Valencia, Spain (7th of December, 2022) – Photonics Research Labs incorporate new tool to UPVfab, the microfabrication facility at the Universitat Politècnica de València, to encapsulate high-density photonic chips (electronics and optics).
This equipment, manufactured by the German company AIXEMTECH GmbH, consists of a custom workstation for laboratory use dedicated to the assembly, packaging and optical and electrical connection of photonic elements (interior and exterior) of photonic chips. Regarding the optical packaging, the equipment is prepared to carry out various functions that include the alignment and automatic bonding between input/output fibers and photonic chips, and assembly (chip assembly) of components and photonic chips with each other. Regarding electronic packaging the equipment is prepared for the automatic realization of electrical connections in photonic chips, boards, and other electronic interfaces. It is also prepared to carry out the union of photonic circuits with other subsystems necessary for their control and thermal regulation, isolation and vibration control mechanical, electromagnetic insulation and system protection.
The acquisition was funded by the regional government Generalitat Valenciana through project “instrumentacion avanzada para investigacion puntera en fotonica de microondas y programable fase 2” (GVA/IDIFEDER/2021/050) and is part of the strategy to equip the Photonics Research Lab with state of the art tools for measuring, testing and packaging of advanced photonic integrated circuits. Prof. José Capmany, lead researcher for Photonics Research Lab pointed that “this infrastructure enables PRL the capability of performing cutting-edge optical and electronic packaging of the photonic chips that the group is currently developing within a number of EU and national-funded projects. It will also be useful to provide support to other agents of the Valencian Photonics ecosystems, such as spin-off companies and university fabs”.
Dr. Gloria Micó, Facility Manager for UPVfab shared “the AIXEMTECH tool comes to enlarge the offering from UPVfab, and it’s surely attractive for our current and forthcoming resident companies”.
About UPVfab
UPVfab is the micro-fabrication R&D and pilot line facility at Universitat Politècnica de València. The facility comprises 500m2 cleanrooms ISO-7 (class 10.000) and positions to serve with automation tools for backend processing of semiconductor wafers.
About Photonics Research Labs
The Photonics Research Labs (PRL) is a member group of the Instituto de Telecomunicaciones y Aplicaciones Multimedia (iTEAM), Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV). Principal activities of PRL relate to research and technology transfer in the broad field of photonics with particular interests in optical fiber communications, sensing, integrated optics and Microwave photonics. The group was founded in 1991 and has currently 45 researchers. With over 700 international publications, 30 patents (10 licensed) and a test & measurement infrastructure well over 20 M€, PRL is the leading research lab in Spain in the areas of Integrated and programmable Photonics, microwave photonics and optical fiber sensors for civil structures. PRL has spun off three successful companies: VLC Photonics (acquired by Hitachi), iPronics (invested by Amadeus Capital) and Calsens.
For more information, contact:
UPVfab
Dr. Gloria Micó
Facility Manager, UPVfab Microfabrication Facility,
Universitat Politècnica de València
+34.963.879.760 – gloria.mico@upv.es
https://www.fab.upv.es/
Photonics Research Labs
Prof. Dr. Dr. José Capmany
Group Leader
+34-963879580 – jcapmany@iteam.upv.es
http://www.prl.upv.es/
