Kategorie: ‘Allgemein’
New Faculty Board of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology Places Greater Focus on Early-Career Researchers
In October 2026, the Faculty Board was expanded to include a Vice Dean for Equal Opportunities and Early-Career Researchers.
On 1 October 2026, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at RWTH Aachen University restructured its Faculty Board. The main change is the introduction of a new position: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Janina Fels, Chair of Hearing Technology and Acoustics, has become the first Vice Dean responsible for Equal Opportunities and Early-Career Researchers. This establishes these topics as a permanent part of the Faculty’s leadership.
With this new role, the Faculty aims to strengthen support for early-career researchers and encourage doctoral candidates, postdoctoral researchers and young academics to pursue careers in science. Key priorities include reliable career prospects, good supervision, greater visibility and equal opportunities at every career stage.
There has also been a change in the Faculty’s academic affairs leadership. Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Sven Ingebrandt, Head of the Chair of Micro and Nanosystems, has succeeded Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Jax as Vice Dean for Academic Affairs. The Faculty thanks Prof. Jax for his commitment to shaping teaching and learning and wishes Prof. Ingebrandt every success in his new role.
The Faculty Board now consists of Dean Prof. Dr.-Ing. Albert Moser, Vice Dean for Structural Affairs Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Jungemann, Vice Dean for Equal Opportunities and Early-Career Researchers Prof. Dr.-Ing. Janina Fels, and Vice Dean for Academic Affairs Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Sven Ingebrandt.
Welcome, Professor Martin Salinga!
Professor Martin Salinga (center) with his staff at the Chair of “Materials for Advanced Electronics”
Focusing on future hardware architectures, Professor Martin Salinga will now head the Chair of Materials for Advanced Electronics in our department, succeeding Professor Rainer Waser.
We warmly welcome Professor Salinga to our department! With his appointment, we gain a passionate scientist who will enrich our teaching and research. Professor Salinga is succeeding Professor Rainer Waser, who shaped the department for many years.
Today, advances in information technology, such as energy conversion, highly efficient sensors, and novel data storage devices, are largely based on discoveries of electronic phenomena in functional materials and improvements in process technology. Previous work has focused on developing a deep physical and chemical understanding of processes that occur on the nanoscale. Another key focus of the chair is evaluating material systems under investigation for their potential use in future electronic components and chips. In addition to experimental investigations, numerical simulations and models of these systems have been cornerstones of the methodology.
After the generational transition at the chair, it will be interesting to see how the research evolves under the new leadership. We are excited about this new chapter and the fresh ideas that Professor Salinga and his team will bring to the faculty. We wish Professor Salinga and his entire team a good start and much success in their future projects.
How a German Startup Is Shaping the Next Tech Hub
Applause for the award recipients: RWTH President Professor Ulrich Rüdiger, Minister Ina Brandes, Mayor Dr. Michael Ziemons, Sebastian Schall, Dr. Daniel Schall, Professor Max Lemme, and vdi President Professor Lutz Eckstein (from left) © Andreas Herrmann
Daniel and Sebastian Schall were awarded this year’s Aachen Engineering Award for their research on integrated graphene photonics and the founding of their startup, Black Semiconductor. The story of the two brothers illustrates how closely science and entrepreneurship are intertwined in Aachen.
On September 5, 2026, Aachen City Hall’s historic Coronation Hall was transformed into a stage for the future of global microelectronics. The prestigious Aachen Engineering Award was presented for the twelfth time—but with a twist: for the first time ever, the award went to two people. Daniel and Sebastian Schall, the founders of Black Semiconductor, accepted the award together. In doing so, they demonstrated that technological leaps always require two sides of the same coin. While Daniel embodies technological ingenuity as a scientific visionary, Sebastian contributes the drive necessary to transform a complex laboratory idea into a scalable company.
What the award-winning team does not reveal about their areas of responsibility is summed up by the laudatory speaker, Professor Max Lemme, head of the Chair of Electronic Devices at RWTH Aachen University and managing director of AMO GmbH:
“They are fundamentally grounded; they haven’t lost their sense of what truly makes us human.”
Building on this solid foundation, they are looking ahead and developing solutions to problems that conventional systems cannot solve: While the demands placed on systems by data-intensive software architectures and AI models are constantly increasing, the scalability of conventional semiconductor hardware is approaching its physical limits. Guided by the motto “More than Moore,” the Schall brothers are banking on a paradigm shift in the semiconductor industry that seeks to overcome this technological bottleneck: moving away from mere geometric miniaturization toward functional diversification. Instead of forcing performance gains solely through circuit density, new technologies and complementary materials are being integrated directly into the chip.
As a key technology, integrated photonics is already a reality today. The processor performs calculations electrically, as usual. Data transmission, however, takes place via laser through integrated optical waveguides, at the speed of light. This architecture completely eliminates electrical resistance along the communication paths. While, in the current “island solution,” data must travel a few fractions of a millimeter as an electrical current from the main electrical processor to the neighboring photonic chip—where it is converted into light signals—this “bridge” is traversed vertically in a 3D chip architecture: Here, state-of-the-art packaging techniques are used to utilize space in three dimensions, thereby minimizing the path between electrical computing chips and photonic components as much as possible.
Black Semiconductor has now succeeded in achieving direct optical signal conversion at the chip level. Graphene, a two-dimensional carbon lattice, plays a key role in this process. Due to its extreme physical properties, the material is considered a key component for future semiconductor architectures. Because of its single-layer, hexagonal atomic structure, electrons move through it with virtually no resistance, giving graphene extremely high charge carrier mobility. It also offers excellent thermal conductivity and broadband optical absorption. However, in practice, its large-scale application has so far been hindered by a major obstacle: the atomically thin material could not be integrated into industrial manufacturing processes in a defect-free and reproducible manner.
The start-up from Aachen is now bridging this very technological gap, thereby enabling true, monolithic integration of photonics. The graphene structures are deposited directly onto the existing wafer as part of the standard CMOS manufacturing process. By acting as an interface, they enable logical computations and signal conversion on a single physical chip. The startup’s stated goal is to couple thousands of semiconductors so that they function as a single component.
In previous approaches to integrated photonics, data signals must leave the electronic logic layer and travel to the photonic chiplet via physical, metallic interfaces or vertical microcolumns. Although these paths are short, significant losses occur at the metallic interfaces. These error-prone connections, as well as the need for subsequent mechanical assembly steps during manufacturing, will no longer be necessary in the future.
“Their solution is nothing short of a revolution,” said Professor Max Lemme at the Aachen Engineering Award ceremony. “Semiconductors are the brain of AI—a strategic technology, not just a nice-to-have.”
The fact that this development originated in Aachen rather than in Silicon Valley underscores the close link between scientific excellence and application-oriented entrepreneurship within the RWTH Aachen University community. The technological foundation for the spin-off was developed in the laboratories of the research institute AMO GmbH, which is closely integrated with our Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology and is headed by Professor Max Lemme. While working on his doctoral dissertation, Dr. Daniel Schall found here the specialized cleanroom infrastructure and the scientific freedom he needed to experimentally validate the fundamentals of integrated graphene photonics. The Aachen ecosystem serves as a fertile ground in which excellent basic research and its translation into marketable business structures go hand in hand:
“We always had plans to start the company. Once we knew enough about both physics and technology and could assume that the outstanding challenges in mass production with state-of-the-art equipment could be solved, we simply took the decisive step from the lab to production.”
Modular cleanroom facility inside the new FabONE production hall in Aachen-Rothe Erde © Heike Lachmann
This strategic choice of location paves the way for the company’s ambitious growth: With grants and investments totaling over 254 million euros, the startup is driving its expansion forward at a rapid pace. The 15,000-square-meter “FabONE” production facility in Aachen’s Rothe Erde district now employs around 167 international specialists. Their clear goal is to transition innovative graphene chip manufacturing from the laboratory to industrial mass production. Beyond its regional success, this project holds significant geopolitical relevance. At a time when global semiconductor supply chains are subject to technological and political interdependencies, establishing such a key technology in Germany—and thus in the European Union—secures a measure of technological sovereignty.
“Black Semiconductor is sustainably strengthening Europe’s position as a hub for the semiconductor industry, through its close collaboration with research institutions and its industrial focus. The company thus embodies, in a unique way, innovation-driven engineering excellence that is of strategic importance for future technologies,” explains RWTH Rector Professor Ulrich Rüdiger.
It is precisely this combination of pioneering engineering work and strategic significance that forms the basis for the award. The Aachen Engineering Award, which has been presented jointly by RWTH Aachen University and the City of Aachen since 2014, honors individuals who have had a lasting impact on the field of engineering. The award sculpture, “Intersecting Ellipses,” is donated by the Association of German Engineers (VDI) as a key partner of the award. With this win, the Schall brothers join the ranks of renowned award recipients, such as Nobel laureate Emmanuelle Charpentier and technology pioneer Sebastian Thrun, while also sending a clear signal about the innovative strength of Aachen’s electrical engineering community.
The breakthrough in graphene photonics in Aachen is just the beginning of a much larger development: To achieve strategic technological autonomy, the European Union is also investing in graphene and other two-dimensional materials in many other key industries.
Worlds of Experimentation: Exploring Electrical Engineering
Two young participants are constructing their own slide and dead-man switches for their circuits.
How can you transform cables, a power source, and a small incandescent bulb into a functioning electrical circuit? In the “Experimentierwelten” summer program, children can try their hand at electrical engineering under the guidance of the Heureka Learning Lab.
She scans a row of tables covered with red cables, each of which ends on both sides with alligator clips. She quickly finds a light bulb. A few steps later, it’s securely in the correct socket.
“It really does glow,” says an elementary school student, beaming just as brightly as the light itself.
What we take for granted in everyday life becomes the starting point for a journey of discovery here: How does an electric circuit work? What makes a switch a switch? Why does a simple nail suddenly attract metal staples? And can the force of a magnet be made visible? The focus is on hands-on experimentation: Questions arise from the experiments and are then explored through practical investigation.
This free summer program, aimed at children and teens of various ages, takes place at the Nell-Breuning-Haus, centrally located in Herzogenrath. Depending on the target group and the daily program, participants can try out different STEM activities each year. This summer, the Heureka Learning Lab from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology was once again part of the “Experimentierwelten” program to guide the younger participants.
“What else do you have here?” asks a nine-year-old participant who was already there last year, delighted by the well-stocked experiment kit.
For the faculty, this participation is part of their efforts to support the next generation of researchers. Through the “Experimentierwelten” program, students have the opportunity to become familiar with electrical engineering and information technology at an early age, as well as gain experience with technical concepts. Rather, research here begins with a simple question—and with the courage to seek an answer on their own.
A student is conducting an experiment with several light bulbs connected in parallel.
The varied STEM program, jointly offered by various learning labs of RWTH Aachen University from August 4 to 14, 2026, took the younger children to other stations as well. For example, they programmed the small “Calliope mini” computer, made flower seed balls, and explored the secrets of tomato DNA. Meanwhile, the older students explored modern physics and learned how a scanning tunneling microscope works and makes individual atoms visible.
The fact that age doesn’t necessarily indicate technical skill when it comes to these offerings is noted by Gina Goffart, director of the SCIphyLAB learning lab at RWTH Aachen University:
“We’ve seen that soldering—for example, when building a ‘hot wire’—is generally easier for younger children. They are often more dexterous and quicker than older children. In fact, this year, even the youngest children set the record—they were the fastest to finish building their ‘hot wire’.”
The summer vacation program was made possible through a collaboration between the StädteRegion Aachen, RWTH Aachen University, and the Nell-Breuning-Haus. It was developed as part of the MINTplus project in the StädteRegion Aachen. The Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth supports the project as a funding agency, while the Bürgerstiftung Herzogenrath and HEAD acoustics GmbH provide financial support.
The Heureka Learning Lab also offers opportunities to foster a spirit of inquiry within the academic setting of RWTH Aachen University. Depending on the program, workshops allow students to conduct their own experiments, explore laboratories, and learn about various topics within electrical engineering and information technology. Topics range from STEM to micro- and nanotechnology to energy engineering.
Student Uni During Your Holiday
Once again this year, the faculty’s institutes and chairs opened their doors, providing insights into studies, campus life, and research.
“The lecturers were highly motivated to explain things to us. You could really tell how passionate they are about what they do. This was also noticeable in the projects, where we had to solder or build an electric motor, for example. I found that very varied.” —Sarah
Can we supply ourselves with energy without emitting CO2? Why are cars becoming electric, but not airplanes? How do computers communicate, and what role does artificial intelligence play in microelectronics? Participants received answers to these and many other questions in trial lectures and workshops, as well as during joint lunch breaks with the teaching staff and on excursions with our students.
“I would say that the personal experiences shared during the lunch breaks were especially informative. For example, we learned what the lecturers’ career paths look like and what they did to get where they are now. That is a goal one could also pursue in one’s own future. This personal exchange and the feeling of truly being accepted made me very happy.” —Maximilian
The Student University thrives on the commitment of many: A heartfelt thank you to the IAEW and to all participating institutes and chairs who introduced the students to the diversity of electrical engineering and information technology through exciting experiments and insights. Perhaps this week has already laid the foundation for the future academic or career paths of some participants.
“You could simply see how broad this field is. For instance, you can build an electric motor that is relatively large. In other areas, you have micro- and nanoelectronics that are extremely small.” —Sarah
The program included lectures and workshops at the Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives, the Chair of Distributed Signal Processing, the Institute of Electrical Machines, the Chair of Communication Systems, and the IAEW. The week was complemented by insights into micro- and nanoelectronics at AMO GmbH, soldering exercises, a campus tour, and discussions about university studies.
“Labs on Tour” Brings Electrical Engineering to Schools
Fans built using soldering irons and 3D printers were in high demand. © Daphne Heil
At “Labs on Tour,” students had the opportunity to learn about and try out electrical engineering for themselves. For the first time, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology participated with its Heureka learning lab, demonstrating how exciting technology can be when students experiment on their own.
First experiences with a soldering iron, a circuit board they assembled themselves, a hand-soldered LED keychain: For many students, “Labs on Tour” brought electrical engineering to life. This project by RWTH Aachen University brings science and technology topics directly to schools, enabling young people to gain hands-on experience with STEM subjects through extracurricular clubs.
This school year, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology participated in the program for the first time. Heureka Learning Lab staff members organized a soldering workshop focused on hands-on work and firsthand experience.
“I really liked the students’ explanations. I enjoyed how playful the experiments were,” said Carina, a student from Aachen, who particularly remembers the soldering and 3D printing.
The Heureka Learning Lab takes exactly this approach. In workshops held regularly at institutes and academic departments, students gain insights into the diverse fields of electrical engineering and information technology—from micro- and nanotechnology to energy engineering. Through experiments and projects of their own, students learn to understand and connect complex technical concepts to their everyday lives.
Welcoming the participants at the closing event of “Labs on Tour” at the Physics Center of RWTH Aachen. © Heike Lachmann
At the closing event for this year’s “Labs on Tour,” approximately 150 guests gathered at the Physics Center at RWTH Aachen University. In addition to students and their families, teachers and RWTH staff also attended.
„“The closing event gives the students the opportunity to experience the university up close, reconnect with their mentors, and show their families what they’ve experienced and learned in the club,” says Maria Hinkelmann, a research assistant in the Physics Department at RWTH Aachen University.
“Labs on Tour” is aimed at seventh- and eighth-grade students. RWTH students and staff bring workshops from various departments directly into the schools’ afternoon programs. In addition to electrical engineering and information technology, the extracurricular program includes physics, biology, mathematics, materials science, and mechanical engineering, among other subjects. The goal is to reduce reservations about technical and scientific topics and to foster interest in STEM subjects.
Supporting the next generation is an important part of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology’s work. Programs like “Heureka” show young people the importance of electrical engineering and information technology in everyday life, science, and society from an early age. At the same time, students gain insight into future study opportunities and various career fields.
The faculty staff is looking forward to continuing to guide young people in exploring technical topics as part of “Labs on Tour” next year again.
More information about the Heureka Learning Lab and “Labs on Tour” is available online.
Information Session on Selecting a Specialization for Bachelor’s Students in the ETIT Program
Students in the Bachelor’s degree program in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology are invited to attend an information session on choosing their specialization on Thursday, July 23, 2026.
Date: Thursday, July 23, 2026, 1:00–2:30 p.m.
Location: Lecture Hall H02, C.A.R.L. (1385|102)
Program
Presentation of the specializations
1:00 p.m.: Micro- and Nanoelectronics
Prof. Gemmeke – Chair of Integrated Digital Systems and Circuit Design
1:15 p.m.: Biomedical Engineering
Prof. Fels – Institute for Hearing Technology and Acoustics
1:30 p.m.: Information and Communication Technology
Prof. Heinen – Chair of Integrated Analog Circuits and RF Systems
1:45 p.m.: Electrical Power Engineering
Prof. Steentjes – Institute of Electrical Machines and Chair of Electrical Machines and Drives
General Information
The presentations will be followed by general information about the specialization selection process and the procedure in RWTHonline.
All interested fourth-semester students in the Bachelor’s degree program in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (ETIT) are welcome to attend.
If you would like to learn more about the specializations before the event, you can find additional information on the faculty website under Research. These fields provide valuable insights into the topics and research areas associated with each specialization.
The next generation of computer chips is ‘Made in Aachen’
Black Simiconduktor, f.l.t.r.: Sebastian Schall, Dr.Daniel Schall
The 2026 Aachen Engineering Prize has been awarded to Black Semiconductor founders Dr Daniel Schall and Sebastian Schall – a milestone for the region’s microelectronics sector.
The next generation of computer chips is being shaped to a significant extent in Aachen. We are delighted that this year’s Aachen Engineering Prize is being awarded to two visionaries whose careers are closely linked to the excellent research carried out at our Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology: Dr Daniel Schall and Sebastian Schall, founders of the start-up Black Semiconductor.
The technological foundation for this success is a groundbreaking innovation in graphene photonics. Whilst conventional semiconductor architectures are increasingly reaching their limits due to heat generation and limited bandwidths in data transmission, the Schalls are pursuing a new approach: instead of sending data exclusively via electrical conductors, they enable direct conversion into optical signals on the chip. By integrating graphene, a material with outstanding physical properties, they have succeeded in combining electrical and optical functions directly on a single wafer.
“This innovative approach addresses key performance and efficiency limitations of existing semiconductor architectures and makes a decisive contribution to the next generation of high-performance and AI systems,” emphasises the Advisory Board of the Aachen Engineering Prize in its statement.
For our faculty, this development is an outstanding example of how fundamental scientific research is translated into industrial leadership. Dr Daniel Schall, himself a micro-systems engineer with a PhD and strong links to Aachen’s research community, laid the foundations for this technology during his time at the AMO GmbH research institute. The successful transfer from research to a company that now employs over 130 people impressively demonstrates the added value of the close integration between RWTH teaching and applied research.
Black Semiconductor is now building a 15,000-square-metre production facility, ‘FabONE’, in the Rothe Erde district of Aachen to manufacture graphene chips on an industrially relevant scale. This project not only strengthens the European semiconductor industry in competition with global players, but also underlines Aachen’s role as an innovation hub for future technologies. In doing so, the founders are consistently focusing on CMOS compatibility, enabling their innovation to be seamlessly integrated into existing industrial manufacturing processes.
“Black Semiconductor is making a lasting contribution to strengthening Europe’s position as a centre for the semiconductor industry through its close collaboration with the research sector and its industrial focus. The company thus embodies innovation-driven engineering excellence in a unique way,” explains Rector Professor Ulrich Rüdiger. The City of Aachen, represented by Lord Mayor Dr Michael Ziemons, also emphasises the strategic importance of this development: “We are proud that this forward-looking company has chosen to base itself in Aachen.”
The award ceremony for the Aachen Engineering Prize will take place on 5 September 2026 at 7 pm in the Coronation Hall of the Town Hall. The prize, established by the Association of German Engineers (VDI), is awarded annually to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the advancement of engineering.
Modular cleanroom facility inside the new FabONE production hall.
Award of the Associate Professorship to PD Dr Marian Walter
PD Dr.-Ing. Marian Walter was officially presented with the certificate conferring the title of ‘Adjunct Professor’ (apl. Prof.). This appointment by the faculty recognises his long-standing and consistent contributions to academic teaching, as well as his academic profile in medical technology.
The award of an adjunct professorship is subject to strict scientific criteria. A prerequisite is the Habilitation, which already demonstrates teaching competence (Venia Legendi). The title is awarded to academics who, beyond the Habilitation, have achieved outstanding results in research and teaching. Within the academic system, an adjunct professor takes on responsibilities in independently representing their field of expertise, supervising doctoral candidates, and acquiring and managing third-party funded projects.
Dr Marian Walter has been working for many years at the Chair of Medical Information Technology (MedIT) at the Helmholtz Institute for Biomedical Engineering at RWTH Aachen University. Following his PhD in the field of automated lung ventilation, he consolidated his expertise at the interface between electrical engineering and clinical application.
In addition to his research work, Marian Walter plays a key role in the training of students in electrical engineering, information technology and biomedical engineering. His teaching is characterised by the systematic imparting of the fundamentals of systems theory and their application to medical practice. His appointment as an adjunct professor underscores the excellence of the academic staff at the MedIT Chair and ensures the high quality of scientific training at RWTH Aachen University in the field of Medical Information Technology.
The Faculty and the Institute congratulate Prof. Dr.-Ing. Marian Walter on this academic recognition and look forward to continuing their successful collaboration.
Theory in Practice: IAEW Field Trip to HVDC Infrastructure
In hard hats and safety vests: 20 IAEW students in front of the impressive converter station backdrop.
20 IAEW students deepened their knowledge of HVDC technology during a site visit to the Ultranet converter station in Meerbusch-Osterath.
As part of the “High-Voltage Direct Current” (HVDC) seminar, 20 IAEW students were given the opportunity to gain firsthand insights into the practical expansion of HVDC infrastructure. The visit focused on the station in Meerbusch-Osterath, a key component of the Ultranet project and Germany’s first multi-terminal HVDC link. A significant technical feature of this site is the first-ever joint transmission of direct and alternating current on a single pylon in Germany. As part of a planned bipole system, the converter station will facilitate the conversion between AC and DC, with a DC cable connection extending toward Emden. This field trip allowed students to apply and consolidate the theoretical knowledge they had acquired in January within a real-world construction environment.
We would like to sincerely thank Amprion GmbH for the insightful tour and the fascinating look at this pioneering project.
