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The mission of JePPIX is to provide Europe with a strategic advantage in photonic integration. Therefore Europe’s key players are joining forces in order to create a solid infrastructure offering access to InP-based technology for proof of concept, prototyping and finally large scale manufacturing.

 

The list of JePPIX Partners is available on this page.

	Wavelength Monitor Chip

The platform addresses the following aspects:

• Research
  • Access to Photonic IC design and fabrication for SME’s and research institutes
  • Generic integration technology development
• Innovation
  • Compatibility of academic and industrial processes
  • Launching start-ups
  • Launching a foundry
• Education
  • Training in photonic IC design and technology

JePPIX aims at a generic integration technology in which a variety of photonic integrated circuits can be designed and fabricated using the same process. The concept is similar to the role played by CMOS foundries in electronics. Although the telecommunication field will remain one important application field of this technology JePPIX aims to offer a suitable technology for many other areas such as medical applications, sensors and metrology

Technology Levels

1. First, at a research level to demonstrate novel concepts/functionality of PICs towards Proof of Concept (PoC).
2. Next at a prototyping level for start-ups and SME’s to pave the way for fabrication of small series.
3. Finally in a commercial foundry for manufacturing in large volumes.

Time schedule

• 2007 Access to a University process for Proof of Concept
• 2009 Access to Industrial process for prototyping and small series
• 2012 Access to a foundry process

COBRA is offering access to its active-passive butt-joint integration technology in which semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) and passive waveguide devices (PWD) can be combined in the same processing: three-step epitaxy by MOVPE, self-aligned CH4-H2 RIE process for defining shallow-deep waveguides, planarisation and metallization. PWDs include shallow and deep waveguides, bends, arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs), MMI couplers, etc. Furthermore COBRA is working to extend the range of its available building blocks to include phase shifters (expected end 2007). For the longer term also inclusion of spot size converters (SSC), polarisation converters (PC) and distributed Bragg reflectors (DBR) gratings is investigated. COBRA offers three runs per year where each run consists of processing two quarters of an active-passive 2-inches epi-wafer. The processed area is split into 9 blocks (typically 4x4 mm2); three of which are reserved for test structures (to qualify the processing) and 6 blocks host the designed PICs of the users. The user-platform relation can be defined under two major lines: the platform input and output:

User input to platform

• Statement of interest by partners willing to join a run (mainly by email exchange).
• Design of a PIC (in cooperation with COBRA, design course is offered yearly)
• Characterisation of fabricated chip.
• Feedback to COBRA.

Platform Output

• Verification of delivered designs.
• Assembly of all accepted designs + adding test structures and generation of a set of masks.
• Order the masks and check of fabricated masks.
• Fabrication of the chip.
• Measuring test structures and report results to users.
• Sending to each partner its segment of the chip for characterisation.

Estimate of turn-around time

• 1 month for mask design
• 2-3 months for fabrication
• 1 month for basic characterisation & delivery
• Total 4-5 months

JePPIX is lead by a platform coordinator, which reports to a Steering Group.

The Steering group presently consists of five members, one for each of the five partner groups in JePPIX:

1. Research Institutes: Prof. Meint Smit (TU Eindhoven)
2. Chip Manufacturers: Dr Mike Wale (Research Director Bookham)
3. Equipment Manufacturers: Dr.ir. Paul van Dijk (Product Marketing Manager, ASML)
4. Photonic CAD companies Ir. Arjen Bakker (CTO Phoenix)
5. User group Dr. Richard Penty (Univ of Cambridge) Advisor Dr. Tom Pearsall (EPIC)

JePPIX-presentation given at annual meeting 2007

 

Presentation from the Photonics Forum 10th December 2008

 

Poster JePPIX, 10 December 2008

 

 

 

Link to details of the course

 

 

Local Contact:

Xaveer Leijtens

x.j.m.leijtens(at)tue.nl

 

 

Potential users of the platform should contact Dave Robbins to discuss their requirement, coordinator(at)jeppix.eu

 

Coordinating Partner: TU Eindhoven, COBRA

 

 

Local Contacts:

Huub Ambrosius

h.p.m.m.ambrosius(at)tue.nl

 

Xaveer Leijtens

x.j.m.leijtens(at)tue.nl