European InP pilot line lands on High Tech Campus

The High Tech Campus in Eindhoven will host a 6-inch pilot manufacturing line for indium phosphide-based photonic integrated circuits (PICs). Construction of the facility, spearheaded by TNO, is expected to start at the end of the year. The Photonic Integration Technology Center (PITC), Eindhoven University of Technology and the University of Twente are also involved. InP foundry Smart Photonics is located in Eindhoven.

“This pilot line is a game-changer for Dutch companies and the future earning power and prosperity for the Netherlands. It’s a critical part of a powerful ecosystem in photonic chips with which the Netherlands can distinguish itself worldwide,” says Ton van Mol, managing director at TNO.

The pilot line is funded through the EU Chips Act, Photondelta, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Defense and TNO. It’s part of the European initiative Pixeurope, a collaboration of knowledge institutions in eleven European countries. Pixeurope is the fifth pilot line program co-funded by the EU, with the other four targeting advanced CMOS, FDSOI, wide-bandgap materials and heterogeneous integration.

Additionally, Pixeurope, which has attracted 193 million euros in public funding, will sponsor a silicon nitride (SiN) PIC pilot line in Enschede. This will also be the home base of SiN foundry New Origin. Details about this pilot project haven’t yet been made public.