Roy Knechtel

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Roy Knechtel is a Professor at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Schmalkalden University of Applied Sciences. His research focuses on MEMS technologies, semiconductor wafer bonding, and sensor systems, with extensive applications in industrial microsystems. He leads investigations in wafer-level encapsulation, CMOS-MEMS integration, and reliability testing for microsensors.

Research Interests: Knechtel specializes in intelligent autonomous sensors, micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), and semiconductor processing techniques. His work emphasizes wafer bonding methodologies (glass frit, anodic, direct bonding), MEMS packaging, and sensor integration for automotive, biomedical, and industrial applications. Key areas include hermetic sealing, process optimization, and 3D heterogeneous integration.

Publication Trends: Over 50 publications (2000–2020) demonstrate sustained focus on wafer bonding physics, MEMS fabrication robustness, and microsystem encapsulation. Recent works explore edge effects in bonding, adhesive techniques for lab-on-chip devices, and acoustic MEMS. His articles consistently address industrial scalability and reliability challenges in semiconductor microsystems.

Patents & Innovations: Holds patents including:

• Method for hermetic sealing of MEMS structures (DE112007001698A5)
• Wafer-level chip separation with micromechanical structures (EP1599412A1)
• Electrical connection methods for bonded wafers (DE10350460A1)

Laboratory Leadership: Directs research in wafer bonding characterization and MEMS process development, collaborating with industry partners like X-FAB and Fraunhofer on production-scale microsystem technologies.