L2M -Post-fabrication tuning of silicon photonic integrated circuits by laser irradiation

The current approach for addressing the fabrication error in SiPIC devices is expensive and insufficient, significantly limiting the potential of the SiPIC technology. The solution we have developed is to tune the SiPICs using femtosecond laser pulses. By irradiating the silicon waveguides with single or multiple laser pulses, we can correct errors in the circuit caused by fabrication imperfections and finetune the circuit’s performance. Physically, the femtosecond laser pulses cause a permanent change in the refractive index of the silicon waveguides, which results in a modification of the circuit output response. We can finetune the circuit and restore its operation to specification by controlling this change. The method is quick and low-cost, and there is no limit to the circuit size that can be tuned. The method can be applied to a single chip or at the wafer level, allowing for error correction to be performed on individual photonic circuits after fabrication or in situ during the wafer production process. Our laser tuning method provides a low-cost solution with unparalleled scalability, which can address this challenge and enable SiPIC technology to fulfill its potential when it is successfully commercialized. Furthermore, during the L2M program, we also aimed to use the scientific approach to entrepreneurship and gain a better understanding of the commercial risks associated, such as how to obtain data and knowledge for market needs, a better understanding of intellectual property (IP) issues and understanding Design Development issues.

Faculty Supervisor:

Ying Tsui

Student:

Partner:

Edmonton Unlimited

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services; Public administration

University:

University of Alberta

Program: