, ▁from ▁the ▁research ▁part ▁of ▁its ▁parent ▁organization , ▁Hal ble iter werk ▁Frankfurt ▁( O der ) ▁( H FO , ▁tr . ▁" Sem icon duct or ▁Factory ▁in ▁Frankfurt ▁( O der ) "), ▁then ▁the ▁largest ▁IC ▁factory ▁in ▁East ▁Germany . ▁H FO ▁itself ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 . ▁On ▁the ▁e ve ▁of ▁reun ification ▁the ▁plant ▁had ▁ 8 0 0 0 ▁employees . ▁ ▁After ▁German ▁reun ification ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁After ▁German ▁reun ification , ▁H FO ▁lost ▁its ▁customer ▁base ▁in ▁the ▁Soviet ▁b loc . ▁E ff ort s ▁were ▁made ▁to ▁adapt , ▁but ▁it ▁sh rank ▁from ▁ 8 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 0 0 ▁people ▁and ▁finally ▁closed ▁in ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁However , ▁I HP ▁remained ▁health y ▁and ▁continued ▁to ▁receive ▁research ▁fund ing ▁and ▁to ▁develop ▁new ▁technology . ▁It ▁received ▁an ▁English ▁name ▁In nov ations ▁for ▁High ▁Performance ▁Micro elect ron ics ▁and ▁kept ▁the ▁original ▁initial ism . ▁Its ▁staff ▁won ▁pat ents ▁for ▁a ▁method ▁where ▁carbon ▁do ping ▁prevents ▁performance - k illing ▁bor on ▁diffusion . ▁The ▁new ▁federal ▁government ▁inv ested ▁to ▁bring ▁economic ▁development ▁and ▁to ▁mit ig ate ▁un emp loyment . ▁I HP ▁and ▁Communic ant ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁one ▁such ▁project . ▁The ▁Si - Ge : C ▁technology ▁from ▁I HP ▁and ▁its ▁product ization ▁at ▁Communic ant ▁target