Introduction
The world of electronics has been revolutionized by the ability to mass-produce integrated circuits (ICs) using semiconductor manufacturing processes. This has driven down the cost per transistor for decades, enabling exponentially more computing power to be packed into ever-smaller devices. However, the photonics industry has struggled to keep up with this rapid scaling, hindered by the high cost of photonic components.
To unleash the full potential of photonic technologies and make them as accessible as electronics, a crucial step is to adapt and integrate the semiconductor manufacturing processes developed for microelectronics into the photonics manufacturing chain. This approach can harness the same economies of scale that have transformed the electronics industry, making photonic solutions more affordable and widespread.
At the Heart of Photonic Systems
Semiconductor materials are vital for photonics due to their unique electronic and optical properties. These materials, such as silicon, gallium arsenide (GaAs), and indium phosphide (InP), possess a precisely engineered bandgap that enables the control of light absorption and emission. This capability is essential for creating photonic devices like lasers and photodetectors, which operate across various wavelengths of light.
Moreover, semiconductor fabrication techniques inherited from the microelectronics industry enable the mass production of photonic devices, supporting scalability and integration with existing electronic systems. If photonics can achieve the same level of accessibility and ease of use as electronics, it can become even more widespread and have a profound impact on the world.
The Need for a Fabless Model
While some photonic chip developers manufacture their chips in-house, this vertically integrated approach becomes challenging when scaling up production. Increasing volume requires significant capital expenditure (CAPEX) for additional equipment and personnel, as well as the development of new fabrication processes and training. Fabs are expensive to build and operate, and unless they can be kept at near-full utilization, operating expenses (OPEX) can drain the facility owners' finances.
The electronics manufacturing industry faced a similar challenge during its boom in the 1970s and 1980s, with smaller chip start-ups facing barriers to market entry due to the massive CAPEX required. The solution was the fabless model, where companies design and sell chips but outsource the manufacturing to large-scale foundries with excess production capacity.
This fabless model should also be the way forward for photonics. Instead of a costly and time-consuming scaling process, photonics developers can outsource manufacturing and concentrate their R&D resources on the end market. By leveraging the economies of scale achieved by foundries, photonics can become as simple to manufacture as electronics, enabling million-scale volumes.
Investment is Needed for Photonics to Scale
Currently, photonics manufacturing chains are not yet capable of rapidly producing millions of integrated photonic devices per year. As shown in Figure 2, packaging, assembly, and testing account for a staggering 80% of the total module cost in photonics, in contrast to being a minor cost in electronic systems.
To scale and become more affordable, the photonics manufacturing chains must become more automated and leverage existing electronic packaging, assembly, and testing methods that are already well-known and standardized. Technologies like ball grid array (BGA) packaging and flip-chip bonding, while novel for photonics developers, have been embraced by the electronics industry for decades. Making these techniques more widespread will significantly improve photonics' ability to scale up and become as available as electronics.
The roadmap for scaling integrated photonics and making it more accessible is clear: it must leverage existing electronics manufacturing processes and ecosystems, tapping into the same economy-of-scale principles as electronics. Implementing this roadmap, however, requires substantial investment in photonics.
While high-volume photonics manufacturing demands a higher upfront investment, the resulting high-volume production line will drive down the cost per device, opening up photonic solutions to a much larger market. This is the process by which electronics revolutionized the world, and photonics has the potential to follow a similar trajectory.
Takeaways
A robust investment is needed to better adapt and integrate microelectronic semiconductor processes into the photonics manufacturing chain. Such advancements will not only refine the production scales but also enhance the accessibility and affordability of photonic solutions.
By embracing the fabless model and leveraging the well-established manufacturing processes of the electronics industry, photonics can harness the same economies of scale that have driven down the cost of electronics for decades. This transformation will unlock the full potential of photonic technologies, enabling their widespread adoption and impact across various industries.
As the Chief Technology Officer of EFFECT Photonics, Tim Koene, eloquently states, "We need to buy photonics from a catalog as we do with electronics, have datasheets that work consistently, be able to solder it to a board and integrate it easily with the rest of the product design flow." With the right investments and strategic approach, this vision can become a reality, ushering in a new era of photonic innovation and applications.
Reference
[1] T. Koene, "Why Semiconductors are Vital to Optics and Photonics," EFFECT Photonics Insights, May 22, 2024. [Online]. Available: http://www.effectphotonics.com/.
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