Optical evolution through integration - www.vlcphotonics.com January 2014
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Optical evolution through integration
January 2014
www.vlcphotonics.com
Company Introduction • Optical chip design in multiple photonic technologies • UPV spin-off, presence in Spain and the Netherlands • 7 members of extensive academic and industrial experience • 10+ years in the field of integrated optics and photonics 02/27/14 www.vlcphotonics.com 2
What does photonic integration mean?
Aggregate multiple components of a system into a single monolithic chip.
Transistors
Capacitors
Resistors
Inductors
etc.
Same evolution path as electronics:
Lasers/LEDs
Photodetectors
Modulators
Optical Filters
Couplers/Splitters
Multiplexers
Interferometers
etc. Micro-optics
Integrated optics
02/27/14 www.vlcphotonics.com 3
Applications and Markets
Communications Signal Processing
• Optical Metrology
• FTTx and Access Networks
• Optical Instrumentation
• Microwave/RF Photonics
• Astrophotonics
• Long-haul and transport networks
• Quantum Optics/QKD
• Optical Datacom
Fiber Sensing BioPhotonics
• Structural Engineering • Medical Instrumentation
• Chemical Sensors • Photonic Lab-on-a-Chip
• Transport and Aerospace • Analytics and Diagnostics
• Energy and Utilities • Optical Biosensors
02/27/14 www.vlcphotonics.com 4
Photonic Integration: Why?
Advantages of chip integration:
– Reduced volume and weight
– Simpler assembly and packaging
– Better mechanical and thermal stability
– Enable complex system scalability
– Allow to scale up production
– Reduce costs on large series
System
Chip Design Manufacture and test
Concept
Mimic the electronic
fabless model Design houses Generic foundries
02/27/14 www.vlcphotonics.com 5
VLC Photonics activity
Custom design and Manufacture of
application-specific
Photonic Integrated Circuits
Largest Cost effectively Low-risk and fast
technology & through shared prototyping due to
foundry selection manufacturing proven expertise
02/27/14 www.vlcphotonics.com 6
Photonic integration: How?
System concept Packaging
C F
O
U Chip testing U
S
Optical architecture
N
T D
R
O Manufacture
Chip architecture I
M E
E S
R Chip design Mask layout + DRC
PDKs +
Performance simulation Licensed IP
2-8 weeks 4-8 months
Total flexibility + Turn-key solution
02/27/14 www.vlcphotonics.com 7
Multiple technologies
Depending on material technology:
- Silicon photonics: Silicon Dioxide (SiO2), Silicon-On-
Insulator (SOI), Silicon Nitride (Si3N4), etc.
- III-V semiconductors: Indium Phosphide (InP),
Gallium Arsenide (GaAs), etc.
- Lithium Niobate (LiNbO3)
Best Technology Features SOI SiO2/Si Si3N4/SiO2 InP/GaAs LiNbO3
Low propagation loss
Good coupling to fibers
Good electro-optic effect
Good thermo-optic effect
Good electro-absorption effect
Light generation / regeneration
Small footprint
Compatibility with electronics
Wavelength range: ~1200-2000 nm (Si3N4: 400 – 2350 nm)
02/27/14 www.vlcphotonics.com 8
Part of our foundry network 02/27/14 www.vlcphotonics.com 9
Design and Test Infrastructure
– Full photonic design framework, with several commercial
software licenses and proprietary libraries.
– OPCLUSTUX HPC simulation cluster (10 HP Proliant ML110
servers, 2 Intel Xeon processors each, 40 GB RAM, 2 TB storage)
– Access to a 4M€ optical communications lab, RF test
up to 50 GHz, digital up to 40 Gb/s
– Fully automated photonic characterization and test
setups for bare chips in clean vaults.
– Manual wire bonding and thermal testing capabilities
02/27/14 www.vlcphotonics.com 10Added value
VLC Photonics designs in the best suited material technology and for
the most appropriate foundry.
VLC Photonics offers a proprietary library of photonic building blocks
with new or extended functionalities from the standard PDKs.
VLC Photonics aims for fast response and first-time-right fabrication
thanks to its long experience with its tools and partners.
VLC Photonics ensures confidentiality along the whole manufacturing
chain. NDA in place from start, customer's design IP transferred.
02/27/14 www.vlcphotonics.com 11Ex: Ultra-compact wavelength channel splitting
Miniature dual Arrayed Waveguide Grating (AWG) for wavelength channel
splitting system, to be used in optical telecom or in a fiber sensing system.
Photonic chip layout Manufactured SOI prototype
Optical system concept at ePIXfab MPW run, 2011
Fiber sensors
Mux/
Mux/
Interrogator demux
demux
Standard PLC vs. SOI AWG sizes
02/27/14 www.vlcphotonics.com 12Ex: Miniature fiber sensor interrogation
Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensor interrogator, based on
AWG + 10 GHz Mach-Zehnder modulator + photodiode.
Read-out up to 100 kHz, spectral resolution below 10 pm.
Manufactured SOI prototypes, 2012
Equivalent fiber interrogator
size comparison
~10x smaller!
02/27/14 www.vlcphotonics.com 13Ex: Optimized photonic receiver
Using ring-assisted Mach-Zehnder interferometer filters
complementary acting as frequency discriminators, to
simplify on-chip detection with a balanced photodiode
for low-power MWP links.
Optical system concept
and chip architecture Photonic chip layout
Manufactured InP prototype, 2012
02/27/14 www.vlcphotonics.com 14Example: Next-gen optical network encoder
Novel OCDMA system using passive delay lines and parallel waveguide couplers.
Code tunability is achieved by the use of thermo optic heaters, which add phase
shifts to each sample. Prototyped in two different technologies.
TriPleX prototype
Optical system concept Photonic chip layout
at LioniX MPW run, 2011
SOI version, 2012
02/27/14 www.vlcphotonics.com 15Ex: Integrated Microwave Photonic Beamformer
Comparable bulk beamformer
Optical
system
concept
and chip
architecture
- World first silicon photonic MWPBF Manufactured SOI prototype
- Signal processing at 40 GHz at ePIXfab MPW run, 2011
- Precise relative phase tuning per branch (filter tap)
- Smallest foot print, near future merge with electronics
02/27/14 www.vlcphotonics.com 16Ex: Precise interferometric systems
Interferometers:
- Mach-Zehnder
- Michelson
- Sagnac
- ...
Excellent
accuracy vs.
fiber based
implementations
02/27/14 www.vlcphotonics.com 173D Photonic crystal structures - Automated pattern generation - Periodic structures - All kind of cell geometries and sizes - GDS/CAD ready for production Applications: - Lighting - Solar energy harvesting - Dielectric mirrors - Resonant cavities - Highly directional antennas - Non-linear effects - Lasing - Waveguides and junctions 9th April, 2012 www.vlcphotonics.com 18
BB Example: 16 Channels AWG @ 200 GHz
Telecom grade specs
Ultracompact design
Also possible in e.g. 1310 nm
9th April, 2012 www.vlcphotonics.com 19BB Example: Parametric Echelle gratings
Mux/demux device, optimized for:
- low insertion losses
- low PDL
- low crosstalk
- small size
x high dependence from fabrication
Critical to have the BB
validated for each foundry
Flat surfaces for metallization, or DBR reflectors
9th April, 2012 www.vlcphotonics.com 20BB Example: Asymmetric thermally-tuned MZI
Excellent repeatability even with
design-process decoupling
9th April, 2012 www.vlcphotonics.com 21BB Example: 2x2 MMI (50/50 coupling ratio)
1x2 (50/50)
2x2 (85/15)
2x2 (50/50)
Same device compared in three
different PICs → Excellent repeatability
9th April, 2012 www.vlcphotonics.com 22BB Example: Parametric MMI designs
Symmetric and non-symmetric
coupllng ratios
2×2 MMIs
1×3 MMIs
2×3 MMIs
3×3 MMIs
4×4 MMIs
9th April, 2012 www.vlcphotonics.com 23BB Example: Parametric AWG designs
Telecom Multiplexers / Demultiplexers
Spectrometers
Etc.
All material platforms
Multiple geometries
Custom channel count
and wavelength spacing
9th April, 2012 www.vlcphotonics.com 24Thank you for your attention
info@vlcphotonics.com
www.vlcphotonics.com
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