10 April 2018

SMART Photonics and Lumerical make available compact model library for InP integrated photonics platform

© Semiconductor Today Magazine / Juno PublishiPicture: Disco’s DAL7440 KABRA laser saw.

Independent pure-play indium phosphide (InP) foundry SMART Photonics of Eindhoven, The Netherlands has announced the availability of a new compact model library (CML) for its InP integrated photonics platform and the associated process design kit (PDK) resulting from collaboration with photonic simulation software provider Lumerical Inc of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

The CML enables circuit designers to reliably model behavior and performance of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) within Lumerical’s photonic integrated circuit simulator INTERCONNECT, reducing design errors and accelerating time-to-market. Combined with SMART Photonics’ frequent multi-project wafer (MPW) shuttle run, this provides designers with a platform to prototype and refine new circuit designs quickly and efficiently, say the firms.

“It’s exciting to see two recognized industry leaders like Lumerical and SMART Photonics working together towards industry standardization,” comments Francois Menard, chief technology officer & co-founder of AEPONYX Inc, a developer of a silicon planar optical MEMS platform that supports the development of III-V components optimized for efficient hybrid integration. “Having a reliable set of parametrized compact models on a powerful platform like INTERCONNECT is a game-changing development to achieve first-time-right designs.”

The new CML contains more than 25 parametrized compact models, which have been carefully calibrated with a combination of experimental data, provided by SMART, and high-accuracy 3D physical simulations using Lumerical’s suite of component-level modeling tools. The library includes passive and active devices such as phase modulators, amplifiers and photodetectors, providing an extensive and flexible set of building blocks for creating complex PIC designs. Each model in the library enables both frequency- and time-domain circuit simulation, equipping designers with a complete set of analysis tools to design PICs for any application.

“We are very pleased by the collaborative work done by our partners at Lumerical to rapidly develop a comprehensive compact model library for our InP-based integration platform,” comments SMART Photonics’ chief technology officer Luc Augustin. “This CML is especially unique in its design, as it brings together simulated data from trusted tools and real, measured performance for increased reliability,” he adds. “PIC designers around the world will be able to confidently use a schematic-driven layout flow for a pure-play InP PIC foundry.”

With applications including high-speed data communications and biological and environmental sensing in fast-moving fields like Internet of Things (IoT) and automotive, SMART’s MPW shuttle runs enable designers to iterate through design-manufacture-test cycles to optimize PIC performance.

“Through this collaboration, we have deployed the leading 3D photonic simulation tools to help SMART enhance their PDK with the most advanced models available for both time- and frequency-domain simulation,” claims Lumerical’s chief technology officer Dr James Pond. “These accurate models are critical for PDK-driven design and enable engineers to focus on circuit performance rather than individual components.”

Tags: InP PIC Simulation software

Visit: www.smartphotonics.nl

Visit: www.lumerical.com