Leti’s integrated silicon photonics platform has been developed for high-speed optical transceivers and highly-integrated optical interposer applications. The process design kit contains the design rules and building blocks for multi-project wafer and custom runs on Leti’s Si310 platform. It also includes a catalogue of components available at Leti, allowing Synopsys PhoeniX OptoDesigner customers to select the ones they need to build their circuits. Once the customers have a completed circuit design, Leti produces a proof of concept on a multi-project wafer run.
OptoDesigner gives access to a complete set of passive components, such as grating couplers, silicon waveguides and transitions; and active components, such as high-speed Mach Zehnder modulators and high-speed germanium photodiodes based on Leti’s fab. It also includes physical verification tools, checking whether the contributions meet the design rules defined by the fabrication constraints in Leti’s clean room.
“On the same mask, with this design kit, we are able to have photonic circuits performing various functions, according to the area of expertise of the different contributors,” says Andre Myko, responsible of MPW runs at Leti. “Fabless companies and academics can therefore realise substantial cost savings by ‘sharing’ production costs on multi-project wafer runs.”
“Leti’s PDK available for Synopsys’ PhoeniX OptoDesigner is a licensed plug-in library of solutions that support multi-project wafers and custom runs provided by Leti,” adds Niek Nijenhuis, global business development manager of Synopsys’ PhoeniX OptoDesigner products. “In addition to the photonic elements from the standard OptoDesigner library, Leti’s PDK contains technology-specific information like mask layer names, design rules, validated building blocks, die sizes and GDS file settings.”
Leti’s silicon photonics platform is also fully compatible with STMicroelectronics’ platform in Crolles, which enables fabless customers to take their new circuits to high-volume production.