PIC Production Support

Photonic integrated circuit production support refers to the technical and operational steps required to move a photonic chip design into fabrication, packaging, and testing.

This includes selecting appropriate manufacturing partners, preparing designs for tape-out, coordinating fabrication, and ensuring that chips can be packaged and tested correctly and efficiently.

Epiphany supports companies through this process by helping identify the right partners and coordinating the different stages of PIC manufacturing.

PIC production typically involves multiple partners, including foundries, packaging providers, and testing facilities. Managing these interactions can be complex, especially for organizations new to photonic chip manufacturing.

Epiphany can support this process by helping select suitable foundries, identifying packaging and testing partners, coordinating collaboration between them, or even by taking care of the full PIC creation process. Since the most important decisions already need to be taken during the planning and design phase of the production, Epiphany offers to support their customers in making the right choices early.

Companies often seek production support when they are preparing their first photonic chip for fabrication or when they need help navigating the photonic manufacturing ecosystem. External support can help reduce risk when selecting fabrication platforms, defining packaging strategies, or coordinating multiple suppliers involved in producing a photonic device.

Yes. Epiphany can provide guidance and introductions to suitable partners or take a more active role in coordinating the full production chain. This can include foundry selection, packaging partner identification, testing coordination, and overall production management from tape-out to delivered devices.

PICs are fabricated in specialized foundries using processes similar to those used for electronic integrated circuits. The design layout is transferred to photomasks, and multiple lithography, deposition, and etching steps are used to create optical structures such as waveguides and devices on a wafer.

Once fabrication is complete, the wafers are typically diced into individual chips that can be packaged and tested.

Selecting a photonic foundry depends on factors such as the required material platform, device functionality, wavelength range, performance targets, and production volume.

Different foundries specialize in different technologies, including Silicon on Insulator, Silicon Nitride, Indium Phosphide, Lithium Niobate, Aluminum Oxide, Silica etc. Even within the same PIC platforms foundries differ in their capabilities and offering. Production planning must consider not only fabrication capabilities but also packaging compatibility and supply chain considerations.

Epiphany helps evaluate these factors and identify suitable foundry partners for specific applications.

After tape-out, the design enters the fabrication process at the selected foundry. Fabrication cycles typically take several months depending on the platform and production schedule. Foundries that specialize in rapid prototyping can sometimes deliver PICs faster.

Once fabrication is completed, wafers are inspected, diced into individual chips, and transferred to packaging and testing stages where optical and electrical performance can be characterized.

Packaging connects the photonic chip to optical fibers, electronic drivers, and thermal management systems. This may involve fiber arrays, edge coupling structures, or other optical interfaces depending on the design.

Photonic packaging requires high alignment precision and often represents a significant part of the overall system development effort.

Epiphany can help define packaging strategies and connect customers with suitable packaging partners.

Yes. Epiphany works across the photonic ecosystem and can help connect customers with foundries, packaging providers, and testing partners suited to their project requirements.

Because Epiphany operates as an independent design house, partner selection will be based on the technical and project related needs of the project.

The photonic manufacturing ecosystem involves many specialized partners, including foundries, packaging providers, and testing facilities. Navigating this ecosystem can be challenging for companies without prior experience.

An independent design house can help coordinate these interactions, align technical requirements across partners, and guide the transition from chip design to manufacturable photonic devices. Additionally, as an independent design house Epiphany supports the transfer from one foundry platform to another.