05/09/2025
Frankfurt (Oder). IHP – Leibniz Institute for High-Performance Microelectronics and Sabancı University in Istanbul are continuing to expand the scope of the Joint Laboratory, which has been the foundation of their successful academic and research collaboration since 2007. In April 2024, the laboratory's focus on microelectronic technologies was expanded to include the design and development of integrated high-frequency (RF and mm-wave IC) circuits. This will further support scientific excellence in areas such as high-frequency integrated circuits, radar sensors, micro- and nano-systems, and RF packaging.
As part of this collaboration, Sabancı University students are being invited to summer internships at IHP every year. During the current internship period, which began in June 2025, a total of 10 students (8 undergraduate and 2 graduate students) are working on projects in high-frequency, digital, and mixed-signal integrated circuit design and device modeling. These internships also provide an opportunity to further develop the Joint Laboratory's "Virtual Laboratory," which facilitates and structures remote collaboration and the joint supervision of undergraduate and graduate projects and theses.
A delegation from Sabancı University, including Sabancı University Rector Prof. Yusuf Leblebici, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences Dean Prof. Erkay Savaş, Vice Rector for Education Prof. Cem Güneri, and Joint Laboratory Coordinator Prof. Yaşar Gürbüz, visited the IHP headquarters in Frankfurt (Oder) on August 29, 2025. They met with the IHP Scientific and Administrative Managers and research team members, including IHP Scientific Director Prof. Gerhard Kahmen, IHP Joint Laboratory Coordinator and Circuit Design Department Head Prof. Corrado Carta, and Human Resources Directorate B.Eng. Anna Herfurth.
“Sabancı University is one of Türkiye’s leading universities, recognized for its world-class engineering programs and advanced research in electronics, mechatronics, and computer science. The 16-year collaboration between IHP and Sabancı University has resulted in 114 student internships, 53 joint scientific publications, 14 Sabancı alumni working at IHP, and approximately €300,000 in joint research projects. We are delighted to be able to continue this mutually beneficial collaboration,” says Prof. Corrado Carta.
Our collaboration with IHP Microelectronics and Sabancı University Electronics/Microelectronics Engineering began with our innovative work in the field of RF integrated circuits and technologies and RFMEMS within the scope of the TARGET (Top Amplifier Research Group in a European Team) project (2004-2007), one of our University's first European Union Framework Program projects. It was institutionalized in 2009 with the Joint Virtual Lab established with the More-Than-Moore Theme.
The main focus of the collaboration with IHP Microelectronics is on our undergraduate, master's and doctoral students, who, since our foundation, are equipped with strong fundamental Electronics Engineering knowledge and experimental skills in the Sabancı University Electronics Engineering Program, particularly in the field of Microelectronics. Our courses/labs/projects offer a positive and distinctively attractive, specifically for post graduate placement positions, background in semiconductor technologies, discrete and, especially, integrated circuits/systems (mm-wave, RF, Analog, Mixed, Digital-Signal domains) and their sensing and communication applications, sensors, photonics, MEMS, and integrated circuit manufacturing technologies.
For 25 years, we have provided our undergraduate students with systematically integrated training, consistently up-to-date course content, state-of-the-art laboratory applications, and projects tailored to real-time electronics engineering challenges. This training has been instrumental in positioning EE undergraduate students for their desired academic and/or professional positions after graduation. It has also served as a driving force for 20 years for integrating IHP Microelectronics' Silicon-Germanium-Bipolar Complementary MOSFET Field Effect Transistor (SiGe-BiCMOS) Integrated Circuit Manufacturing infrastructure and applications with its research and development objectives. The integrated circuit training from design to production, a developer, determinant, and defining factor for today's and future technologies, has become increasingly competitive and a strategic priority globally, particularly in recent years, and is equally meaningful, valuable, and important for our graduates equipped with this training.
With this complementarity and importance, IHP Microelectronics has become a valuable partner in Sabancı University's Electronics Engineering program, particularly in the Microelectronics course/research area, providing internship opportunities, graduation project opportunities, and on-site and remote support for undergraduate and graduate courses. Our students have access to cutting-edge integrated circuit manufacturing, testing, and characterization infrastructure, built on integrated circuits and systems based on IHP's world-leading SiGe-BiCMOS technology, and the opportunity to engage in training and hands-on work with world-leading researchers.
Many of our students, a total of 106 EE undergraduate students, who have benefited from this opportunity to date have acquired the highest level of academic knowledge and motivation, completed their academic studies at the world's most prestigious universities (such as MIT, CMU, Gtech, UCSD, Texas A&M, KU Leuven, EPFL, Delft), and are working at managerial/leadership levels in leading electronics companies such as Nvidia, Apple, Google, Intel, Analog Devices, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, and Microsoft. In the research area, IHP has provided our Microelectronics Research Group with access to the world's fastest integrated circuit technology, providing the opportunity to conduct impactful research in this field both domestically and globally for years. This has resulted in the establishment of state-of-the-art test and measurement laboratory infrastructures, using resources obtained from domestic and international industrial and public R&D project support. These laboratory facilities have directly contributed to the content of master's and doctoral theses and articles published in the most respected journals in the field.
Both IHP and Sabancı University's senior management expressed their strong desire and support for this promising collaboration to continue and diversify.
About IHP:
IHP, an institute of the Leibniz Association, conducts research and development on silicon-based systems, ultra-high-frequency circuits, and technologies, including new materials. It develops innovative solutions for application areas such as wireless and broadband communications, security, medical technology, Industry 4.0, the automotive industry, and aerospace. IHP employs approximately 365 people. It operates a pilot line for technological developments and high-speed circuit preparation using 0.13/0.25 µm SiGe BiCMOS technologies in a 1,500 m² DIN EN ISO 14644-1 3 certified cleanroom.
