Tower Semiconductor is preparing to add laser integrated PIC for Scintil

Grenoble stated that in the context of growing demand driven by artificial intelligence and 5G, "key" milestones have strengthened its supply chain.

Scantil Photonics, a subsidiary of CEA Leti that focuses on silicon photonics, has stated that its integrated laser design is now being produced by Tower Semiconductor, a wafer foundry partner.

This method describes this development as a "crucial step forward" that can combine distributed feedback lasers with photonic integrated circuits for high-speed optical communication applications.

Scintil's proprietary PIC is said to enable single-chip integration of lasers and amplifiers, thereby improving performance, speed, reliability, and density at low power consumption in data centers that support 5G connectivity and artificial intelligence computing needs.

These designs are currently being manufactured using Tower's large-scale "PH18M" silicon photonics foundry process based in Israel, which also features low loss waveguides, photodetectors, and modulators. Wafers with a diameter of 200 millimeters are produced at Tower's manufacturing plant located in Newport Beach, California.

Scintil's technology integrates DFB lasers and amplifiers on a single chip on the back of the wafer, and customer testing of PIC shows strong performance without the need for sealed packaging.

CEO Silvi Menezzo founded the Grenoble startup and previously led CEA Leti's Silicon Photonics Laboratory. He stated that this development represents an important milestone.

"We are pleased to emphasize our collaboration with Tower Semiconductor, a leading global wafer foundry," she commented. Due to our long-term cooperation, we have the ability to provide laser enhanced silicon photonic ICs, redefining integration, performance, and scalability.
This will enable Scintil to conduct large-scale production to meet market demand. In addition, our technology demonstrates extraordinary opportunities to accommodate the integration of more materials, such as quantum dots and lithium niobate materials.

The $7 billion transceiver market is expected to see rapid growth in demand for silicon photonics based optical transceivers in the coming years
The research company LightCounting predicts a compound annual growth rate of 24% by 2025, with a total potential market value of at least $7 billion.

Edward Preisler, Vice President and General Manager of Tower's RF Business Unit, added, "We are pleased to support Scintil, a highly integrated solution that leverages Tower's mature production building modules.".

The integration of III-V family optical amplifiers and/or lasers aligns with Tower Semiconductor's commitment to bringing cutting-edge silicon photon technology to the market.

After Menezo spun off Scintil from CEA Leti Labs in 2018, he led the startup in two rounds of financing, including a € 13.5 million investment led by investor Robert Bosch Venture Capital in 2022.

Source: Laser Net