Integrating photonics and electronic integrated circuits is a highly worthwhile area of research.

The Netherlands-based PhotonDelta and the MIT Microphotonics Center have established an international roadmap for integrated photonics. The initiative involves contributions from over 400 organizations, including Airbus, Meta, NASA, DuPont Electronics, General Motors, the European Space Agency, and Vodafone Ziggo. PhotonDelta's Chief Technology Officer, Peter van Arkel, describes the potential impact as "spectacular."

The Integrated Photonics Systems Roadmap (IPSR-I) has been developed over the past three years, identifying key technological gaps where integrated photonics can revolutionize industries such as radio frequency photonics (wireless communications), 3D imaging, data communications, and sensing. This represents a significant boost for European semiconductor companies.

The integration of photonics with electronics is a key driver in creating smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient devices. This integration has the potential to expand functionalities and create a multitude of new applications, helping to unlock significant advancements in various fields, including autonomous vehicles, data telecommunications, and healthcare. Integrated photonics is also the technology used for light generation, processing, and detection in sensing and communication applications.

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The IPSR-I outlines the consensus reached by over 400 experts from more than 100 workshops and 13 conferences. It provides a comprehensive overview of the main technological gaps in the mass production of PICs and offers a detailed analysis of the challenges the integrated photonics industry needs to overcome to realize its potential.

PhotonDelta's Chief Technology Officer, Peter van Arkel, said: "Leveraging all R&D resources from the integrated photonics industry and academia to address the technological gaps identified by the IPSR-I will help to tackle immense societal challenges in an astonishing way. The roadmap's core is a global approach by the integrated photonics industry to unite in tackling core challenges. Achieving consensus on these technological gaps among such a diverse group of contributors is very challenging. The outcome is definitely worth it."

MIT Professor of Materials Science and Engineering Thomas Lord Lionel Kimerling said: "Electronic photonic integration has the potential to fundamentally change many industries and unlock a range of new technologies that will transform our lives. Transforming this vision into mass production requires a well-considered plan that builds on the knowledge of a vast array of experts from different fields, organizations, and countries. This is what the IPSR-I pursues—it outlines a clear direction forward and points out the innovative learning curve for expanding performance and applications over the next 15 years."

Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) can process and transmit data more efficiently than electronic integrated circuits. Like traditional chips, the production process employs automated wafer-level technology, enabling mass production of the chips and thus reducing costs.1.1 billion euros for the European photonics supply chain

PhotonDelta is a cross-border ecosystem of photonic chip technology organizations that has raised public and private investments. By 2030, its goal is to create an ecosystem with hundreds of companies serving global customers, with a wafer capacity of 100,000+ per year.

The entire industry is showing increasing interest in quantum computing, healthcare, and communications. Data networking giant Juniper announced that it will use Tower Semiconductor's open photonics process development kit (PDK) to spin off its technology into a joint venture with Synopsys (although the kit has been acquired by Intel), and announced the establishment of a photonics center in Scotland for space and quantum R&D.

PhotonDelta's investment in the Netherlands includes 470 million euros from the National Growth Fund, with the remainder invested by various partners and stakeholders. This is part of the Dutch government's national plan to consolidate and expand the country's position as a world leader in integrated photonics.

The PhotonDelta ecosystem currently consists of 26 companies, 11 technology partners, and 12 R&D partners. The organization has collectively invested 171 million euros in promising photonics companies, including Smart Photonics, PhotonsFirst, Surfix, MicroAlign, Solmates, and Effect Photonics.

The plan will last for 6 years, allowing PhotonDelta and its partners to further invest in photonic startups and scale-ups, expand production and research facilities, attract and train talent, promote adoption, and develop world-class design libraries.

Photonic integrated circuits integrate photonic functions into microchips to create smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient devices. PICs are currently used in the data and telecommunications industry to reduce energy consumption per bit and increase speed. It is expected that by 2027, the use of data and the internet will account for about 10% of global electricity consumption, providing a way to limit the impact on the climate.

"This investment changes the game. It will make the Netherlands the birthplace of the next generation of semiconductors, which will have a profound impact on the entire European technology industry," said PhotonDelta CEO Ewit Roos.

"The ongoing chip shortage highlights Europe's urgent need to build its own production capacity for strategic technologies. We will now be able to support hundreds of startups, researchers, manufacturers, and innovators to drive the development of this industry, which will be as influential as the introduction of microelectronics decades ago," he said.The Netherlands is considered a pioneer in the development of PIC technology. Thanks to the continuous support from the Dutch government, we have been able to build a complete supply chain around it, becoming a globally recognized hotspot for photonic integration.

Photonic chips are one of the most important technological breakthroughs of the past decade. They not only allow for the creation of faster, cheaper, more powerful, and more environmentally friendly devices, but also make radical new innovations such as affordable instant diagnostics or quantum computing a reality.

PhotonDelta collaborates with Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), University of Twente (UT), Delft University of Technology (TUD), Holst Centre, TNO, IMEC, PITC, CITC, Holst Centre, OnePlanet, Smart Photonics, Lionix International, Effect Photonics, MantiSpectra, PhotonFirst, Phix, and Bright Photonics.

It also includes a strategic partnership with a foundry and cooperation with suppliers Bruco, ASML, Aixtron, Solmates, Chip Integration Technology Center (CITC), Eterbo, Tyndall, Saran Engineering, IMS, and MicroAlign.

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