MicroNanoSystems News
Light for future circuits
deposition. This silicon organic hybrid
A RECENT ISSUE of the scientific (SOH) approach enables the fabrication
magazine Nature Photonics published of waveguides which pave the way
the first experimental proof of all towards all optical processing, where
optical ultra fast communication signal photons do no longer need to be
processing with silicon based devices converted to electrons.
for transmission speeds above All optical demultiplexing of a
100Gbit/s.The paper results from the 170.8Gbit/s telecommunication signal
collaboration between University of to 42.7Gbit/s was performed using four-
Karlsruhe, Germany; IMEC, Leuven, wave mixing. This is the fastest silicon
Belgium; Lehigh University, USA and photonic optical signal processing molecular beam deposition is used to
ETH Zürich, Switzerland. The demonstrated to date. This experiment cover it with organic molecules.
achievements are a key step towards proved the viability of the SOH These molecules efficiently transfer
the development of complex silicon- waveguides for all-optical processing of all-optical interaction without
based photonic integrated circuits. broadband telecommunication signals. introducing significant absorption. The
All-optical signal processing is of With the SOH approach, some circuits were designed by researchers in
interest in telecommunications inherent limitations of silicon could be a fabless way, and made on IMEC’s
applications, where speed, power and overcome. Silicon based technology, in 200mm Si photonics platform.
cost are crucial. A key element to particular SOI technology, has already ePIXfab is a European funded
enable all-optical processing is optical proven very successful for the initiative coordinated by IMEC to allow
waveguides with highly nonlinear and fabrication of various passive linear cost-effective fabless prototyping in
ultra-fast performance. Researchers optical devices such as filters. The SOH wafer-scale silicon photonics technology
fabricated an innovative optical approach overcomes intrinsic limitations for R&D. ePIXfab runs multi-project
waveguide structure by combining deep by combining the best of two worlds: wafer shuttles in which designs from
ultraviolet lithography, standard CMOS mature CMOS processing is used to world-wide users share mask and
processing and organic molecular beam fabricate the waveguide, and organic processing costs.
12
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Controlling 3D IC Tronics grows amidst
oasiasemiconductor
RUDOLPH TECHNOLOGIES and SEMATECH have announced downturn
that Rudolph has joined SEMATECH’s 3D Interconnect
Program at the College of Nanoscale Science and Tronics, a manufacturer of custom MEMS, has announced that
Engineering (CNSE) of the University at Albany. This is a 2008 revenue totaled 11 million Euros ($16.3 million),
continuation of efforts in process characterization, with a new representing a 5 percent increase (13 percent USD) compared
.com
focus on 3D IC processing and enhancing process control of to 2007. Net profit for 2008 totaled 8 percent of revenue or
TSV (through-silicon vias) manufacturing. 858,000 Euros ($1.3M). Tronics was profitable and achieved
As a member of SEMATECH’s 3D program, Rudolph’s growth and generated cash while absorbing the cost of its
square4
Issue IV 2009
inspection and metrology technologies will be applied to U.S. expansion in the fourth-quarter. The company ended
various projects including via depth and CD metrology, 2008 with its 10th consecutive profitable quarter. This was
metallization void detection, stacked wafer via alignment, against a steadily declining global economic environment.
wafer edge defect detection and bump height coplanarity. With a strong balance sheet that includes more than 5 million
“The device design and complex manufacturing of 3D Euros cash and a debt/equity ratio below 30 percent, Tronics
packaging opens a frontier of is well positioned to manage its business in 2009 and
challenges,” stated Ardy Johnson, continue its expansion in 2010 and beyond.
Rudolph’s VP of marketing. Tronics opened a U.S. operation in Dallas and acquiring a
Richard Brilla, VP for strategy, medical device group based in Sunnyvale. These two events
alliances and consortia at CNSE, are aligned with Tronics’ goals of penetrating the medical
said, “The addition of Rudolph device sector and meeting the growing demand for custom
Technologies’ metrology and MEMS manufacturing in the United States, Europe and Asia.
characterization capabilities will “Tronics’ business fundamentals and operations are on
enhance the research being secure footing. Even though we are facing a reduced demand
conducted as part of from markets like oil exploration and aerospace in 2009, we
SEMATECH’s 3D Interconnect are in a far better position than many companies in our field,”
Program at CNSE’s Albany said Peter Pfluger, CEO of Tronics. “Furthermore, our U.S.
NanoTech. entities are already well integrated and operational.”
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