CORNERSTONE 2.5

硅光子学是在硅基衬底中对光（光子）的操纵，类似于电子学，电子学是操纵电子。硅光子器件的开发周期包括三个阶段：设计、制造和表征。虽然设计和表征可以很容易地由全国各地的研究小组完成，但硅光子器件、电路和系统的制造需要大规模的投资和资本设备，如洁净室、光刻、蚀刻设备等。总部设在南安普顿和格拉斯哥大学，CORNERSTONE 2.5将为世界提供-为硅光子学研究人员和更广泛的科学界提供领先的制造能力。虽然硅光子学是CORNERSTONE 2.5的重点，它还将支持利用类似制造工艺的其他技术，如MEMS或微流体技术，以及将光源与硅光子集成电路集成，并支持任何需要高分辨率光刻的研究领域。研究人员可用于支持硅光子学新兴应用的新专业能力包括：1）基于绝缘体上硅（SOI）晶片的量子光子学; 2）可编程光子学; 3）全硅光电探测; 4）用于低能量、功率敏感系统的高效光栅耦合器; 5）增强型传感平台;以及6）光源集成到氮化硅平台。通过多项目晶圆（MPW）机制，将在同一晶圆上并行制造多个用户的设计，从而促进访问。这得益于南安普顿大学安装的以深紫外投影光刻扫描仪为中心的8”晶圆级处理能力。CORNERSTONE 2.5对希望使用它的研究人员的价值通过支持公司网络得到增强，每个公司都为用户提供重要的专业知识和附加值。支持公司包括工艺设计包（PDK）软件专家（Luceda Photonics），光罩供应商（计算机图形学、光电子学）、包装设施（廷德尔国家研究所，海湾光子学，Alter技术），一个大规模生产硅光子铸造厂（CompoundTek）是硅基锗生长（IQE）的外延合作伙伴，（牛津仪器），一个MPW经纪人（EUROPRACTICE），一家III-V族芯片供应商（Sivers Semiconductors）与推广和外联合作伙伴（光子学领导小组，EPIC，CSA Catapult，CPI，在项目的第13-18个月，英国学者将免费获得新的能力，在第19-24个月，75%的资金将由赠款补贴。在为期2年的项目中，我们还将探讨英国对继续作为EPSRC国家研究机构运作的能力的需求，如果是这样，则建立需求声明。

Silicon photonics is the manipulation of light (photons) in silicon-based substrates, analogous to electronics, which is the manipulation of electrons. The development cycle of a silicon photonics device consists of three stages: design, fabrication, and characterisation. Whilst design and characterisation can readily be done by research groups around the country, the fabrication of silicon photonics devices, circuits and systems requires large scale investments and capital equipment such as cleanrooms, lithography, etching equipment etc. Based at the Universities of Southampton and Glasgow, CORNERSTONE 2.5 will provide world-leading fabrication capability to silicon photonics researchers and the wider science community.Whilst silicon photonics is the focus of CORNERSTONE 2.5, it will also support other technologies that utilise similar fabrication processes, such as MEMS or microfluidics, and the integration of light sources with silicon photonics integrated circuits, as well as supporting any research area that requires high-resolution lithography.The new specialised capabilities available to researchers to support emerging applications in silicon photonics are: 1) quantum photonics based on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers; 2) programmable photonics; 3) all-silicon photodetection; 4) high efficiency grating couplers for low energy, power sensitive systems; 5) enhanced sensing platforms; and 6) light source integration to the silicon nitride platform. Access will be facilitated via a multi-project-wafer (MPW) mechanism whereby multiple users' designs will be fabricated in parallel on the same wafer. This is enabled by the 8" wafer-scale processing capability centred around a deep-UV projection lithography scanner installed at the University of Southampton.The value of CORNERSTONE 2.5 to researchers who wish to use it is enhanced by a network of supporting companies, each providing significant expertise and added value to users. Supporting companies include process-design-kit (PDK) software specialists (Luceda Photonics), reticle suppliers (Compugraphics, Photronics), packaging facilities (Tyndall National Institute, Bay Photonics, Alter Technologies), a mass production silicon photonics foundry (CompoundTek), an epitaxy partner for germanium-on-silicon growth (IQE), fabrication processing support (Oxford Instruments), an MPW broker (EUROPRACTICE), a III-V die supplier (Sivers Semiconductors) and promotion and outreach partners (Photonics Leadership Group, EPIC, CSA Catapult, CPI, Anchored In).Access to the new capabilities will be free-of-charge to UK academics in months 13-18 of the project, and 75% subsidised by the grant in months 19-24. During the 2-year project, we will also canvas UK demand for the capability to continue to operate as an EPSRC National Research Facility, and if so, to establish a Statement of Need.