VTT joins PIXEurope
The Finnish research institute contributes its thick silicon-on-insulator PIC platform to the European pilot line project and plans to invest in new cleanroom equipment aimed at improving wafer processing and exploring the integration of other materials
VTT has announced its participation in PIXEurope, the European pilot line for PICs, and aims to provide the pilot line with expertise in thick silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology. Supported by the European Chips Act, the PIXEurope initiative will invest €400 million to advance the development and pilot fabrication of integrated photonic chips in Europe, vital for applications in fields including 6G, AI, mobility, imaging, and sensing. It is a five-year-long programme with final results expected in 2030.
The Spanish-based Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) coordinates the PIXEurope pilot line that aims to establish the first open access PIC ecosystem in Europe. There are several PIC technologies available with different strengths, and the pilot line seeks to gather them all together for the first time in Europe to offer solutions for different applications and to cover wavelengths from ultraviolet and visible light up to mid-infrared.
Apart from PIC design and manufacturing, the pilot line activities also include hybrid integration, packaging and testing of PICs. Process Design Kits (PDKs) are made available for end users to harness the developed technologies. By combining multiple functions into a single chip, PICs reduce manufacturing costs and open up new applications.
“From VTT, we bring to the pilot line our mature thick-SOI PIC technology and improve it further,” said Timo Aalto, research team leader for VTT's silicon photonics team.
According to VTT, the thick-SOI PIC platform already offers a unique combination of low optical losses, dense integration and broad wavelength range. As part of the PIXEurope pilot line, VTT plans to invest in new equipment for processing SOI wafers in its Micronova cleanroom. This new equipment is aimed at allowing for the improvement of the patterning resolution and surface smoothness of the optical waveguide structures that guide light in the PICs, and to integrate other materials on the SOI wafers for additional functionalities, such as fast light modulation and detection.
In addition to its own PIC technology development, VTT has a key role in leading a work package, where the development of all monolithic PIC technologies is carried out by multiple pilot line partners. The monolithic PIC platforms form the foundation on which additional PIC materials are added in other work packages.
“VTT is honoured to contribute to the PIXEurope pilot line with world leading know-how in the integrated photonics field,” said Piia Konstari, VTT director of microfabrication services. “Our participation in PIXEurope complements our strong presence in the Chips JU microelectronics pilot lines. We are committed to working towards a unified European photonics ecosystem.”
