Infrastructure for silicon photonic test and development

硅光子测试和开发基础设施

• 批准号: RTI-2022-00723
• 负责人: Shekhar, Sudip
• 金额: $ 10.93万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=742991
• 关键词: Infrastructure; silicon; photonic; test; development

Photonic circuits are pushing the revolutionary frontiers established by electronics. In 2008, we established a test facility to perform automated photonic measurements consisting of precision alignment, optical spectra, electrical stimulus, and microfluidics. Today, UBC is an established leader in integrated photonics. Our facility has spun off multiple startups, technology transfers, patents, licensing agreements, government and industrial collaborations. Our test facility inspired similar designs at other universities (Queens, Laval, Toronto) and two startups were launched by alumni to commercialize the probe stations. Our current facility characterizes photonic devices near 1550nm wavelength. We have used this system to demonstrate novel photonic components, and shared their models publicly with the world, leading to wide adoption. The system also helped characterize novel biosensors with the potential to democratize point-of-care and at-home diagnostic testing for COVID and other diseases. The 1550nm equipment also supports multiple research grants, including SiEPICfab Canadian Foundry process development. It led to innovative training courses, whereby design-fabricate-test cycles allow students to experimentally validate their novel designs. The next research frontier involves silicon chips that are enhanced by novel materials on the surface. Applications include high-volume biosensors, optical and quantum computing - many of which operate near 1310 nm. Missing is a facility to selectively deposit materials on our chips and to test them at 1310 nm. Foundries offer a process to expose the optical waveguide for subsequent post-processing. This allows researchers to prototype novel devices that incorporate materials such as polymers for modulators and receptor molecules for biosensors. What is missing is a means to "functionalize" or deposit several different materials in small volumes to cover small sizes (<100 µm), selectively, and accurately. The fund will be used to build a piezoelectric inkjet dispensing system to dispense small volumes of reagents onto silicon photonic chips with high spatial precision. The multiplexed architecture will allow simultaneous assay for different infections/biomarkers. The platform will be used to dispense electro-optic polymers to make high speed modulators for optical computing and cryogenic quantum computing. We hope to share this general platform and provide functionalized chips to the Canadian research community. A swept tunable 1310nm measurement system will enable new experiments in a) biosensors with improved performance over fundamental limitations due to optical losses at 1550nm, b) data centre optical communications and computing, c) quantum photonics. Our current systems are shared by 27 HQP and several experiments for Canada-wide NSERC CREATE workshops. This has led to delays in publications and training. The RTI funds will increase ongoing and enable new experiments and HQP involvement.

光子电路正在推动电子学建立的革命性前沿。在2008年，我们建立了一个测试设施来执行自动化的光子测量，包括精确对准，光谱，电刺激和微流体。今天，UBC是集成光子学领域的公认领导者。我们的设施已经分拆了多个创业公司，技术转让，专利，许可协议，政府和工业合作。我们的测试设施启发了其他大学（皇后区、拉瓦尔、多伦多）的类似设计，校友们成立了两家初创公司，将探针站商业化。我们目前的设备表征了1550nm波长附近的光子器件。我们已经使用这个系统来展示新的光子组件，并与世界公开分享他们的模型，从而获得广泛采用。该系统还有助于表征新型生物传感器，这些传感器有可能使COVID和其他疾病的护理点和家庭诊断测试民主化。1550nm设备还支持多项研究资助，包括SiEPICfab Canadian Foundry工艺开发。它导致了创新的培训课程，其中设计-制造-测试周期允许学生实验验证他们的新颖设计。 下一个研究前沿涉及表面上由新材料增强的硅芯片。应用包括大容量生物传感器，光学和量子计算-其中许多在1310 nm附近工作。缺少的是一个设施，选择性地存款材料在我们的芯片上，并测试他们在1310纳米。代工厂提供了一种工艺来暴露光波导以进行后续的后处理。这使研究人员能够制作新型设备的原型，其中包含用于调节剂的聚合物和用于生物传感器的受体分子等材料。所缺少的是一种"功能化"或以小体积存款几种不同材料以选择性和准确地覆盖小尺寸（<100 µ m）的方法。该基金将用于建造压电喷墨点胶系统，以高空间精度将小体积试剂点胶到硅光子芯片上。多重结构将允许同时测定不同的感染/生物标志物。该平台将用于分配电光聚合物，以制造用于光学计算和低温量子计算的高速调制器。我们希望分享这个通用平台，并为加拿大研究界提供功能化芯片。扫描可调谐1310 nm测量系统将使新的实验a）生物传感器，由于在1550 nm的光损耗，b）数据中心光通信和计算，c）量子光子学的基本限制，提高性能。我们目前的系统由27个HQP和加拿大范围内的NSERC CREATE研讨会的几个实验共享。这导致出版物和培训的延误。RTI的资金将增加正在进行的实验，并使新的实验和HQP参与。