MOSIS collaboration with ePIXfab boosts access to silicon photonics prototyping

Semiconductor development foundry MOSIS had teamed up with ePIXfab, the European silicon photonics support center that provides low-cost prototyping services for photonic integrated circuits (ICs), to provide silicon photonics prototyping services to its customers.

The partnership gives MOSIS's customers access to the technology and capabilities of ePIXfab members, including imec’s 200-mm-wafer silicon photonics processes and Tyndall’s advanced silicon photonics packaging technology.

Imec’s silicon photonics platform enables research and development of silicon photonic ICs for high-performance optical transceivers at 25 Gbps and beyond for telecom, datacom, and optical sensing for life science applications. The offered integrated components include low-loss waveguides, efficient grating couplers, high-speed silicon electro-optic modulators, and high-speed germanium waveguide photodetectors. A comprehensive design kit to access imec technologies will be provided.

Moreover, the Tyndall National Institute, as a member of ePIXfab, offers the ability to provide packaged silicon photonics devices. This includes the design and fabrication of custom photonic packages, fiber coupling (single and arrays), and electrical interconnects. Design rules to support these packaging capabilities will also be provided.

“With this collaboration MOSIS will offer its first access to a mature silicon photonics infrastructure, with the option for follow on production” added Wes Hansford, MOSIS director.

The first ePIXfab-Europractice run for passive silicon photonics ICs is open for registration from June 2013 with a design deadline of September 9, 2013.

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