Jun. 26, 2025 –
VTT joins PIXEurope, the European pilot line for Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs), and provides the pilot line with expertise in thick silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology. Supported by the European Chips Act, the PIXEurope initiative will invest EUR 400 million to advance the development and pilot fabrication of integrated photonic chips in Europe, vital for applications in fields including 6G, AI, mobility, imaging and sensing.
The Spanish-based Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) coordinates the PIXEurope pilot line that aims to establish the first open access photonic integrated circuit (PIC) ecosystem in Europe. There are several PIC technologies available with different strengths, and the pilot line gathers them all together for the first time in Europe to offer solutions for different applications and to cover wavelengths from ultraviolet and visible light up to mid-infrared.
Apart from PIC design and manufacturing, also hybrid integration, packaging and testing of PICs are part of the pilot line activities. The users can utilise the developed pilot line technologies by taking advantage of Process Design Kits (PDKs) that are made available for end users. By combining multiple functions into a single chip, PICs reduce manufacturing costs and open up new applications, positioning Europe as a leader in photonics technology.
“From VTT, we bring to the pilot line our mature Thick-SOI PIC technology and improve it further”, says Timo Aalto, Research Team Leader for VTT’s Silicon Photonics Team.
VTT’s thick-SOI PIC platform already offers a unique combination of low optical losses, dense integration and broad wavelength range. As part of the PIXEurope pilot line, VTT will invest in new equipment for processing SOI wafers in VTT’s Micronova cleanroom. New equipment allows for the improvement of the patterning resolution and surface smoothness of the optical waveguide structures that guide light in the PICs, and to integrate other materials on the SOI wafers for additional functionalities, such as fast light modulation and detection...