Infrastructure for silicon photonic test and development

光子电路正在推动电子学所建立的革命性前沿。2008年，我们建立了一个测试设备，用于执行自动光子测量，包括精确对准，光学光谱，电刺激和微流体。今天，UBC是集成光子学领域的公认领导者。我们的设施已经剥离了多个初创公司，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）类似的设计，校友们还成立了两家初创公司，将探测站商业化。我们目前的设备特征光子器件接近1550nm波长。我们已经用这个系统展示了新的光子元件，并与世界公开分享了他们的模型，导致了广泛的采用。该系统还帮助表征了新型生物传感器的特征，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加拿大铸造工艺开发。它带来了创新的培训课程，通过设计-制造-测试循环，学生可以通过实验验证他们的新设计。下一个研究前沿是硅芯片，它的表面采用了新型材料。应用包括大量生物传感器、光学和量子计算——其中许多都在1310纳米附近运行。缺少的是一种设备，可以选择性地将材料沉积在我们的芯片上，并在1310纳米下进行测试。晶圆代工厂提供一种暴露光波导的工艺，用于后续的后处理。这使得研究人员可以制作新型设备的原型，这些设备包含了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。缺少的是一种“功能化”或将几种不同的材料沉积在小体积中以有选择地、准确地覆盖小尺寸（<100 μ m）的方法。该基金将用于建立压电喷墨点胶系统，以高空间精度将小体积试剂分配到硅光子芯片上。多路结构将允许同时检测不同的感染/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。我们希望将这个通用平台分享给加拿大研究界，提供功能化的芯片。扫描可调谐1310nm测量系统将使以下领域的新实验成为可能：A) 1550nm光损耗限制下生物传感器性能的提高；b)数据中心光通信与计算；c)量子光子学。我们目前的系统被27个HQP和加拿大范围内的NSERC CREATE研讨会的几个实验所共享。这导致出版物和培训方面的延误。RTI资金将增加正在进行的实验并使新的实验和HQP参与成为可能。

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.