GRENOBLE, France – April 5, 2018 – Leti, a research institute of CEA Tech, today announced Leti’s silicon photonics process design kit (PDK) for photonic circuits is available in the Synopsys PhoeniX OptoDesigner suite.
Leti’s integrated silicon photonics platform has been developed for high-speed optical transceivers and highly-integrated optical interposer applications. The process design kit contains the design rules and building blocks for multi-project wafer and custom runs on Leti’s Si310 platform. It also includes a catalogue of components available at Leti, allowing Synopsys PhoeniX OptoDesigner customers to select the ones they need to build their circuits. Once the customers have a completed circuit design, Leti produces a proof of concept on a multi-project wafer run.
Used by more than 300 designers worldwide, OptoDesigner gives access to a complete set of passive components, such as grating couplers, silicon waveguides and transitions; and active components, such as high-speed Mach Zehnder modulators and high-speed germanium photodiodes based on Leti’s fab. It also includes physical verification tools checking whether the contributions meet the design rules defined by the fabrication constraints in Leti’s clean room.
“On the same mask, with this design kit, we are able to have photonic circuits performing various functions, according to the area of expertise of the different contributors,” said Andre Myko, responsible of MPW runs at Leti. “Fabless companies and academics therefore can realize substantial cost savings by ‘sharing’ production costs on multi-project wafer runs.”
Leti is a world leader in silicon photonics technology. Its photonic platform is France’s largest R&D center for the development, characterization and simulation of optoelectronic systems and components. Its activities range from component design through component fabrication, integration into systems and packaging.
“Leti’s process design kit available for Synopsys’ PhoeniX OptoDesigner is a licensed plug-in library of solutions that support multi-project wafers and custom runs provided by Leti,” said Niek Nijenhuis, global business development manager of Synopsys’ PhoeniX OptoDesigner products. “In addition to the photonic elements from the standard OptoDesigner library, Leti’s PDK contains technology-specific information like mask layer names, design rules, validated building blocks, die sizes and GDS file settings.”
Leti’s silicon photonics platform is also fully compatible with STMicroelectronics’ platform in Crolles, which enables fabless customers to take their new circuits to high-volume production.
About Leti
Leti, a technology research institute at CEA Tech, is a global leader in miniaturization technologies enabling smart, energy-efficient and secure solutions for industry. Founded in 1967, Leti pioneers micro-& nanotechnologies, tailoring differentiating applicative solutions for global companies, SMEs and startups. Leti tackles critical challenges in healthcare, energy and digital migration. From sensors to data processing and computing solutions, Leti’s multidisciplinary teams deliver solid expertise, leveraging world-class pre-industrialization facilities. With a staff of more than 1,900, a portfolio of 2,700 patents, 91,500 sq. ft. of cleanroom space and a clear IP policy, the institute is based in Grenoble, France, and has offices in Silicon Valley and Tokyo. Leti has launched 60 startups and is a member of the Carnot Institutes network. Follow us on www.leti-cea.com and @CEA_Leti.
CEA Tech is the technology research branch of the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), a key player in innovative R&D, defence & security, nuclear energy, technological research for industry and fundamental science, identified by Thomson Reuters as the second most innovative research organization in the world. CEA Tech leverages a unique innovation-driven culture and unrivalled expertise to develop and disseminate new technologies for industry, helping to create high-end products and provide a competitive edge.
