The topic with which I started into my PhD was “Signal conditioning of smallest capacitive signals at aF-range”. Supervisor was Prof. Buff (TU-Ilmenau, Germany). My research office and lab was located at the research center of the Robert Bosch GmbH (Stuttgart, Germany).
Calculating the numbers of electrons in a 1aF capacitor charged with 1V results to 6241. So we are more or less talking about counting electrons.
In fact the absolute value of such a capacitor doesn’t really matter. We are interested in the unit it presents. So back then MEMS gyroscopes were a perfect research vehicle. While the basics are easy, it took lots of effort to extract the wanted signal. The aim of my work was to find new methods for the development of such complex MEMS systems.
The Robert Bosch GmbH has this know-how and is presenting the top manufacturer for automotive angular rate sensor as well as consumer gyroscopes. These sensors are used for ESP, navigation, roll over sensing and much more. My work enabled us to create better sensors, opening the door for new applications.
I received my PhD from the University of Ilmenau with the degree "Summa Cum Laude".