Challenge

Journal of Lightwave Technology, 2000

The concept of building block and circuit-model simulation in photonics is presented and discussed, pointing out their key role in a generic foundry approach. Circuit simulation based on building-block approach, in addition and alternative to the classical electromagnetic analysis, emerges as the most useful framework for a deep exploitation of the potentiality of photonics for the large-scale integration of complex circuits. The reliability of building-block-based design and simulation of photonics integrated circuits is discussed and comparisons between simulated and measured behavior of three challenging test circuits are used as proof of concept of the validity of this approach.

IEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging, and Manufacturing Technology: Part C, 1996

Photonic systems typically consist of components and subassemblies whose functions may be categorized as optical, electronic, or mechanical. In the present study, it is demonstrated that unlike mechanical assemblies, building optical assemblies typically involves only a few parts, but a large number of alignment/adjustment operations. So, the techniques of design for assembly (DFA) that are based on identifying and eliminating parts that are deemed unnecessary do not provide insight into design of these systems for efficient assembly. In this paper, we propose a new methodology to evaluate the suitability of a photonic system design for efficient optical, electronic and mechanical assembly. The intent of the methodology described in this paper is to focus attention on parts, processes and part types for time and cost efficient assembly. The methodology developed in the present paper is demonstrated using a commercial fiberoptic switch manufactured by Astarte Fiber Networks, Inc

2015

Recently, the authors have demonstrated large-scale integrated systems with several million transistors and hundreds of photonic elements. Yielding such large-scale integrated systems requires a design-for-manufacture rigour that is embodied in the 10 000 to 50 000 design rules that these designs must comply within advanced complementary metal-oxide semiconductor manufacturing. Here, the authors present a photonic design automation tool which allows automatic generation of layouts without design-rule violations. This tool is written in SKILL, the native language of the mainstream electric design automation software, Cadence ® . This allows seamless integration of photonic and electronic design in a single environment. The tool leverages intuitive photonic layer definitions, allowing the designer to focus on the physical properties rather than on technology-dependent details. For the first time the authors present an algorithm for removal of design-rule violations from photonic layouts based on Manhattan discretisation, Boolean and sizing operations. This algorithm is not limited to the implementation in SKILL, and can in principle be implemented in any scripting language. Connectivity is achieved with software-defined waveguide ports and low-level procedures that enable auto-routing of waveguide connections.

IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, 2000

A design methodology to layout photonic devices within standard electronic complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) foundry data preparation flows is described. This platform has enabled the fabrication of designs in three foundry scaled-CMOS processes from two semiconductor manufacturers.

IET Optoelectronics, 2015

Recently, the authors have demonstrated large-scale integrated systems with several million transistors and hundreds of photonic elements. Yielding such large-scale integrated systems requires a design-for-manufacture rigour that is embodied in the 10 000 to 50 000 design rules that these designs must comply within advanced complementary metal-oxide semiconductor manufacturing. Here, the authors present a photonic design automation tool which allows automatic generation of layouts without design-rule violations. This tool is written in SKILL, the native language of the mainstream electric design automation software, Cadence ®. This allows seamless integration of photonic and electronic design in a single environment. The tool leverages intuitive photonic layer definitions, allowing the designer to focus on the physical properties rather than on technology-dependent details. For the first time the authors present an algorithm for removal of design-rule violations from photonic layouts based on Manhattan discretisation, Boolean and sizing operations. This algorithm is not limited to the implementation in SKILL, and can in principle be implemented in any scripting language. Connectivity is achieved with software-defined waveguide ports and low-level procedures that enable auto-routing of waveguide connections.

2006

Optics Letters, 2013

We propose the use of the parallel tabu search algorithm (PTS) to solve combinatorial inverse design problems in integrated photonics. To assess the potential of this algorithm, we consider the problem of beam shaping using a two-dimensional arrangement of dielectric scatterers. The performance of PTS is compared to one of the most widely used optimization algorithms in photonics design, the genetic algorithm (GA). We find that PTS can produce comparable or better solutions than the GA, while requiring less computation time and fewer adjustable parameters. For the coherent beam shaping problem as a case study, we demonstrate how PTS can tackle multiobjective optimization problems and represent a robust and efficient alternative to GA.

Applied Sciences, 2020

The field of silicon photonics has experienced widespread adoption in the datacoms industry over the past decade, with a plethora of other applications emerging more recently such as light detection and ranging (LIDAR), sensing, quantum photonics, programmable photonics and artificial intelligence. As a result of this, many commercial complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) foundries have developed open access silicon photonics process lines, enabling the mass production of silicon photonics systems. On the other side of the spectrum, several research labs, typically within universities, have opened up their facilities for small scale prototyping, commonly exploiting e-beam lithography for wafer patterning. Within this ecosystem, there remains a challenge for early stage researchers to progress their novel and innovate designs from the research lab to the commercial foundries because of the lack of compatibility of the processing technologies (e-beam lithography is not an ind...

SPIE Proceedings, 2014

This paper describes design methodologies developed for silicon photonics integrated circuits. The approach presented is inspired by methods employed in the Electronics Design Automation (EDA) community. This is complemented by well established photonic component design tools, compact model synthesis, and optical circuit modelling. A generic silicon photonics design kit, as described here, is available for download at http://www.siepic.ubc.ca/GSiP.

2010

During the period August 2005 through October 2009, the UNLV Research Foundation (UNLVRF), a non-profit affiliate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), in collaboration with UNLV's Colleges of Science and Engineering; Boston University (BU); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); and Sunlight Direct, LLC, has managed and conducted a diverse and comprehensive research and development program focused on light-emitting diode (LED) technologies that provide significantly improved characteristics for lighting and display applications. This final technical report provides detailed information on the nature of the tasks, the results of the research, and the deliverables.