laser manufacturing technology
rhombus4
flexibility through tunability. Examples of components and A key enabling factor will be the establishment of qualified Integrated 3
circuits which we are expanding capacity include 40 device platforms on which designers can create their element RZ-
Gbit/s integrated modulators, components for coherent circuits. In the silicon microelectronics world, no circuit DQPSK
(40, 100 Gbit/s) receivers and reduced cost tunability for designer would ever question the design of the underlying modulator chip
10 Gbit/s, based on T-TOSA or T-XFP formats. transistors and resistors – he or she works at a higher for 40Gbps
level. Standardization of process allows the fab owner to
The fabs must allow rapid scalability to meet demand, so achieve high volumes and establish a virtuous circle of
yields of circuits such as the ILMZ are critical. We are improvement in process capability and production yields.
addressing this through process standardisation, control
and monitoring. Batch level automation of processes Furthermore, by establishing qualification at the platform
ensures scalability as well as allowing flexibility and level (‘capability’ qualification), the designer will be
capacity to develop next generation technologies. relieved of a major burden in the product development
cycle inqualification and reliability proving at the level of
Looking forward individual designs. This way of working is routine in the
We believe that we are now entering a critical phase for silicon microelectronics world but in photonics it is new.
optoelectronic semiconductor device development – as It will need new ways of working on the part of designers
more functionality and demands are being pulled back to and fabs – and could stimulate new opportunities for
the chip level, the need to control the chip design, fabless design houses and manufacturing companies. It
development and timescales is becoming increasingly will also require greatly enhanced computer aided design
critical. The industry must grow and make sufficient cash capabilities to support circuit-level optical design. Wafer picture
to ensure the next generation of technologies – such as of integrated
400 or 1000GbE – can be developed and manufactured However this may evolve, we believe that ownership of RZ-DQPSK
at suitable cost. This is driving investment now in basic fabrication facilities and processes right now gives the modulators.
‘building block’ technologies and will soon demand further best possible platform for growth and differentiation in Each 3 element
investment in next generation fabrication facilities. the industry, as well the opportunity to rapidly scale as the modulator is
insatiable demand for data transmission continues. 7mm long
We are starting to ask the questions about how the
industry might evolve over the next 5 – 10 years. Will the
next generation of photonic fabrication facilities be
affordable, even with further industry consolidation?
How large will the global requirements for integrated
InP optoelectronic circuits become, and how many wafers
(3 or 4”) would this require?
If it were possible to set up a complete ‘foundry’ design
and fabrication model, would this enable adjacent markets
for photonic devices and enable more rapid value growth
in the current markets?
To help answer these questions we are working with
a number of partners in European (EC) Framework 7
projects such as ‘EuroPIC’. Already external organisations
such as Technical University of Eindhoven (TU/E) are
designing devices and circuits for fabrication in the
Oclaro Caswell facility. There is difficulty here – with the
key IP strength moving from process to design.
January/February 2010
www.compoundsemiconductor.net 37
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