CST Global extends its silicon photonics portfolio in collaboration with imec.

Created March 4, 2020
News and Business

Sivers IMA Holding AB, has announced that its photonics business unit, CST Global, in collaboration with its research and innovation partner, imec, is expanding its silicon photonics portfolio. The joint technology offering is expected to encourage the uptake of silicon photonics in cost-sensitive applications, including optical interconnects, optical sensing, cloud computing and beyond.

Silicon photonics (SiPho) technology has made rapid progress in fibre-optic communications and optical sensing applications, over the past decades. However, a widely available, cost-effective solution to integrate light sources in SiPho chips has been missing, slowing its implementation in cost-sensitive markets.

Anders Storm, CEO of Sivers IMA, said, “The integration of imec’s advanced SiPho technology platform with our indium phosphide (InP) DFB lasers and InP reflective semiconductor optical amplifier (RSOA) Photonics solutions, has already demonstrated excellent results. We expect that these new light sources will encourage the uptake of SiPho devices in a wider range of cost-sensitive, industrial markets. The collaboration between the exceptional design and manufacturing team at our Photonics unit, CST Global, in Glasgow, UK and imec’s world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies, will allow the creation of disruptive, integrated SiPho systems with superior performance and reduced cost.”

The collaboration between CST Global and imec began in 2019. The joint technology offering, showing successful, integrated assemblies of C-band (1530-1565nm) InP DFB lasers onto imec’s SiPho platform, is now available. Further optimisation and qualification work will be done in 2020, with the first prototyping services anticipated early in 2021. The two companies will continue to work closely to extend and align platforms, portfolios and capabilities to meet rising industry demand. CST Global is a whole owned subsidiary of Sivers IMA Holding within the business area Photonics.

For more information, visit www.cstglobal.com

cst-global-extends-its-silicon-photonics-portfolio-in-collaboration-with-imec

This article was written
by Peter Dykes

Peter Dykes is a independent telecoms and technology journalist who has over that last 30 years written for a wide range of B2B publications and companies. A former BT engineer, he specialises in networks and associated support systems. He is currently Editor of Optical Connections.