PIC DESIGN
Based on your technical specifications, VLC Photonics can design a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) that implements the required functionalities on the target platform.
As a fabless and independent design house, we are skilled at the main photonic materials: IIIV semiconductors (InP and GaAs) and Silicon Photonics (thin and thick SOI, SiO2/PLC, Si3N4/TriPleXTM), combining multiple design frameworks and toolboxes. Moreover, VLC Photonics has developed its own proprietary modules and libraries of functional building blocks, guaranteeing always the best performance and optimal design technology match to minimize risks.
VLC Photonics complies with industry standard design techniques for manufacturability, testability and packaging. Moreover, Customers’ intellectual property will always be confidential and secured, and any IP developed through the integration process can be transferred to Customers on demand.
PIC CHARACTERIZATION AND TEST
After fabrication, chips from the corresponding foundry can be fully characterized at VLC Photonics’ facilities. Physical as well as functional characterization is performed on the bare dies to evaluate the design performance and the manufacturing process and tolerances. Our labs include digital and analog testing equipment up to 40 GHz and several multi-probe stations with vertical and lateral coupling setups enclosed in clean vaults.
Eventually, if the PIC is also packaged, VLC Photonics can also provide device level testing of the electrical and optical characteristics and performance. This also includes thermal testing, and if required, environmental test and certification through external partners for specific applications (standard telecoms, space, harsh sensing, etc.).
| Support | Product ID | Price, EUR | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic support | VLC-SUP | 2000* | Design review, layout advice for test and packaging, DRC. |
| Standard cell | VLC-DES | starting at 5500 | Layout for a single MPW cell using only available building blocks at the foundry PDK. This includes standard DC and optical routing. A GDS file with the cell layout and a pdf design report will be provided afterwards. |
| Custom cell | VLC-Custom | starting at 11 000** | Specs definition, design and layout for a single MPW cell using both the available building blocks at the foundry PDK, and also new custom blocks that may be needed to implement the required circuit. This includes complex electrical (DC/RF) and optical routing. A GDS file with the cell layout and a pdf design report will be provided afterwards. |
* – 20% Academic discount is applied under the condition of acknowledgement of VLC Photonics in scientific pubblications /
** For custom design contact: info@vlcphotonics.com
| Type | Product ID | Price, EUR | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Characterisation | VLC-CHA | starting at 2000 | VLC will characterize the fabricated photonic integrated circuit, by performing electrical and optical measurements of both building blocks and circuits, ideally supported by test structures. Characterization includes optical and electrical testing of builidng blocks and, when possible, circuit level measurements. A full characterization report will be provided afterwards in electronic pdf format. Prices depend on the number of dies to be measured, the number of structures per die, and the type of measurements for each structure. |
| Pilot Production Planning | VLC-PLT | starting at 15000 | Planification for Dedicated Fabrication Runs. Performing a technical study to evaluate the feasibility and define the project details towards the execution phases (design, fabrication, testing, packaging) together with a project management plan and techno-economical analysis to estimate the development cost and timelines, supply-chain, contingency strategies, risk analysis and administrative tasks. The goal is to outline a top-level scenario to clear the path towards product development. |
| Automated Testing | VLC-AT | starting at 25000 | PIC testing can be done at wafer level or when the chip is already diced or cleaved. Testing optical, electrical DC and RF parameters is done by very carefully aligning probes with nanometer precision. Automated characterization process can be provided depending on the customer project requirements. Fully-calibrated equipments for high-quality optical RX and TX testing. Operation with 1310nm and 1550nm Sources, and VNA reaching frequencies up to 120GHz. |
| Testing Assembly | VLC-TA | starting at 10000 | This product is intended to be a simple assembly to enable an standardized testing of PICs, for easier, faster and lower cost characterization. The Chip-on-Board (CoB), or demo board, standard Test Assembly conforms to VLC’s standard assembly processes, and it is not intended for volume packaging, but more for short prototyping series of maximum tens of pieces/month. The structural and functional composition of the CoB entails primarily a H-shaped Printed Circuit Board (PCB) for low-signal connections installed on a rectangular aluminium 60x50 mm² plate. The PCB provides the mechanical support on top of which to die-attach face-up the PIC using a thermally conductive (electrically non-conductive) epoxy. The CoB can accommodate any PIC substrate and size from around 2x4.6 mm² to 12x8 mm² or larger, and any PIC thickness from 80µm up to 800 µm or slightly thicker. The Chip-on-Board (CoB) standard module is available in the form of: • ‘Electrical assembly’, to perform the electrical fan-out of the pads to the PCB. Suitable for optical coupling testing at the laboratories and testing facilities. • ‘Optical assembly’, based on Fibre-to-PIC bonding approach using Fibre-Arrays. Appropriate for fully optical designs with no electrical operation. • ‘Electro-Optical assembly’, which combines the two previous assemblies. |