This collaboration between VLC Photonics and OpenLight shortens time to market and speeds up development of engineering PIC innovations.
VLC Photonics, the industrial provider of end-to-end integrated photonics services and a technological subsidiary of the Hitachi group specialized on optical circuits developments, today announced a strategic partnership with OpenLight, the world leader in custom PASIC chip design and manufacturing. Through this collaboration, VLC Photonics will enhance its service portfolio by incorporating the OpenLight process design kit (PDK) into its design and test offerings. This expanded capability enables VLC Photonics to support a greater number of designs concurrently on the Tower Semiconductor PH18DA process, thereby reducing time to production for the development of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and extending the reach of the Silicon Photonics (SiPh) industry to drive photonic semiconductor innovations across various applications and market segments.
«By combining the unparalleled expertise and resources of OpenLight with VLC Photonics’ top-notch design and testing services, we empower our clients to tackle unique development challenges, broaden their design capabilities, and overcome compatibility barriers,» said Iñigo Artundo, CEO of VLC Photonics. «This marks an exciting advancement for our company as we continue to grow and attract a wider customer base.»
The OpenLight PDK incorporates both active and passive components at the same circuit platform, providing advanced access to Silicon Photonics with heterogeneous integration for lasing and amplification functions. VLC Photonics will now cater to an expanding number of users and customers utilizing the Synopsys OptoCompiler implementation of the PDK. This offers to mutual customers a premier option from an EDA tool perspective, ensuring successful design implementation and verification on the initial attempt aiming for nearly first-time-right iterations. On the testing front, VLC Photonics will provide OpenLight customers with its expertise in fully automated electro-optical die and wafer-level characterization for vertical and edge-coupling fiber configurations, as well as high-speed testing up to 110 GHz. This is particularly crucial for photonic integrated circuits used in high-bandwidth applications such as those in datacenters and AI/ML markets. «With a commitment to offering our customers access to top-tier platforms, this partnership is also pivotal in furthering our vision with Hitachi to advance and expand the integrated photonics industry, particularly in the emerging realm of hybrid integration,» remarked Dr. Adam Carter, CEO of OpenLight. «Having supported PIC customers for over 12 years, we understand the importance of expediting the development cycle, mitigating risks during tape-out, and providing reliable and scalable PIC characterization. We are thrilled to collaborate with VLC Photonics to address these challenges.
About VLC Photonics S.L.
VLC Photonics S.L. is a pure-play photonic Design and Test house based in Valencia, Spain, which provides engineering services and turn-key capabilities on photonic integration solutions towards multiple application fields. It has a wide experience with various material platforms (Silicon Photonics, indium Phosphide, Silicon Nitride, PLC, Polymer) and offers fabless development services for photonic integrated circuits in Telecom/Datacom, microwave photonics, quantum optics, lidar, bio-photonics and optical sensing markets. To learn more about VLC Photonics, please visit www.vlcphotonics.com
About OpenLight Photonics Inc.
OpenLight leads the industry in tailored PASIC design. Utilizing OpenLight’s PASIC technology, all elements of silicon photonics devices are combined into a single chip, encompassing both active and passive components. Our executive and engineering teams introduce the world’s pioneering open silicon photonics platform, featuring integrated lasers to enhance the efficiency, performance, and dependability of designs across telecom, datacom, LiDAR, healthcare, HPC, AI, and optical computing applications. With a portfolio boasting over 200 patents, OpenLight pioneers optical solutions in unprecedented domains, enabling advancements and innovations previously unattainable. Headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA, OpenLight also maintains offices in Silicon Valley. Explore further at www.openlightphotonics.com.