Silicon photonics foundry services

From telecom and datacom to (bio-)sensing, many applications requiring high speed and low power consumption benefit from incorporating a custom silicon photonics integrated circuit (PIC). As the world’s leading semiconductor R&D institution, imec has been at the forefront of developing next-gen silicon photonics technology for over a decade.

This work has resulted in mature 200mm imec silicon photonics platform with a PDK: iSiPP200, which is used for volume manufacturing and prototyping.

iSiPP200N is an extension of the iSiPP200 platform, integrating high-quality LPCVD silicon nitride (SiN) waveguide technology for higher power handling and filter synthesis, without impacting the performance of the high-bandwidth active devices.

InP lasers can also be added, through flip-chip bonding at wafer scale.

Flexible access models

Dedicated runs for prototyping and volume manufacturing (full mask set) – The iSiPP200 and iSiPP200N platforms are available for runsof min. 15 full wafers, offering a maximum of customization options, including optional specialty modules.

MPWs – Easy access to prototyping is available through the more standardized iSiPP50G and iSiPP50G Passives platforms that are geared to multi-project wafer (MPW) runs, of typically 20 dies.

Explore imec.IC-link’s iSiPP50G MPW platform

For more exploratory options, you can also access imec’s 300mm research platform.

Key silicon photonics technology parameters of imec’s iSiPP200 platform

• Imec iSiPP200 is based on 220nm silicon/2000nm buried oxide (BoX) SOI wafers, with optional high-resistive substrate. 
• Optional specialty modules and optimized processes for 10um-20um under-bump metallic for die stacking are available.
• The technology is compatible with bare-die reliability qualification tests (Ge PD, modulators, metal heaters).
• Optional modules are  local undercut (UCUT) for thermal insulation, laser flipchip and fiber attach.
• The iSiPP200N platform features additional LPCVD SiN waveguide integration for high power handling and filter synthesis (within-wafer thickness control 1-s<0.5% and refractive control 1-s<5E-4).
• There are optimized processes for silicon waveguides, Mach-Zehnder modulator phase shifters, and silicon ring modulators.
• Underbump metallic is available for flip-chip assemblies 
• Leverage process knowledge to design application-specific circuits (ASICs).

Available silicon photonics devices

• traveling–wave Mach-Zehnder p-n modulators
• Ge(Si) electro-absorption modulators
• micro-ring p-n modulators
• waveguide-based Ge-on-Si detectors
• fiber coupling:
  • vertical ‘raised’ gratings
  • v-band edge couplers
• passive waveguide-based devices such as filters
• integrated heaters