A new collaboration aims to scale photonic chips from research to large-scale production.
Dutch chipmaking equipment company ASML has collaborated with Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) to speed up the development and large-scale production of photonic chips in Europe. This collaboration is going to be based on TNO’s Photonic Chip Pilot Line, a pre-production facility designed to develop and optimise manufacturing processes before large-scale commercial production. Which is presently being constructed in the High Tech Campus of Eindhoven, Netherlands, and this collaboration aims to make advancements in the manufacturing of integrated photonics.
Within the framework of this collaboration, ASML will equip the pilot line facility with DUV and I-Line lithography machines for collaborative research and process development. This collaboration is also going to enhance Europe’s photonic chip ecosystem and semiconductor supply chain through increasing domestic manufacturing capabilities.
This collaboration integrates the research facility of TNO with ASML’s lithography technology, which is going to help in overcoming challenges related to the scalability of photonic chip manufacturing. This pilot line will facilitate collaborative research, technical workshops, and demonstrations of customers and also high-volume production of Indium Phosphide (InP) photonic chips on 6-inch wafers.
“This partnership with ASML reinforces our commitment to building European unicorns in the semiconductor landscape. By combining our R&D capabilities with world-class equipment, we are creating a unique pilot-line environment that will benefit the entire industry,” said Arnaud de Jong, Managing Director TNO High Tech Industry.
Integrated photonics involves using light rather than electricity to process and communicate data to increase the speed of communication at reduced energy cost. The pilot line is set to hasten the commercialisation of integrated photonics technology by offering a common facility for fabrication and processing.
“Scaling photonic chip technology requires a seamless transition from cutting-edge research to high-volume manufacturing. By integrating our lithography systems into TNO’s pilot line, we are bridging that gap,” said Stanislas Baron, Senior Vice President at ASML.
The partnership is set to optimise the manufacturing process of integrated photonics and ensure Europe maintains its lead in advanced semiconductor technology.
