VLC Photonics is an end-to-end integrated photonics services firm and part of the Hitachi group. With this collaboration, it will now offer design and test services using the OpenLight process design kit (PDK).
The expansion of design services increases the number of designs that OpenLight can support at any one time on the Tower Semiconductor PH18DA process for the development of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and expands the silicon photonics industry’s reach to drive advancements across multiple applications and market segments.
“By integrating expertise and resources from OpenLight with the design and test services offered by VLC Photonics, we are empowering our customers to tackle unique development challenges, broaden their design repertoire, and overcome compatibility hurdles,” said Dr. Adam Carter, CEO of OpenLight.
The OpenLight PDK integrates active and passive components, offering advanced access to silicon photonics with heterogeneous integration.
VLC Photonics will now support a customer base using the Synopsys OptoCompiler implementation of the PDK, ensuring successful design implementation and verification. On the test side, VLC Photonics will support OpenLight customers with its capabilities on fully automated vertical and edge-coupling die and wafer level characterization, as well as high-speed testing up to 110 GHz.
This is critical for photonic integrated circuits used in high bandwidth applications such as those required in the datacentre and AI/ML markets.
“Aiming to provide access to best-in-class platforms to our customers, this partnership will also be fundamental in expanding our vision with Hitachi for maturing and growing the integrated photonics industry, especially in the emerging area of hybrid integration,” said Iñigo Artundo, CEO of VLC Photonics. “We know that speeding the development cycle and lowering the risks when facing a tape-out are key, as well as being able to later on perform the PIC characterization in a reliable and scalable way.”
