Japanese writer and publicist based in Eindhoven, The Netherlands
A photonic chip (in the middle of the box) is a key technology that the Netherlands focuses on. (Picture: PhotonDelta)
In the Netherlands, home to ASML, the world-largest semiconductor manufacturing equipment company, the focus is now on photonic chip technology. This chip uses photons instead of electrons to process, transmit, and detect information.
These chips allow for faster data transmission, lower power consumption, and the potential for more efficient performance than traditional electronic circuits. They are expected to be a key technology supporting next-generation applications such as data communications in the coming 6G era, remote medical care, and autonomous driving.
A foundation called “PhotonDelta” was established in 2018 using public funds to develop this new technology, foster human resources and startups, and promote international cooperation.
In recent years, the chip industry has become part of geopolitical influence, with the strive of more strategic autonomy in the EU and the Netherlands. In addition, recent developments in AI are generating high interest in photonic chips. Eelko Brinkhoff, CEO of PhotonDelta, talked about their activities and prospects for the ecosystem of photonic chip industries.
Photonic chips, also known as photonic integrated circuits (PICs), use photons in addition to electrons to sense, process, and transmit data at unprecedented speeds and sensitivity. Research on PIC technology and applications has been conducted worldwide for the past twenty years. In the Netherlands, Eindhoven University of Technology and the University of Twente have been strong research bases for them.
Communication speeds can be at least 100 times higher by using PICs in conjunction with circuits that handle electrical signals. Another advantage is that PICs are much more energy efficient in sending and receiving data. Hence, using PICs makes it possible to create faster and more energy-efficient devices.
Eelko Brinkhoff, CEO of PhotonDelta (Picture: PhotonDelta)
Nowadays PICs are increasingly being used in data centers. With advances in large-scale language modeling and generative AI, the amount of data being transferred from server to server is growing unprecedentedly. Therefore, improving the processing power of data centers and reducing energy consumption are issues. Still, there are limitations to circuits that handle electrical signals alone, and it is considered essential to use PICs in combination with electronic ICs to achieve the required system performance.
PICs offer significant benefits in speed, efficiency, scalability, and cost-effectiveness, making them a promising solution for future data center infrastructure. Semiconductor giants such as Intel, TSMC, NVIDIA, and Broadcom recognized their importance and recently began incorporating PIC chips as part of their own manufacturing flow.
Image: PhotonDelta
Furthermore, photonics chips play a crucial role in sensing applications by leveraging the properties of light (photons) to detect and measure various physical, chemical, and biological parameters. This could be used in applications in health, automotive, agri-food, and so on.
"Advanced sensor technology will enable safe autonomous driving and home medical monitoring. In the Netherlands, a device has already been developed that can detect various vital signs with high accuracy simply by being attached directly to the skin. In the livestock industry, it is now possible to sense chicken eggs from outside the shell and distinguish between male and female at the egg stage. 5-10 years ago, such applications would have been unthinkable," says Brinkhoff.
PIC, the cornerstone of future technology, is one of the industries strategically supported by the Dutch government. PhotonDelta is mainly funded by the National Growth Fund, which was established to strengthen the Dutch economy. It has secured 1.1 billion euros over the next six years from 2023, including funding from the private sector.
Its main activities are (1) funding of startup companies, (2)talent attraction, (3) implementing innovation programs, (4) promoting internationalisation, and (5) creating technology roadmaps.
PhotonDelta's ecosystem. It includes all processes from design, fabrication, packaging, and applications. Here, the company logos belonging to each process are shown (Image: PhotonDelta)
The PIC ecosystem that PhotonDelta is building involves more than 70 partners, including universities, the national research institute TNO, Holst Centre, the Belgian research institute Imec, and many related companies. It also covers the entire value chain, from basic research to design, fabrication, packaging, and applications.
Photon Delta places strategic emphasis on foundries that undertake manufacturing. Taiwan's TSMC is a well-known semiconductor chip foundry, and it is a national strategy to develop a PIC version of it in the Netherlands and Europe.
"Foundries are a key control point in the PIC ecosystem. In the Netherlands, we already have SMART Photonics as a foundry of PICs using a material called Indium Phosphide (InP), and with the creation of New Origin we will also have a pure-play foundry in Silicon Nitride (SiN). Both materials have unique properties for developing PICs with a variety of applications. In the near future, these different technologies are expected to be combined using hybrid and heterogeneous integration methods, leveraging each material's strengths,” said Brinkhoff.
While developing the PIC industry is an important strategy for the Netherlands and EU, Brinkhoff emphasises that "the PIC ecosystem is only going to excel by seeking international cooperation."
“To make the manufacturing scalable worldwide, PhotonDelta is stimulating technology standardisation throughout the global industry in the IPRI-I (Integrated Photonics Systems Roadmap International), a strategic initiative developed by MIT's Microphotonics Center and PhotonDelta with input from over 400 global organisations. It provides a detailed technology roadmap designed to address key challenges in the integrated photonics industry. PhotonDelta also supports projects in the National Growth Fund to build standards in the design of various PICs."
"We also focus on startup investments, but to scale them up, we need larger investors, and as the market expands, we will not be able to produce everything in the Netherlands.
"The access to international markets is also important. We are working to make the world aware of the Netherlands' unique PIC technologies and products, which are primarily based on InP and silicon nitride. With Imec, we also have a strong partner in silicon photonics. And a company like Phix (an assembly service provider for all major PIC technology platforms) is independently working with the different materials."
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PhotonDelta's office at the High Tech Campus Eindhoven in the Netherlands (Photo: PhotonDelta)
Currently, the main drive of PICs is data centers, but their application is increasingly expanding into other areas. The global PIC market is expected to be worth $30 billion in 2030, of which the Netherlands hopes to capture a 10-15% market share.
"The current market is still relatively small, but we really feel that if we can bring the cost and quality of PICs to the right level, it will kick off. We are looking for international partners that can accelerate this industry's growth and development," said Brinkhoff.
On November 13th 2024, Brinkhoff will be speaking at the ‘Brabant Innovation Days,’ which will be held at the Hotel ‘Okura Tokyo’. Representatives from partner organizations of the PhotonDelta ecosystem, such as Holst Centre, Smart Photonics, and PITC, will also be present and they will introduce their respective activities. We look forward to your participation.
Contact: PhotonDelta
office@photondelta.com