technology. However, devices based on 2D materials often show poor electrical stability, meaning that their behavior changes depending on their operation history.
“Component reliability is one aspect that is often neglected in research. This is precisely where we have been working for several years, because it is of central importance for applications.” explains Professor Max Lemme, scientific director of AMO GmbH and Head of the Chair of Electronic Devices at RWTH. The instability is not only caused by 2D materials themselves, but mostly by charges trapped into the oxide-insulator used to fabricate the transistors. “Ideally, one would like to use a different insulator with fewer charge traps,” says Lemme, “but there are no scalable solutions for this yet. In our work, we have shown instead that it is possible to use a standard insulator such as aluminum oxide and to significantly suppress the adverse effects of the charge traps in the oxide, by adjusting the charge carrier density in the 2D material.”
© Martin Braun
The work combines a thorough theoretical analysis of the novel approach – dubbed by the authors ‘stability-based design’ – and a proof of principle demonstration of the concept, performed by measuring different types of graphene-based FETs. The key idea of the approach is to try to engineer the combination 2D-material/insulator in such a way that the energy of the charge traps in the insulator is as different as possible from the one of the charge carriers in the 2D material. Lemme explains: “Graphene based FETs were the ideal test bed for our approach, as it is relatively easy to tune the energy of charge carriers in graphene. The approach, however, is applicable to all FETs based on 2D semiconductors”. These results represent a major step forward towards stable and reliable 2D materials transistors to be integrated in semiconductor technology.
Bibliographic information:
T. Knobloch, B. Uzlu, Y. Yu. I.llarionov, Z. Wang, M. Otto, L. Filipovic, M. Waltl, D. Neumaier, M. C. Lemme, T. Grasser, Improving stability in two-dimensional transistors with amorphous gate oxides by Fermi-level tuning, Nature Electronics (2022) – Open Access
DOI: 10.1038/s41928-022-00768-0
Contact:
Prof. Max C. Lemme
AMO GmbH
lemme@amo.de
Opening of Departmental Academic Advising
June 1st, 2022 | by Alexandra Boom
© Martin Braun
After a long wait, the Departmental Academic Advising will finally take place in person from June 2022. You will find the following advising services at the UMIC Research Centre (Mies-van-der-Rohe-Straße 15) and in the Rogowski Building (Schinkelstraße 2):
Departmental Academic Advising:
Location: UMIC Research Centre, room 023 and 026
Office hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:30am – 12 noon
Phone: +49 241 80 26931 and +49 241 80 27572
E-mail: studienberatung@fb6.rwth-aachen.de
Office for Industrial Internships:
Location: UMIC Research Centre, Room 022
Office hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10am – 12 noon
Phone: +49 241 80-26938
E-mail: praktikantenbuero@fb6.rwth-aachen.de
Student Exchange/ERASMUS Office:
Location: Rogowski Building, Room 212
Office hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9am – 12 noon & appointments by arrangement
Phone: +49 241 80 26951 and +49 241 80 27546
E-mail: international@fb6.rwth-aachen.de
Mentoring:
Location: for the time being still via Zoom
Office hours: by arrangement
Phone: +49 241 80-269 37 and +49 241 80-269 55
E-mail: mentoring@fb6.rwth-aachen.de
All services will continue to be available by telephone and e-mail during office hours. However, please bear in mind that there may be waiting times due to on-site advisory services.
Further information can be found on the website of the Departmental Academic Advising.
Business Fair on Juli 1, 2022
June 1st, 2022 | by Alexandra Boom
© Stefan Hense
Finally, numerous companies and cooperation partner of the faculty will present themselves again this year at the business fair on July 1, 2022 in person. From 12 noon, there will be the opportunity for students, our graduates of the current year and faculty members to find out more about our partners, make contacts or pave the way for an industrial internship in the foyer of the RWTH Computer Science Centre.
The “3MinuteMadness” short presentations will take place in parallel in lecture hall AHIV, where the companies will additionally present themselves within 3 minutes.
This will be followed by the catch-up faculty graduation ceremony for the graduating classes of 2020 and 2021.
If you still want to present your company at this or at the business fair planned for November 18, 2022, please contact Ms. Nadine Smeets-Bongartz from Relationship Management at RWTH Aachen.
Many thanks to our sponsors and project partners:
Graduation Ceremony & Summer Party of the Faculty on July 1, 2022
May 27th, 2022 | by Alexandra Boom
© FB6
Since the graduation ceremonies for the graduating classes of 2020 and 2021 unfortunately had to be cancelled in recent years due to the pandemic, they will be made up for on July 1, 2022 at the Computer Science Centre of RWTH Aachen. An academic degree from our faculty is an achievement that should be celebrated!
As the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, we look forward to welcoming our graduates to Aachen on this day. To give it a convivial setting, all professors and also the academic advisors of the chairs are cordially invited to toast with you.
Afterwards, we will go into party mode. In the foyer of the Computer Science Centre (entrance Mies-van-der-Rohe-Straße) as well as in the outdoor area, a summer buffet plus barbecue station and cold drinks will be provided. Later, the band “Lagerfeuer Trio” will ensure a great atmosphere with live music…
Further information for graduates, staff and students of our faculty can be found on our website for the graduation ceremony and the summer party.
Call for CITY CYCLING
May 25th, 2022 | by Felicia zur Mühlen
© Martin Braun
From 1 to 21 June, the CITY CYCLING competition goes into the next round. The aim of the competition is to use the bicycle as often as possible within the 21 days and thus not only to make a contribution to climate protection, but also to ensure a better quality of life in the municipalities.
The CITY CYCLING campaign contributes making cycling more present in public discourse and supports the targeted improvement of cycling infrastructure. The routes tracked by app during CITY CYCLING are evaluated anonymously by “Technische Universität Dresden” and the results are passed on to the municipalities.
Who can participate?
CITY CYCLING is intended for everyone. Regardless of whether the bicycle is already used as the main means of transport or spends most of its time in the basement. Every kilometre cycled counts. Even more so if it would otherwise have been covered by car.
The Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology is taking part in this campaign and has founded the team “Fakultät für Elektrotechnik & Informationstechnik”. To join the Faculty team, registration is required. You can join our team until the last of the 21 CITY CYCLING days.
The kilometres covered can either be entered online in the km-book or tracked via the CITY CYCLING app (Android and iOS). But participation is also possible without internet access. In this case, cyclists can report their cycling kilometres weekly to the local CITY CYCLING coordination via a kilometre log sheet.
Even though it is primarily about promoting cycling and protecting the environment, there are also prizes to be won, among others, for the most active municipalities and municipal parliaments.
For more information, feel free to take a look at the CITY CYCLING website.
We look forward to your participation!
Participation in the “Fast Track Bachelor Admission” Programme (FTBA)
May 19th, 2022 | by Alexandra Boom
In the winter semester 2022/23, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology will participate in the “Fast Track Bachelor Admission” programme for the first time. This programme enables particularly talented pupils from abroad to directly enter a Bachelor’s degree programme.
What is the “Fast Track Bachelor Admission” programme?
Normally, students from abroad have to attend a “Studienkolleg” (preparatory course) in Germany or study for two semesters in their home country in order to be able to study in Germany. Through the support programme “Fast Track Bachelor Admission (FTBA)”, RWTH Aachen University enables particularly talented pupils to enter a Bachelor’s degree programme directly without the usual conditions.
The FTBA programme is offered for the Bachelor degree programmes Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Business Administration and Engineering: Mechanical Engineering, Computational Engineering Science and Computer Science.
What makes the FTBA support programme so special?
Selected participants benefit from a support programme specially tailored to the target group. This includes close personal support from the FTBA team before arrival and throughout their studies at RWTH Aachen for example. Students also receive subject and language support through specific tutorials.
Would you like to support the upcoming FTBA students as a teaching assistant?
For the winter semester 2022/23, we are still looking for two teaching assistants, who make it easy for the international students to start at RWTH and support them with the preparation and follow-up of assignments as well as with all other questions related to their studies.
Please apply to the coordinator of the FTBA programme, Ms Azadeh Hartmann-Alampour, by June 30, 2022.
Further information and requirements can be found in the job vacancy.
Aachen VDE Award 2022
May 12th, 2022 | by Alexandra Boom
Bachelor students of “Electrical Engineering, Information Technology and Computer Engineering” or “Business Administration and Engineering – Electrical Power Engineering” with very good performance in their studies in combination with extraordinary commitment in university-related organisations can still apply for the Aachen VDE Award 2022 until May 15, 2022 and win prize money of 500 €.
All further information and requirements can be found in the following PDF file:
eCHECKUP- Alcohol Prevention Tool
April 28th, 2022 | by Alexandra Boom
The Student Health Management recently started offering students at RWTH Aachen University the use of the eCHECKUP TO GO-Alcohol prevention tool for free.
By answering the tool’s questions anonymously, students can reflect on their drinking behaviour and compare their own alcohol consumption with that of their fellow students.
Meanwhile, students receive information about the risks and effects of alcohol consumption and a personal risk evaluation for possible addiction or problematic consumption levels. Among other things, alternative methods of action and goal setting are pointed out and the amount of money spent on alcohol is put in relation to other personal areas of life.
Finally, some counselling centres at RWTH Aachen University and in the Aachen city region are given to the students.
We also recommend our students at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology to use the prevention tool so that they can assess and improve the possible impacts of their personal alcohol consumption on their own bodies, finances and studies.
Fit During and After Pandemic – With Energy Boosters from Student Health Management
April 4th, 2022 | by Alexandra Boom
Copyright: Souhaila Chakkour
To give students a break from their daily pandemic routine, the Student Health Management of RWTH Aachen has launched the ” Fit During and After the Pandemic” workshop series. Once a month, starting on April 6 in the summer semester 2022, meetings will be held online to get new impulses for health topic. The following workshops will be offered:
- Live Cooking: Eastern Flair for Studying at Home
- Workshop: Restoring Your Balance
- Live Cooking: Brain Food – Smart Snacking
- Workshop: Better Vision
- Live Cooking: Eat in a Way That Helps the Planet
- Sports Nutrition (Including Live Cooking)
Workshops are held on Wednesdays starting at 6pm. For current dates and registration options, please visit the official Student Health Management workshop page.