Chip lifecycle / Photonics lifecycle / Photonic PDK & Component Libraries

Photonic PDK & Component Libraries

Making sure every building block the circuit needs exists, is modelled and can be trusted: the foundry's photonic process design kit, its waveguides, bends, crossings, splitters, grating and edge couplers, modulators, photodetectors, heaters and filters, the compact models that let circuit simulation predict them, and any custom components the product needs that the kit does not provide.

Where this stage sits

This stage with its neighbours. Each row is a discipline active here, shaded by how mature its work is by the end of each stage.

Stage

^A02 Photonic & Electronic Co-design

^A03 Photonic PDK & Component LibrariesYou are here

^A04 Laser Integration Design

Product and customers milestones

Photonic engineering milestones

LBLink budget baselined PFTR1TR1: Platform and coupling feasibility AFArchitecture freeze CLComponent library released LSLaser supply agreed and attach design released

Program and product management^O

0.3

0.5

Optical link and system architecture^A

0.3

0.5

Photonic component and circuit design^A

0.3

0.5^A

Driver, receiver and control electronics^A

0.0

0.3

0.5

Photonic PDK, models and component libraries^A

0.3

0.5^A

Laser source and integration^A

0.3

0.5

Photonic layout and verification^D

0.0

0.3

0.5

Photonic wafer process and foundry interface^A

0.3

0.5

Wafer-level and optical test^A

0.0

Packaging, fibre attach and thermal^D

0.0

0.3

0.5

Reliability and quality^A

0.0

0.3

System validation and applications^A

0.0

0.3

Supply chain and operations^A

0.0

0.3

Key0.0Started0.3Early draft0.5Feasible0.8Designed1.0CompleteFreezeFrozenFaded block: still at the step shown before it, Held below Complete or Maintained under change control once complete or frozenFreeze or sign-off pointMilestone for one item; the rest of the work carries onMilestone gateTRTechnical readiness review (TR): a gate that checks the technology is ready before the next commitment.You are here: Photonic PDK & Component LibrariesAI impactDisruption (red)Augmentation (blue)Opportunity (green)How AI is changing the workWhat the steps mean What the codes mean

Show this chart as a list

Stages

Photonic & Electronic Co-design^A
Photonic PDK & Component Libraries (this stage)^A
Laser Integration Design^A

Product and customers milestones

Photonic engineering milestones

Link budget baselined (LB)
TR1: Platform and coupling feasibility (PF) (technical readiness review TR1)
Architecture freeze (AF)
Component library released (CL)
Laser supply agreed and attach design released (LS)

Disciplines

Program and product management^O
- Photonic & Electronic Co-design: maturity 0.3, Early draft. Product plan agreed between the business and engineering: application, cost, schedule and lead customers.; Product plan agreed (milestone for one item)
- Photonic PDK & Component Libraries: maturity 0.3, Early draft. Product plan agreed between the business and engineering: application, cost, schedule and lead customers.
- Laser Integration Design: maturity 0.5, Feasible. Laser supply and unit cost known; customer engagement and sample plans prepared while the circuits are designed.
Optical link and system architecture^A
- Photonic & Electronic Co-design: maturity 0.3, Early draft. Photonic and electronic architecture, the electro-optic interface and the power and thermal envelope frozen with the platform and laser choice.
- Photonic PDK & Component Libraries: maturity 0.5, Feasible. Link budget updated with the compact models and losses from the released component library and the laser specification.
- Laser Integration Design: maturity 0.5, Feasible. Link budget updated with the compact models and losses from the released component library and the laser specification.
Photonic component and circuit design^A
- Photonic & Electronic Co-design: maturity 0.3, Early draft. Component performance targets final at the architecture freeze, with feasibility shown at the technical readiness review.
- Photonic PDK & Component Libraries: maturity 0.5, Feasible. Custom components designed with their test structures planned; circuit design under way on the released library.^A
- Laser Integration Design: maturity 0.5, Feasible. Custom components designed with their test structures planned; circuit design under way on the released library.
Driver, receiver and control electronics^A
- Photonic & Electronic Co-design: maturity 0.0, Started. Electronic architecture and the electronic IC specification set against the electro-optic interface.
- Photonic PDK & Component Libraries: maturity 0.3, Early draft. Driver, receiver and control circuit topologies chosen, with first simulations run.
- Laser Integration Design: maturity 0.5, Feasible. Driver and receiver design running in electro-optic co-simulation with the library's compact models.
Photonic PDK, models and component libraries^A
- Photonic & Electronic Co-design: maturity 0.3, Early draft. Kit and library gaps listed against the component targets, with the foundry kit version chosen.
- Photonic PDK & Component Libraries: maturity 0.5, Feasible. Kit, component library and compact models released for circuit design, with the version for this product fixed.^A; Kit and library version locked (milestone for one item)
- Laser Integration Design: maturity 0.5, Feasible. Kit, component library and compact models released for circuit design, with the version for this product fixed.
Laser source and integration^A
- Photonic & Electronic Co-design: maturity 0.3, Early draft. Laser requirements set and the integration choice (on-chip, flip-chip or external) made at the architecture freeze, with the trade study reviewed.; Laser integration choice frozen (milestone for one item)
- Photonic PDK & Component Libraries: maturity 0.3, Early draft. Laser requirements set and the integration choice (on-chip, flip-chip or external) made at the architecture freeze, with the trade study reviewed.
- Laser Integration Design: maturity 0.5, Feasible. Laser supply agreed and the laser attach and integration design released, with its assumptions in the link budget and the package concept.
Photonic layout and verification^D
- Photonic & Electronic Co-design: maturity 0.0, Started. Layout approach for curved waveguides and the fibre interface, the die size estimate and the check flow to use agreed with the architects; no cells drawn yet.
- Photonic PDK & Component Libraries: maturity 0.3, Early draft. Custom component cells and test structures drawn with the kit, and the die outline planned.
- Laser Integration Design: maturity 0.5, Feasible. Floorplan and fibre interface placement drafted while the circuit is designed, with checks run on each drop.
Photonic wafer process and foundry interface^A
- Photonic & Electronic Co-design: maturity 0.3, Early draft. Foundry and photonic platform chosen, with the platform's maturity assessed for the component targets.
- Photonic PDK & Component Libraries: maturity 0.5, Feasible. Process test structure data from the foundry's runs handed to the kit and library team.
- Laser Integration Design: maturity 0.5, Feasible. Process test structure data from the foundry's runs handed to the kit and library team.
Wafer-level and optical test^A
- Laser Integration Design: maturity 0.0, Started. Optical test approach (wafer-level coupling, laser on or off at test) and the test equipment and fixture needs estimated with the chosen laser route; no test plan yet.
Packaging, fibre attach and thermal^D
- Photonic & Electronic Co-design: maturity 0.0, Started. Optical coupling and packaging approach studied for feasibility against the link budget.
- Photonic PDK & Component Libraries: maturity 0.3, Early draft. Packaging concept outlined: fibre coupling, laser placement and thermal path.
- Laser Integration Design: maturity 0.5, Feasible. Packaging concept final with the laser integration specification.
Reliability and quality^A
- Photonic & Electronic Co-design: maturity 0.0, Started. Reliability and qualification strategy set from the application and its markets.
- Photonic PDK & Component Libraries: maturity 0.0, Started. Reliability and qualification strategy set from the application and its markets.
- Laser Integration Design: maturity 0.3, Early draft. Reliability requirements for the components, laser and fibre attach written into the library and laser specifications.
System validation and applications^A
- Photonic & Electronic Co-design: maturity 0.0, Started. System validation approach drafted from the architecture and the target interface standards.
- Photonic PDK & Component Libraries: maturity 0.0, Started. System validation approach drafted from the architecture and the target interface standards.
- Laser Integration Design: maturity 0.3, Early draft. Validation plan covering conformance, interoperability and laser safety written.
Supply chain and operations^A
- Photonic & Electronic Co-design: maturity 0.0, Started. Supply chain plan drafted around the chosen foundry and platform.
- Photonic PDK & Component Libraries: maturity 0.0, Started. Supply chain plan drafted around the chosen foundry and platform.
- Laser Integration Design: maturity 0.3, Early draft. Laser and fibre suppliers assessed, with second sources considered.

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