History

 

The development of semiconductor technology at RWTH Aachen University

The year 1961 was an eventful year for RWTH Aachen University. First, in this year the Faculty of Electrical Engineering emerged as an independent faculty from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering. Second, in the course of the expansion of the Faculty, the Institute for Transistor Technology was founded in the same year and Heinz Beneking was appointed Director of the Institute.

The development of transistor technology began in 1948 with the discovery of the transistor effect by Bardeen, Brattain and Shockley. Already 8 years later Heinz Beneking earned his habilitation with his work on "transistor circuits" at the RWTH Aachen University and received the authorization to teach "transistor technology". At that time it was probably already apparent that the transistor as a solid-state component would replace the vacuum tube in many areas, even though the exciting development of microelectronics with all the technical consequences could not be foreseen.

As a logical consequence the authorization to teach was transfered to a lectureship, then to an extraordinary professorship, and finally to a full professorship associated with a new founded institute, t he Aachen Institute of Transistor Technology .

The Aachen Institute of Transistor Technology was renamed to Institute of Semiconductor Electronics in 1964 and was probably the first institute of its kind in the then Federal Republic of Germany.

With these activities, RWTH Aachen Unisversity reacted to a new development whose far-reaching impact on culture and society was unpredictable.

Professors of the Institute of Semiconductor Electronics

1961 HEINZ BENEKING

Founder and first director, emeritus in 1989

1971 ERNST FRÖSCHLE

1976 appointed to GH Siegen

1968 WALDEMAR OF MÜNCH

1969 appointed to TU Hanover

1970 ERICH CUBALEK

1975 appointed to GH Duisburg

1971 KLAUS HEIME,

1975 appointed to GH Duisburg

1972 PIETER BALK

Chair II and Co-Director, appointed to TU Delft in 1988

1979 DIETER BIMBERG

1982 appointed to TU Berlin

1984 HEINRICH KURZ

In 1990 as successor of Pieter Balk appointed to the Chair II

1989 KLAUS HEIME

As successor of Heinz Beneking to the Chair I

2002 STEFAN HEINEN

As successor of Klaus Heime to the Chair for Integrated Analogue Circuits

2011 JOACHIM KNOCH

As successor to Heinrich Kurz, to the Chair for Semiconductor Technology

The many scientific, technical and administrative employees have, of course, contributed to the success of the institute in all its years of existence.