IMEC

Technologies

Imec

EUROPRACTICE-IC provides Multi-Project-Wafer prototyping and Volume Production services of imec Silicon Photonics and Silicon Nitride Photonics.

Imec is a world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies headquartered in Belgium.

It offers cost-effective, highly reproducible and CMOS compatible fabrication. Customers can benefit from regularly scheduled MPW runs and dedicated mask runs.

Complete PDKs include technology details, design and layout rules, and a library of building block components.

imec currently offers the following technologies for EUROPRACTICE customers:

The ISiPP50G platform co-integrates a wide variety of passive and active components to support a wide range of optical transceiver architectures at data rates of 25Gb/s or 50Gb/s. The offered integrated components include low-loss waveguides, efficient vertical grating or broadband edge couplers, high-speed silicon electro-optic modulators, high-speed silicon-germanium electro-absorption modulators and high-speed germanium waveguide photo-detectors. iSiPP50G offers state-of-the-art performance, design flexibility and superior CD and thickness control. It is a fixed process technology (130nm) with a validated device library.

imec Si-Photonics iSiPP50G
Modules	Description	Enabled devices
3 siliconz patterning steps	3 etch depths in 220nm Si: 70nm, 160nm; 220nm (193 nm litho)	Strip/rib waveguides, various passive optical devices, silicon taper
Gate oxide and Poly-Silicon layer	1 etch depth: full poly etch (160nm) (193nm litho)	Advanced grating couplers, poly-Si waveguide
Ion implantation in Si	8 implants levels: 4x n-type and 4x p-type	Si carrier depletion, injection and accumulation devices, Ge Photodectors, doped Si resistors, …
Ge module	100% Ge(Si) RPCVD selective epitaxial growth & 2x implants levels	Ge Photodectors Ge(Si) EA modulator
Silicide tungsten contact module	Ohmic contacts to doped silicon	Standard CMOS contacts plugs
Metal heater	Metal layer for heaters	Metal heaters
Two-level metal interconnect	Cu-based two-level metallization	Standard CMOS interconnects
Aluminiumz passivation	Aluminium finish metallization	Standard CMOS interconnects
Deep trench	Deep trench to expose edge coupler facets	Edge couplers

imec Si-Photonics Passives+ technology is a subset of iSiPP50G technology.

Main characteristics:

The device layer of SOI wafers is etched at three different depths to enable integration of different photonic functions.
A patterned poly-Silicon layer improves the performance of grating couplers for out-of-plane coupling to fibers.

A deep etched trench at an edge of the chips, combined with edge-coupler components, provides optical access, with a broader optical bandwidth.

A layer for metal-based heaters enables thermal tuning of the optical functions.

Electrical access to the metal heaters is established through two additional levels of metal interconnect.

The imec Si-Photonics Multi Project Wafer service (MPW) serves datacom and telecom applications, but also welcomes designs for other applications, e.g. sensing.

BioPIX is imec’s silicon nitride (SiN) photonics platform which is particularly optimized for applications in the visible and near infra-red wavelengths. The platform is based on PECVD SiN-on-insulator 200mm wafers processed on 180nm process technology in a CMOS fab. This allows highly repeatable and low variability fabrication of integrated photonic devices. The technology has been validated through 6 early-access MPWs in the EU project PIX4life.

BioPIX is available in two different technology flavors:

BioPIX150, based on 150nm thick SiN, for applications in the wavelength range of 400nm – 700nm.
BioPIX300, based on 300nm thick SiN, for applications in the wavelength range of 700nm – 1000nm.

The platform offers possibility of two depth levels for SiN etch to allow fabrication of components such as strip waveguide, rib waveguide, shallow and fully etched grating couplers etc. The platform allows selective removal of cladding from waveguides for micro-fluidic channels and sensing zones etc. The platform also offers two layers of metals for functions such as thermo-optic tuning, electrical inter-connects etc., and a layer for deep trench etch for devices such as edge couplers.

Designing for this platform is supported through the process-design-kits (PDK) for Synopsys and Luceda Photonics software. The PDK includes technology files for designing, design library of building block components (waveguides, grating couplers, MMIs, directional couplers etc.), and documentation describing the technology, design rules and library components.

imec Si-Photonics BioPIX
Modules	Description	Enabled devices
2 SiN flavors	2 SiN thicknesses: 150nm (BioPIX150) 300nm (BioPIX300)	2 flavors optimized for wavelengths 300nm – 1000nm
2 SiN patterning steps each	2 etch depths BioPIX150: 90nm / 150nm BioPIX300: 150nm / 300nm	Strip / rib waveguides, shallow etched grating couplers
Clad oxide removal	Exposure of waveguides for sensing by removing local clad SiO2	Micro-channels for evanescent sensing by waveguides.
Metal heater	TiN metal lines for resistive heating	Thermo-optic tuners, switches, modulators etc.
Metal interconnect	Al metal lines and pads for interconnects	Metal interconnects, probe-pads, bond-pads
Metal heater	Metal layer for heaters	Metal heaters
Deep trench	Deep trench to expose edge coupler facets	Edge couplers

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