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Robert Bosch Center for Power Electronics – RBZ
The rbz – a research and teaching
network
The Robert Bosch Center for Power Elec-
tronics (rbz) is a research and teaching
network established in 2009 in which
the Bosch Group, Reutlingen University
and the University of Stuttgart have joined
forces. This unique cooperation is the first
of its kind in Germany.
In order to set up and operate the rbz,
the Bosch Group, the state of Baden-
Württemberg and the universities com-
mitted themselves to invest more than
30 million Euros over the next ten years
for new chairs and infrastructure. The
Robert Bosch Center for Power Electronics
has branches in Reutlingen and Stuttgart.
At the rbz students can take Bachelor's
and Master's degree programs that focus
on power- and microelectronics. They
can study in Stuttgart or Reutlingen,
depending on the program chosen. There
is also the possibility of studying for a
doctorate.
The rbz in Reutlingen
At the rbz in Reutlingen three new chairs
have been established. These professors
are responsible for teaching in the Master's
program for Power Electronics and Mi-
croelectronics as well as for conducting
research in these fields.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Pfost, professor for
Power Electronics, was working for eleven
years at Infineon Technologies in Munich
and Bucharest at different positions in
GaAs-, SiGe- and Si-power-technology
modeling and safe operating area simu-
lation.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Scheible, professor
for Electronic Design Automation, gained
over 18 years of working experience at
Robert Bosch GmbH where he was in
charge of layout design and methodol-
ogy, improvement of design flows, tool
management and ASIC layout design.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bernhard Wicht, professor
for Integrated Circuit Design, also came
straight from the industry. At Texas In-
struments, Freising, he was working as
analog ASIC designer and design manag-
er for power & networking.
Their research interests comprise charac-
terization, modeling, and optimization of
power semiconductors and power elec-
tronic systems, methods for automation
of ASIC layout design, IC design with
focus on power management, gate drivers,
motor control, energy efficiency, low-
power, ESD and EMC. Many research
projects from these fields have already
been started. Some are concerned with
the prediction of safe operating area and
lifetime modeling of advanced power
semiconductors. Other projects deal with
improved layout generators and con-
straint-driven design methodologies, DC
converters operating in the MHz range as
well as optimized gate drivers. More top-
ics not mentioned here are addressed in
ongoing research activities.
More than 20 Ph.D. students are involved
in several research projects, projects with
public funding and in collaboration with
industry. Further growth is expected.
Students working in one of the laboratories
Exterior view of the rbz in Reutlingen
