Mr. Reiner, what are you working on at the moment?

Together with my colleagues, I am working on the development of gallium-nitridebased semiconductor devices such as transistors and diodes. Many power electronic systems in e-mobility, aerospace, or illumination can be made more efficient, more compact, lighter, and more affordable by the use of gallium nitride devices. At the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF in Freiburg, we are working in all areas of gallium nitride electronics, starting with the initial material and going right through to the finished system and increase in reliability. Within this value creation chain, my task consists of placing a good device design with the maximum possible power and functionality onto a specific chip area. Sometimes it is helpful to look into nature: there you will find a variety of energetically perfected systems. The food supply of plants from the roots to the branches or leaves, or even the blood vessels in the human circulation system, serve as inspirations to me when it comes to designing both efficient and space-saving conductive structures for electric devices. 

Which of the projects being worked on by your colleagues in other Fraunhofer institutes interests you in particular?

I am very excited about the worlds beyond human perception. I am fascinated, for example, by the micro- and macroscopic processes going on around us. Our colleagues from the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT have developed a compact and cost-effective incubator microscope to take time-lapse videos of cells. This allows them to give a wide audience an insight into these exciting worlds. 

Imagine that you reiceive a visit from some nice colleagues and would like to show them something of your town, apart from the usual tourist sights. Do you have any insisder tips?

There are quite a few idyllic forest inns around Freiburg. And the routes to get there are a real experience, with great views over the city. Once you have arrived you can enjoy yourself and enjoy a wide range of regional delicacies. 

What invention would you not like to do without in daily life?

My colleagues gave me a bread machine for my birthday. Since then, I have perceived bread through different eyes and I eat it much more consciously. The dough is like a living being. You have to take care of it and let it grow before it‘s baked and you can enjoy the finished bread. I wouldn‘t like to do without either bread or my bread machine. 

What do you wish you had more time for?

It is strange that none of us seems to have the time we need, but it‘s exactly the same for me. In spite of, or perhaps because of, optimal scheduling, I am unable to give many activities the time I would need for them. These include painting and sports. 

Let's look into the future. What would you like to have achieved in five or ten years' time?

I would like to still be healthy and enjoying life. On a professional level, I hope that the circumstances allow me to continue my research with as much enjoyment as I have so far. In my private life, my girlfriend and I are planning the future and I‘m excited to find out what we can expect. 

What song belongs to the "soundtrack" of your life?

I am a fan of the music from the film Rocky. I would like to add a few songs from it to my personal soundtrack. The music has great dynamism and range, occasionally quiet, occasionally motivating to the point of euphoria. 

Last but not least: can you tell us what motto you live by?

“Even the stones placed in our path can be used to build beautiful things.” 

About Richard Reiner:

Richard Reiner studied electrical engineering at the Technical University of Berlin, concentrating on high frequency and microsystem technology. He completed his master’s degree in 2007. Between 2007 and 2010, he was a research associate for the Hahn-Schickard-Gesellschaft at the Institute for Microsystem Technology in Villingen-Schwenningen, where he worked on developing electronic sensor systems. Since 2010, he has worked as a research associate in the Microelectronics department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF in Freiburg on the development and characterization of gallium nitride devices for power electronic applications.