Lausanne, Switzerland – September 16th, 2024 - Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) have been demonstrated with very low on-chip loss in the past, for example with LIGENTEC’s low loss silicon nitride (SiN) PIC platform. The connection of these integrated photonic circuits to optical fiber arrays is often a challenge in terms of performance and cost. Vanguard Automation GmbH and LIGENTEC SA have now demonstrated a low loss coupling by using standard PDK elements.
Vanguard Automation GmbH (a Mycronic company), the developer of 3D-printed Photonic Wire Bonding (PWB) and Facet-Attached Micro-Lens (FaML) technology for photonic integration and packaging and LIGENTEC SA, producer of all nitride core PICs announces the results of their successful collaboration to bring photonic integration with PWBs to LIGENTEC’s low loss SiN PIC platform. Through the development of a standardized chip design with edge couplers available in the LIGENTEC PDK, Vanguard Automation and LIGENTEC have achieved seamless connectivity between an SMF fiber array and SiN PICs. A total insertion loss of less than 1.5 dB has been demonstrated. LIGENTEC’s high quality SiN PIC production process and Vanguard Automation’s reliable and repeatable 3D-printing process for the production of PWBs, ensures the delivery of high-yield photonic integration solutions.
“Our strategic collaboration with LIGENTEC highlights our technology’s versatility, enabling us to deliver photonic connectivity solutions to PICs via 3D nano-printed PWBs”, Dr. Laura Horan, Product Management Lead at Vanguard Automation. “This flexible and high performance interconnection method is another step to simplify the development of PIC based solutions while preserving the benefits of our low loss platform”, said Michael Geiselmann, CCO of LIGENTEC.
About Vanguard Automation GmbH
Vanguard Automation combines a decade of research in integrated photonics with 20 years of experience in building high-precision assembly machinery to propel photonic integration and packaging. Headquartered in Karlsruhe, Germany, VA develops process technology and machines for creating low-loss photonic connections between passive and active optical components leveraging its unique IP portfolio for Photonic Wire Bonding and facet-attached micro-optics. Augmenting nano-print technology, VA’s solutions enable high packaging density, increased design flexibility and fabrication throughput.
https://www.vanguard-automation.com/location/
About LIGENTEC
LIGENTEC provides application-specific Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) to clients in high-tech industries such as quantum computing, advanced computing, communication, autonomous driving, space, and biosensors. LIGENTEC’s technology, which was originally developed at the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), is patented and fully compatible with CMOS. This technology allows for the production of PICs with better performance than today’s state-of-the-art technology. Additionally, active components can be integrated to enable even more functionality on-chip. By combining the benefits of the low-loss SiN material with wafer level fabrication and integration, LIGENTEC addresses the main challenges of integrated photonics today, including low loss and short production cycles. LIGENTEC offers a smooth transition from research and development to volume production, supported by its low entry barrier MPW services, custom PIC developments, and high-volume production in a 200mm, IATF 16949 certified CMOS foundry. LIGENTEC is based in Lausanne, Switzerland, and Corbeil-Essonnes, Île-de-France, France, and is ISO 9001:2015 certified. www.ligentec.com
