The alignment of fiber-optical arrays with photonic integrated chips is a major bottleneck in the industrialization of photonics manufacturing. Active fiber alignment is a relatively slow process that offers insufficient scalability for ramp-up of production. Moreover, warpage of the fiber arrays and photonic integrated circuits (PICs) deteriorates accuracy and reliability when direct alignment is conducted using a limited number of fibers within the array. The photonics industry is therefore seeking alternative alignment options that offer scalability and reliability.
Fast, accurate and reliable alignment
Demcon photonics envisions that direct laser writing is a viable technology that has been available in the market for decades and has proven its potential in applications such as microfluidics, glass micromachining and surface treatment. Using femto-second pulsed lasers, optical waveguides can be directly written into glass to create optical interconnects at the locations that exactly match the fiber positions within their array; these positions are determined by computer-vision measurement of the individual fiber and PIC interfaces. In this way, direct laser writing enables fast, accurate and reliable alignment with minimal coupling loss.
Pole position for industrializing photonics
Thijs Kniknie, managing director of Demcon photonics, comments: “Direct laser writing is a technology that perfectly fits the capabilities of the Demcon group. We have been active for over three decades in the high-tech industry and have built up an extensive track record in system integration, opto-mechatronics and photonics-based metrology for industries such as semiconductor, industrial automation, and medical technology. We are highly experienced in integrating new technology into manufacturing environments, while optimizing quality and maximizing yield. This places us in pole position for contributing to the solution for the photonics industry’s main challenge, the industrialization to high-volume manufacturing.”
Partnering with production equipment and product companies
Demcon photonics positions itself as a systems integrator that relies on its extensive high-tech systems expertise, bringing together the advanced direct laser writing technology that is available in the market and the manufacturing base of photonics product companies. Kniknie: “We seek close collaboration with such partners to develop our proposition into a proven, market-ready solution. On the one hand, these are the parties that want to scale up their direct laser write technology from the lab to the fab. Here, we can be the missing link between production technology pioneers and industrial-scale machine builders. On the other hand, we invite companies that want to bring their technology to the market as integrated photonics products and need the equipment for their production.”
Bringing advanced manufacturing technology to market
The Demcon group has demonstrated before that it can bring advanced manufacturing technology to the market, Kniknie claims. “For instance, Demcon founded Dutch United Instruments (DUI) to commercialize TNO’s ground-breaking technology for ultra-precise, contactless metrology of optical components. This turned out to be a success, as was proved last year, when DUI was sold to QED Technologies International, a US-based leading provider of advanced production and metrology solutions for precision optics (press release: Demcon sells Dutch United Instruments to QED Technologies International). This is not an example at random, as it demonstrates our competence in metrology, which happens to be key to our photonics proposition.”
Solution for growing photonics demand
Together with partners, Demcon photonics, in the same vein, strives to turn direct laser writing for photonics applications into a commercial proposition. “We endorse the emerging vision of ‘semiconductorization’ of photonics manufacturing, by proposing the optical interconnecting process as a high-volume process comparable to wire-bonding. Currently, we are working on prototypes, and we plan to present a demonstrator to prospective partners early 2027. Eventually, if we succeed, we can contribute to solutions that cater for the fast-growing global demand for photonics products that will revolutionize high-bandwidth, low-carbon-footprint network communication, high-performance computing, and other promising applications.”
About Demcon photonics
Demcon photonics is a solution provider for high-volume photonics manufacturing, building on the extensive high-tech system integration track record of the Demcon group. The company develops comprehensive solutions for creating optical interconnects for integrated photonics, specializing in the application of direct laser writing for increasing alignment speed and accuracy, and minimizing coupling loss. Demcon photonics collaborates with machine builders and photonics product companies to promote the industrialization of photonics manufacturing, contributing to solutions that cater for the fast-growing global demand for high-bandwidth, low-carbon-footprint photonics products.
About Demcon
Demcon (1,200+ employees) develops, produces, and supplies technology and innovative products. The Demcon group has locations in Best, Delft, Deventer, Enschede, Groningen, Leiden, Maastricht, Scheveningen (the Netherlands), Münster (Germany), San Jose (USA), Tokyo (Japan) and Singapore. The company was born out of the founders’ passion for combining creativity and technical skills aimed at solving complex issues of a technological and social nature. In addition to developing technical solutions, Demcon is committed to stimulating entrepreneurship, and investing in talent and education.