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Silicon Photonics Manufacturing Standards Working Group​

The Advanced Photonics Coalition (APC) Silicon Photonics (SiPH) Manufacturing Standards Working Group unites system architects with end users to define the next generation of compact, high-performance photonic circuits that are scalable and cost-effective to manufacture. 

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While silicon photonics unlocks new processing and scaling potential for high-bandwidth applications, there are still significant design challenges and production lead times can take months.

 

APC's SiPH Manufacturing Working Group's mission is to deliver a set of clear, practical standards, developed by the photonics ecosystem itself, that ensure supply chain interoperability and accelerate adoption of low-cost, high-volume manufacturing methods to enable innovation across a wide range of applications in vertical markets.

 

Silicon photonics is a breakthrough technology advancing the performance limits of traditional electrical interconnects, providing both bandwidth and power efficiency. Optical interconnections within integrated circuits and between boards will significantly transform data center network architectures with the optical interconnection of components moving from systems to boards to chip packages to chips themselves.​​​

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Recent advances in hybrid-integration allow silicon photonic circuits be co-packaged with standard CMOS electronics while still embedding active optical components to overcome traditional limitations.  The ability to integrate optical and electronic functions onto a single chip reduces signal path lengths and the need for complex, costly packaging.

The Evolution of Silicon Photonics Generations

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Source Credit: Perspective on the Future of Silicon Photonics and Electronics Paper

​​Members of the APC Silicon Photonics Manufacturing Standards Working Group encompass all aspects of the photonics supply chain and include suppliers from all sectors of the silicon photonics ecosystem.
 

​The APC Silicon Photonics Supply Chain Ecosystem: â€‹

  • Foundries / Photonic Design Kit / High Bandwidth Memory Manufacturers

  • Chiplets / Photonic Integrated Circuits (PIC) Designers

  • Electrical-Optical Engine Designers

  • Laser Manufacturers 

  • Electronic Design Automation (EDA) / Photonic Design Automation (PDA) Companies

  • Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT)  / Packaging Companies

  • Test Equipment Manufacturers

  • Systems and Networking Platform Companies

  • Contract Manufacturers

  • Materials Science and Thermal Solution Companies

  • Interface / Cable Suppliers

  • Optical Interconnect Providers    

  • Connector Suppliers

  • Fiber Array Unit Manufacturers

  • Various Optical Part Manufacturers

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Silicon Photonics extends its benefits to various applications, including fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) or fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP), environmental monitoring, biological and chemical sensing, microwave photonic circuits, medical devices, military applications and telecom. In the future, it could enhance home computers and mobile devices transforming applications from gaming to video streaming and beyond.​

 

Silicon Photonics Applications Beyond the Data Center 

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Source Credit: Intel Corporation

​​As the compactness, energy efficiency, and low latency of optical solutions created with silicon photonics make them applicable to a growing range of applications, this groundbreaking technology is playing a crucial role in modern-day data communications by leveraging silicon as an optical medium to transmit and process data using light. 

 

We encourage all members of the Photonics Ecosystem to join APC's effort to standardize the Silicon Photonics Manufacturing Process and in doing so, create low risk, low power, low cost, high volume manufacturing a reality for a variety of vertical markets. 

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