Durable electronics for a better environment

The sustainable design of electronics is one of the greatest technical challenges of our time. Electronic systems must be able to withstand extreme conditions such as heat, humidity and vibration – and yet still be repairable or recyclable at the end of their life. To master this challenge, Nora Jeske's research focuses on innovative, environmentally friendly materials and connection technologies for electronic systems. She is also developing data-driven methods for evaluating electronics and estimating their remaining lifespan. This addresses the growing problem of electronic waste and supports the implementation of the Siemens Eco Tech criteria. For these contributions, she has been honored with the Inventor of the Year Award 2025 in the “Newcomer” category.

Silver sintering – key technology for greater reliability and longer lifespan

Increasing the reliability and lifespan of power electronics is a central focus of Jeske’s research. An important approach is the use of silver sintering technology for innovative assembly and connectivity solutions. In silver sintering, tiny silver particles are pressed together under pressure and moderate heat to form a solid, electrically conductive compound. Unlike soldering, there is no melting of the metals, but rather a diffusion process that creates a stable and high-temperature resistant compound layer. Thanks to the excellent thermal properties of silver, this technique offers major advantages: better heat dissipation, increased reliability and a longer lifespan.
Jeske is working to further enhance the sustainability of this technology. Her focus is on optimizing process chains to combine silver sintering with other manufacturing steps. The goal is to shorten process times, save energy and simultaneously increase reliability to produce robust, compact and durable modules for power electronics.

In addition to increasing reliability, Jeske is also focusing her attention on how electronics can be reused and recycled – and how manufacturing can be made more resource-efficient. Together with the Electronics Manufacturing team in Berlin, she is developing approaches for an automated separation process for printed circuit boards and electronic components, methods for assessing the reusability of components, and concepts for recovering heat and process gases in production. “We’re looking at how the overall module can be constructed to be durable – and yet remain repairable,” explains Jeske. “This is the key to the circular economy,” she adds.

Electronics that tell their story

Another focus of her innovative work is assessing the lifecycle of electronics. Jeske and her colleagues developed passive structures that can be integrated into materials or components and react early to environmental stresses such as temperature or humidity. This gives an indication of the condition of the electronics and offers decision-making guidance for evaluating the remaining service life of a system or individual components.

This makes electronics assessable based on data: Which components can be reused? Which need to be replaced or recycled? What impact does this have on the remaining lifespan of the overall system? This creates a new technical standard – electronics that provide information about their own usage history – and makes the transition to a circular economy measurable and controllable.

From technology to strategy

Alongside technical development, Jeske is exploring ways to incorporate these solutions into future product generations and Siemens’ sustainability strategies. As a Senior Key Expert at Siemens Foundational Technologies, in addition to her research, she is also involved in trend radars and research initiatives that identify sustainable materials and circular design principles for electronics at an early stage.

Jeske’s career has been shaped by a scholarship from the German Academic Scholarship Foundation and her interdisciplinary path between technology, social issues and advisory services. It is important to her to “bring about change through my own actions” – a claim that is reflected in her inventions. The goal of her work is to reduce electronic waste worldwide, conserve resources and design electronic systems in such a way that they can be used longer, repaired and ultimately better recycled – an important contribution to the circular economy.