OpenLight, the world leader in custom PASIC chip design and manufacturing, today announced a strategic partnership with Spark Photonics, an end-to-end integrated photonics design services firm. With this collaboration, Spark Photonics will now offer design and layout services using the OpenLight process design kit (PDK) with the Luceda IPKISS design layout and simulation software suite. The expansion of design services increases the number of designs OpenLight can support at any one time on the Tower Semiconductor PH18DA process, reducing time to market for photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and expanding the silicon photonics industry’s reach to drive advancements across applications.

“Today marks an important step forward in our company’s journey. With the integration of industry-leading expertise and resources from OpenLight and Luceda coupled with best-in-class design services from Spark, we are fostering a new era for customers to tape in MPW engineering and production wafer run designs directly to Tower,” said Dr. Adam Carter, CEO of OpenLight. “This partnership empowers our customers to address distinct design needs, diversify their design portfolio, and resolve compatibility challenges.”

The OpenLight PDK incorporates both active and passive components, enabling advanced access to silicon photonics with heterogeneous integration. Mutual customers now have an array of choices from an EDA tool perspective to ensure first-time success in design verification and implementation.

“This partnership will play a pivotal role in our company’s vision to grow the integrated photonics ecosystem,” said Dr. Kevin McComber, CEO of Spark Photonics. “Working with OpenLight and Luceda positions us to meet the evolving needs of integrated photonics trailblazers. Customers stand to derive significant benefits from our collective capabilities, including reduced cost and faster turnaround.”

“We're excited to leverage the combined expertise of OpenLight and Spark Photonics,” said Dr. Pieter Dumon, CTO of Luceda Photonics. “This collaboration enhances our long-term goal to enable cutting-edge PDK-based design services and meet the demands of diverse applications.”

OpenLight recently introduced its innovative Photonic Application Specific Integrated Circuits (PASIC) technology, which incorporates both passive and active components onto a single silicon photonics chip, resulting in significant improvements in performance and reliability. With the OpenLight PDK, customers can now design their own PASIC chips, offering greater flexibility and customization options.

OpenLight and Spark Photonics design and layout services are available today; please reach out to info@openlightphotonics.com for more information.