A major focus at this year’s OFC will be on the emerging photonic technologies required to enable large-scale generative AI networks. Optical interconnects based on the utilization of silicon photonics and more generally, photonic integrated circuits (PIC) within co-packaging strategies are ideally suited for this, facilitating greater disaggregation of computing functions such as processors, memory and storage, and removing crippling data transfer bottlenecks.
Scaling these integrated photonics technologies is another challenge and requires close co-operation among multiple partners in the industry to enable the cost-effective manufacturing of PIC-based optical interconnects.
To showcase major benefits resulting from direct collaboration within the ecosystem, ficonTEC is hosting a live demo at booth 4225, showing real-world assembly processes in partnership with Silitronics Solutions, Inc., the leader in photonic packaging and process development as a photonic OSAT (outsourced semi-conductor assembly and test). Quantifi Photonics will also display a range of complementary photonic test solutions – such as laser sources, polarization controllers, optical power meters and optical spectrum analyzers – that are designed to be integrated into assembly and packaging platforms.
This joint presence at OFC embodies the all-important stages of actually building these critical optical interconnects. Using ficonTEC’s assembly and alignment equipment, the live demo shows how Silitronics’ packaging solutions are ready to be built in a fully automated fashion and cost-effectively in high volumes in record times. Quantifi Photonics’ test solutions address the critical requirement of fully characterizing the photonic devices to make sure that they meet specifications.
To round out OFC week, ficonTEC, Silitronics, and Quantifi Photonics will join an open panel discussion with other ecosystem companies, including Global Foundries, Nvidia, Broadcom and Jabil, to provide a broader perspective on how to scale PIC technologies for high-volume production with the best yield, pricing, cycle time and quality. The panel discussion takes place from 3 to 4pm, Thursday, March 28 at the show floor theater.
“Providing scalable test solutions to bring the photonics industry to the next phase is one of the main missions of Quantifi Photonics,” says Kees Propstra, VP of Marketing and General Manager of Quantifi Photonics USA. “Collaborating with ecosystem partners is critical to fully understand customer requirements and fine tune integrated solutions that are cost-effective and can scale to the desired volumes.” See the live demo at ficonTEC’s booth (#4225), March 26-28 at OFC 2024.
About ficonTEC
ficonTEC is the recognized market leader for automated assembly and testing machine systems for high-end opto-electronic components and integrated photonic devices. Considerable process capability and dedicated assembly technologies have been accumulated over more than two decades of serving the needs of a broad selection of industry segments – including telecom/datacom/5G, high-power diode laser assembly, IoT-conform sensor devices from bio-med to automotive lidar, micro-optical modules, fiber-optics and more. ficonTEC’s flexible and scalable automation options enable customized assembly and test solutions suitable for early device development, for new product introduction (NPI), and all the way up to high-volume manufacturing (HVM) – regardless of whether for contract manufacturing or for in-house R&D and production.
For more information, visit www.ficontec.com
About Silitronics
Silitronics offers full turn-key package design, substrate fabrication and process development services as well as ramp up of silicon photonics modules. Silitronics has fully automated equipment to develop active alignment of +/- 0.5µm among PIC, laser and FAU using ficonTEC and Quantifi Photonics’ equipment. Many of the NPI builds which Silitronics does are so advanced that there is no precedence and does not fit in a standard assembly. Often the design rules have to be pushed beyond their limit which is standard among our customers. Silitronics customer are top tier hyper-scalers and leading start-ups in chiplets heterogeneous integration, AI/ML, quantum computing and silicon photonics.
Silitronics team has expertise to innovate, develop, and implement the best design and silicon photonics assembly solutions from concepts to finished products.
For more information, visit www.silitronics.com
