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Cited by 176Photonic and Optical DevicesSemiconductor Lasers and Optical Devices3D IC and TSV technologies

Hybrid multi-chip assembly of optical communication engines by in situ 3D nano-lithography

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Blaicher, Matthias, Billah, Muhammad Rodlin, Kemal, Juned, Hoose, Tobias, Marin-Palomo, Pablo, Hofmann, Andreas, Kutuvantavida, Yasar, Kieninger, Clemens +11 more·2020·Light: Science & Applications
DOI 10.1038/s41377-020-0272-5PMC PMC7184737
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Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) nano-printing of freeform optical waveguides, also referred to as photonic wire bonding, allows for efficient coupling between photonic chips and can greatly simplify optical system assembly. As a key advantage, the shape and the trajectory of photonic wire bonds can be adapted to the mode-field profiles and the positions of the chips, thereby offering an attractive alternative to conventional optical assembly techniques that rely on technically complex and costly high-precision alignment. However, while the fundamental advantages of the photonic wire bonding concept have been shown in proof-of-concept experiments, it has so far been unclear whether the technique can also be leveraged for practically relevant use cases with stringent reproducibility and reliability requirements. In this paper, we demonstrate optical communication engines that rely on photonic wire bonding for connecting arrays of silicon photonic modulators to InP lasers and single-mode fibres. In a first experiment, we show an eight-channel transmitter offering an aggregate line rate of 448 Gbit/s by low-complexity intensity modulation. A second experiment is dedicated to a four-channel coherent transmitter, operating at a net data rate of 732.7 Gbit/s – a record for coherent silicon photonic transmitters with co-packaged lasers. Using dedicated test chips, we further demonstrate automated mass production of photonic wire bonds with insertion losses of (0.7 ± 0.15) dB, and we show their resilience in environmental-stability tests and at high optical power. These results might form the basis for simplified assembly of advanced photonic multi-chip systems that combine the distinct advantages of different integration platforms.

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  • PWBs can be fabricated in polymer photoresist through two-photon absorption between two coupling sites allowing up to 30 μm of offset.

    “Using computer vision and automation, PWBs can be fabricated in polymer photoresist through two-photon absorption between two coupling sites allowing up to 30 μm of offset.”

    From Roadmapping the next generation of silicon photonics (2024) · cites this paper as [47]

    The Materials and methods > Fabrication section describes automated PWB fabrication using two-photon lithography in liquid photoresist, with software that locates coupling interfaces. The Results and discussion > Scalability and stability of photonic wire bonds section describes bridges between waveguide ends, but our copy does not establish the claimed tolerance of up to 30 µm of offset; its nearby measurements concern connection time and bridge pitch. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Photonic wire bonding (PWB) offers an attractive potential alternative for passive alignment packaging.

    “Passive alignment packaging techniques, such as photonic wire bonding (PWB)47, offer an attractive potential alternative.”

    From Roadmapping the next generation of silicon photonics (2024) · cites this paper as [47]

  • PWBs provide a passive-aligned, low-loss, scalable port count.

    “thereby providing a passive-aligned, low-loss, scalable port count.”

    From Roadmapping the next generation of silicon photonics (2024) · cites this paper as [47]

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References 32 · Cited by 176

Research works printed but not linked: 32

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Authors
Blaicher, M., Billah, M. R., Kemal, J., Hoose, T., Marin-Palomo, P., Hofmann, A., Kutuvantavida, Y., Kieninger, C., Dietrich, P.-I., Lauermann, M., Wolf, S., Troppenz, U., Moehrle, M., Merget, F., Skacel, S., Witzens, J., Randel, S., Freude, W., & Koos, C.
Affiliations
  • Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (DE)
  • Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich Hertz Institute (DE)
  • RWTH Aachen University (DE)
Corresponding author
Koos, Christian
ORCID
Venue
Light: Science & Applications
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2020-04-27
Volume
9
Issue
1
Pages
71-71
ISSN
2047-7538 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s41377-020-0272-5
PMC
PMC7184737
OpenAlex
W3020268068
Cited by
176
References
32
Citations by year
2026: 27 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 43 · 2023: 33 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 3
FWCI
6.78
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Light Science & Applications (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Repository KITopen (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Publikationsdatenbank der Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Fraunhofer-Publica (Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft) (submittedVersion)
  • RWTH Publications (RWTH Aachen) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • VUBIR (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) (submittedVersion)
  • RWTH Publications (RWTH Aachen)
  • KITopen (cc-by)
Funders
  • Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (390761711, 2082/1, EXC-2082/1)
  • Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (01DR18014A)
  • Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach-Stiftung
  • Horizon 2020 Framework Programme (731954)
  • H2020 European Research Council (773248)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Electrical and Electronic Engineering › Photonic and Optical Devices
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Electrical and Electronic Engineering › Semiconductor Lasers and Optical Devices
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Electrical and Electronic Engineering › 3D IC and TSV technologies
Keywords
photonic wire bonding, silicon photonic modulators, InP lasers, coherent optical transmitter, intensity modulation, single-mode fiber coupling, environmental stability, high optical power

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