Eindhoven-based Smart Photonics and Globalfoundries have launched an integrated-photonics foundry service that combines both their material platforms. The companies say the service will be the industry’s first commercial open-access foundry offering that integrates indium phosphide and silicon photonics. It targets applications including AI data centers, optical transceivers and lidar, with general availability planned for the second half of 2027.
The prime advantage of silicon photonics, which Globalfoundries manufactures, is the ability to piggyback on decades of CMOS manufacturing. However, the workhorse material of the semiconductor industry can’t offer active components, including lasers, modulators and amplifiers. For this, Smart Photonics’ indium phosphide technology is needed.
Smart Photonics’ active components are integrated into cavities in the silicon chips using flip-chip technology. The partners have spent more than a year co-engineering the approach to achieve the required dimensional fit and efficient optical coupling. The collaboration gives photonics designers access to the combined technologies through a foundry model rather than requiring them to develop the integration process themselves.
“Our customers seek active components seamlessly integrated into our silicon photonics platform,” says Vikas Gupta, senior fellow, silicon photonics business at GF. “By partnering with Smart Photonics to deliver this new open access foundry service, we’ve created a highly efficient production process to accelerate the availability of high-performance integrated optical products.”
