This training aims to give a jump-start on PIC technology from a fabless manufacturing perspective. Industry experts will present tutorials and seminars on the technology, and hands-on training on PIC design flow.

Photonics is often hailed as the technology of the 21st century, as electronics were for the 20th century. Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) are the result of the spectacular miniaturization and largescale integration of photonic components and circuits at chip-level using CMOS fabrication technologies. PICs have ushered in numerous chip-based applications in the industries such as ICT, healthcare, consumer electronics, industrial sensing etc. Newer PIC applications in the areas like optical quantum information, optical neural networks, LiDAR, lab-on-chip etc. are bound to impact Industry 4.0 technologies like IoT, big data and analytics, automation, augmented and virtual reality etc.

One key reason for this trend is that the concepts of fabless manufacturing and multi-project-wafer (MPW) services are now widely available for PICs. Low-cost access to generic fabrication processes for rapid prototyping and low volume production has shifted the emphasis to design innovation. PIC foundries and design software companies cooperate to offer Process Design Kits (PDK) to support simulations, designing and layout. As a result, photonics design automation is gaining prominence in facilitating design flows.

This training course aims to give a jump-start on PIC technology from a fabless manufacturing perspective. The objective is to provide an informative and practical tour d’horizon of the PIC technology, divided into two parts addressing the technology and its design flow respectively.

The two parts of the training are:

• Technology overview seminars, running over one day, focus on the basics of PIC technology and updates on state-of-the-art through talks delivered by the experts from the PIC industry.
• Design overview training, running over two days, imparts hands-on training on some of the most popular EPDA tools for simulations, designing and generation of mask layouts by Luceda Photonics and Synopsys.

The structure and content of this training encompasses various aspects of PIC technology – physics of basic building blocks, systems and sub-systems, applications, simulations, designing, mask layout, fabrication and packaging platforms and their access routes. It is intended that the training will help the trainees to gain a background in PIC technology, its design and manufacturing ecosystem, and its design flow.

The course schedule:

• Day 1- PIC Technology Overview (Seminars)
  • Photonic Integrated Circuit Tutorial – imec
  • The EUROPRACTICE Platform – EUROPRACTICE
  • Imec's Silicon Photonics Platform – imec
  • JePPIX Indium Phosphide Photonic Integrated Circuits – JePPIX
  • Silicon Photonics Packaging for the EUROPRACTICE MPW – Tyndall National Institute
  • Electronics & Photonics - Chip Design for Future Systems – Synopsys
  • Code-driven design flow from idea to tape-out – Luceda Photonics
  • Challenges in Photonics Circuit Development – VLC Photonics

• Day 2 – Synopsys PIC Design (Hands-on Training): PIC design on OptoCompiler and IC Validator.

• Day 3 – Luceda Photonics PIC Design (Hands-on Training): PIC design on IPKISS

This training is suitable for academic and industrial participants alike. A background in photonics is useful but not necessary. Participants are expected to bring their own laptops for the training. If it is not possible, please mention this during registration so that a laptop can be arranged. Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions.