AIM Photonics-led Technology Information Session to Highlight Updated, State-of-the-Art Process Design Kit, Multi-Project Wafer Capabilities, in Addition to TAP Facility and Overall Initiative Updates

ALBANY AND ROCHESTER, NY – The American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics (AIM Photonics), led by the Department of Defense, announced today that researchers and leaders from the initiative plan to attend the internationally recognized Optical Fiber Communication (OFC) 2018 conference and exhibition March 11-15 in San Diego, California. Conference attendees will be able to learn more about what the initiative offers as AIM Photonics sees strong interest in membership, with more than 80 signed members and additional interested collaborators from across the United States, including those representing areas ranging from industry and academia to government.
 
At OFC, which bills itself as the largest global conference and exhibition for optical communications and networking professionals, AIM Photonics leaders plan to share integrated silicon photonics-based research and development updates, highlighting the industry-leading photonics Process Design Kit (PDK), which was recently updated to expand the comprehensive set of silicon photonics integrated circuit (PIC) component libraries within SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s (SUNY Poly’s) process to address high-speed optical communications needs. In addition, AIM Photonics representatives will also provide information about opportunities to take part in the initiative’s upcoming, cost-effective Multi Project Wafer (MPW) runs, among other topics.
 
“As AIM Photonics’ activity matures with the announcement of the new PDK update which we anticipate will open the doors to increased partnerships, along with the progress we have made establishing the TAP facility, for example, we are thrilled to share our advances with industrial, academic, and governmental leaders during a number of informational sessions and at the exhibition during OFC,” said Dr. Michael Liehr, AIM Photonics CEO and SUNY Poly Vice President of Research. “AIM Photonics is continually improving on our innovative capabilities to support and empower this burgeoning industry, and we are excited to see a growing level of interest.”
 
“The OFC Conference is another chance to announce the latest and future updates of the original Silicon Photonics PDK which was launched in 2016. With performance and quality improvements, the recently updated PDKv2.0b boasts verified low-loss, high-bandwidth, and low-power performance, enabling fast succession of complex Silicon Photonics Integrated Circuits and making this a powerful tool for current and future AIM partners,” said Director of PDK Development at Analog Photonics, Dr. Erman Timurdogan.
 
AIM Photonics leaders plan to take part in the following key informational sessions:
 
·   2018 OIDA Workshop on Scalable Integrated Photonics for 5G and IoT, a workshop examining the opportunity for integrated photonics through plenary and invited talks by leading experts in the field and sponsored by AIM Photonics.

·  International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI) and AIM Academy Presentations, providing an update on the iNEMI optoelectronics projects, Integrated Photonic Systems Roadmap (IPSR), and more on Monday, March 12, 2018 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the San Diego Convention Center. For more information and to register, please visit here.
 
·  AIM Photonics: Meeting the Challenges of the Marketplace and Providing Innovative Solutions, moderated by AIM Photonics’ CMO Frank Tolic, where the latest accomplishments for key projects will be discussed, along with the most recent data on industry leading services, including AIM Photonics’ PDK, MPW, and the Grand Opening of the initiative’s 300mm wafer integrated photonics TAP facility. Speakers include Dr. Michael Liehr; AIM Photonics Technical Review Board Chairman Dr. Tom Koch; AIM Photonics Corporate Outreach Executive and Vice President for Test, Assembly, and Packaging Ed White; Development Projects Technical Lead Dr. Nicholas Fahrenkopf; and Dr. Erman Timurdogan. The session will take place Tuesday, March 13 from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. For more information, please visit here.

·  5th Workshop on Photonic Integrated Circuits at OFC, and sponsored in part by AIM Photonics, will feature a presentation by Dr. Timurdogan, among others, as this PIC workshop brings together many of the relevant players independent of material system to provide an in-depth overview that allows interested organizations to make the right trade-offs and get to know the key PIC service providers.

 
As part of this conference, AIM Photonics leaders will also share updates related to the Test, Assembly, and Packaging (TAP) facility, located in the OPI capital of Rochester, New York. It is the first and only open access integrated silicon photonics TAP facility of its kind in the world. Construction has remained on schedule with offices ready, and its analytical laboratory and cleanrooms are expected to be complete later this year. To-date, close to $40 million in state-of-the-art equipment is either on order or will be ordered, and tool installation and qualification are expected in the second quarter of this year.
 
“When we attended the 2017 OFC conference, the excitement about the AIM Photonics TAP initiative was extremely high. This year, we look forward to sharing the progress that has been made and how the industry can participate in the opportunities that will soon begin at our world-class TAP facility,” said Ed White. “Our continuing message is that anyone can participate in this initiative, and we are excited to work with organizations to enable them to capitalize on the capability that will exist within TAP.”
 
“Precision plans to utilize AIM infrastructure to further push the envelope of our technical offerings,” said Precision Optical Transceivers CTO Bryce Tennant. “We believe that by working with AIM Photonics and its partners, we will be able to significantly advance our transceiver product line and offer adjacent components to meet our customer’s needs. Our partnership with AIM Photonics will ultimately provide better services, systems, and cutting-edge technologies for our end users.”
 
“Lockheed Martin envisions significant advantages associated with the use of PICs in military applications,” said Nick Rhenwrick, AIM Photonics Program Manager, Lockheed Martin Corporation. “PIC technology has the potential to provide improvements in Cost, Size, Weight, and Power (CSWaP) as compared to discrete photonic component implementations similar to the tremendous benefits that have been realized by electronic Integrated Circuits (ICs).”
 
As part of the overall AIM Photonics initiative, AIM Academy will also host an overview of the AIM Photonics Integrated Photonic Systems Roadmap. The MIT-based AIM Photonics Academy is focused on building toward addressing the needs of the high-capacity, data-driven future economy. AIM Photonics Academy brings cutting-edge knowledge for the design and manufacture of photonic integrated circuits to a broad range of audiences, from elementary school students to professionals from multi-national companies, by offering education packages and programs, internship and summer learning opportunities, certification training, and more. AIM Photonics Academy is also building a roadmap to chart the transformative impact of integrated photonics, as this maturing technology expands and extends the applications and successes of the electronics industry.
 
In addition to the various presentations that will be provided by AIM researchers and partners at the summit, representatives will be available at AIM Photonics’ Booth #5516 to answer questions from the 14,500 expected attendees who will travel from more than 65 countries.
 
“AIM Photonics is eager to attend OFC to complement the connections we made at the recent Photonics West conference in San Francisco,” said Frank Tolic, AIM Photonics Chief Marketing Officer. “Interest in AIM Photonics has been steadily growing, and we look forward to further informing industry and other organizations about the work that the initiative is undertaking to advance this exciting area of research, development, and fabrication.”
 
AIM Photonics leaders and representatives also plan to attend SEMICON West, held annually in San Francisco, CA, in July, in addition to a number of other conferences, exhibits, and events throughout 2018. Follow AIM Photonics on social media such as Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date and learn more about the opportunities and how you can best work with the initiative. You can also view a new AIM Photonics video on YouTube highlighting the relevant, critical impact this effort has on our lives as it makes the technology of the future possible.
 
Presentations from the OFC summit will be able to be viewed on AIM Photonics’ website at http://www.aimphotonics.com/summitpresentations/
 
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About AIM Photonics
AIM Photonics is one of a number of Manufacturing Innovation Institutes, an industry-driven public-private partnership that focuses the nation’s premiere capabilities and expertise to capture critical global manufacturing leadership in a technology that is both essential to national security and positioned to provide a compelling return-on-investment to the U.S. economy. For more information about AIM Photonics, visit http://www.aimphotonics.com/
 
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Contact: Steve Ference, Director of University Communications
                    (518) 956-7319 | sference@sunypoly.edu