Silicon photonic ICs for prototyping and volume production
Imec offers an integrated silicon photonics platform targeted to the telecom, datacom and medical diagnostics industries: our silicon photonics platform (iSiPP).
The iSiPP platform co-integrates a wide variety of passive and active components, enabling competitive photonic integrated circuits for short reach optical interconnects.
Get access to small-volume manufacturing and prototyping by leveraging imec's mature iSiPP50G platform through imec.IC-link's MPW service. And volume production thanks to our strategic partnership with SilTerra.
Three flavors of iSiPP
Imec's iSiPP platform is SOI-based and comes in three distinct flavors:
- iSiPP200: 200mm (8”) full platform (see table below)
- iSiPP50G: 200mm (8”) simplified platform/flow (see table below)
- iSiPP300: options with TSV (through silicon via), microbumps and embedded microbumps are available in a 300mm (12”) platform
In 2023, imec's silicon photonics platform received an important upgrade through the co-integration of its high-quality silicon nitride waveguide technology – without performance degradation of the high-bandwidth active devices.
Also, together with III-V expert Sivers Photonics and equipment supplier ASMPT, imec succeeded in developing flip-chip bonded InP lasers on silicon photonic ICs, at wafer scale.
Prototyping services
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iSiPP50G |
iSiPP200 |
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Access model |
MPW |
Dedicated run |
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Functionality |
Basic (23 modules) |
Full (30 modules) |
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Silicon delivery |
20 dies for 1 standard block (5.15mm x 5.15mm) or larger, 10 for Half block or Quarter block |
Full wafers (minimum 15) |
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Run timing |
Fixed (2 runs per year) |
Flexible, upon request |
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Minimum area |
Quarter block (2.5mm x 2.5mm) |
Full reticle (21.5mm x 18.5mm) |
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Metrology/test |
Standard test |
Standard test |
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Customization |
Limited (upon availability) |
Options available (Fully Flexible) |
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Cost sharing |
Mask and processing |
None |
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Volume production
Thanks to the strategic partnership of imec with SilTerra, you can process advanced silicon photonic circuits designed in imec’s PDK, in large volumes in a commercial 200mm foundry. You can also insert state-of-the-art add-ons that are only available at imec – because of the wafer exchange between imec and SilTerra.
Building blocks that are available for this technology transfer include:
- 193nm lithography-based multi-level silicon patterning
- Si p-n diode phase shifters for high-speed Mach-Zehnder and ring modulators
- Ge photodetectors
- W heaters with optional substrate undercut
- 2 levels of Cu metal interconnect
- Si, SiN or SiON edge couplers
- encapsulated local substrate undercut
Key technology parameters
- Starting substrate: Silicon-on-insulator with 220nm Si / 2000nm BOX
- 3-level Si & 1-level poly-Si patterning with 193nm lithography
- 6-level silicon doping & 2-level Ge doping
- Ge-on-Si RPCVD epitaxy
- 2-level Cu interconnects + Al bondpad
- Deep-Si etch for edge coupling
Available devices
- Traveling–wave Mach-Zehnder p-n modulator
- Ge(Si) electro-absorption modulator
- Micro-ring p-n modulator
- Waveguide-based Ge-on-Si detectors
- Fiber coupling:
- Vertical “raised” grating
- C-band edge coupler
- Passive waveguide-based devices such as filters
- Integrated heaters
