For Chips and Chemistry: KIT Receives Funding for Prototype Development

In the first round of the competition for funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in February, KIT was exceptionally successful, securing 5.8 million euros. Now, two additional KIT projects are being supported with approximately 500,000 euros each from the EU program for prototype development funding for innovative technologies.

“We are very pleased that the strategic and economic relevance of research at KIT is once again underscored by ERDF funding,” explains Professor Thomas Hirth, Vice President Transfer and International Affairs at KIT. The goal of the funding is to transfer research results more rapidly into marketable applications.

More Durable Membranes and Conductive Particles

In the PENGEL project, researchers are developing two prototypes centered on pellicles for chip manufacturing. A pellicle is an extremely thin protective membrane that plays an essential role in modern chip manufacturing and must be replaced regularly. Each replacement leads to production interruptions that can cost up to one million U.S. dollars per hour. Researchers at KIT have developed and patented significantly more durable pellicles. Now they aim to scale production up to an industrial level and produce and certify a fully operational prototype.

With the DEMO PER project, KIT is building a demonstrator for a novel reactor concept. This reactor is designed to operate using conductive particles instead of traditional solid electrodes, thereby enabling improved chemical reactions. The prototype of the electrochemical particle-electrode reactor is intended to demonstrate whether the reactor concept is suitable for industrial application.

iha, April 30, 2026