Laser technology for the world market
Adlershof Ferdinand-Braun-Institut has pooled its resources with the Chinese company Sino Nitride Semiconductor
The potential is enormous: With a view to developing products based on German laser technology, the Adlershof Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz-Institut für Höchstfrequenztechnik (FBH) has pooled its resources with the Chinese company Sino Nitride Semiconductor (SNS). Together, the two founded in 2013 Brilliance Fab Berlin GmbH (BFB) that likewise is located in Adlershof. Its goal: the compact laser modules developed by FBH are to be used in products for the world market.
One of these products is a scanner that can analyse the quality of food and is designed specifically for the Chinese market. “China is badly in need of independent food control,” explained Xiaozhuo Wang, Director of this company. The background was provided by the Chinese food scandal of 2008. Then it was disclosed that powdered milk had been stretched for years with the synthetic resin base melamine, causing kidney failure in infants. In 2010, dairy products containing melamine again made the news in China.
The planned scanners are about as big as espresso machines. “It’s conceivable that they’ll be available in grocery shops. Customers can then scan the powered milk packets and check them for any health hazards,” explained Wang. The principle behind these scanners is based on so called Raman spectroscopy. This involves irradiating the analysed product with laser light whose scattered spectrum contains the exact composition of the sample. “The device sounds an alarm when it detects melamine,” said Wang. The laser technology was developed by the FBH.
BFB develops lighting laser modules for use on the global automotive market. BMW is already launching the first cars with laser headlights. “LED headlights can reach 300 metres at most. For laser based headlights, this can be as high as 600 metres,” explained Wang. Even now, an agreement on the production of tail lights has been reached with a Chinese car parts supplier. A further field is the production of displays over two metres in diameter. “Above all large displays operate better with laser technology than with LEDs,” said Wang. “And the energy savings are over 30 percent.”
Xiaozhuo Wang is well familiar with the needs of the Chinese market. After all, he grew up in Changchun, the one-time capital of Manchuria. He learned German fifteen years ago in Lutherstadt Wittenberg. Studying electronic engineering in Bochum, he learned about the FBH during a period of practical training. At this institute he was also awarded his doctorate, not surprisingly in lasers. The idea of setting up the BFB company came from Professor Zhang Guoyi, who was teaching at Peking University and also managing the business of the Chinese company Sino Nitride Semiconductor (SNS).
“The FBH is an institution,” said Wang, almost in awe. “It’s great to be here, only a few minutes’ walk away. Any subject can be brought up quickly for discussion.”
By Mirko Heinemann for Adlershof Special