Keysight, FormFactor and CompoundTek jointly develop on-wafer testing for integrated photonics

Keysight Technologies Inc of Santa Rosa, CA, USA, FormFactor Inc of Livermore, CA, USA (which provides test & measurement technologies along the full IC life cycle - from characterization, modeling, reliability and design de-bug to qualification and production test) and Singapore-based silicon photonic (SiPh) foundry services provider CompoundTek Pte Ltd have joined forces to accelerate integrated photonics (silicon photonics) innovations.

While photonics integrated circuits (PICs) offer an alternative to the limitations of traditional data-center networking, they also introduce new design and test challenges for component and device makers. The adoption of PICs is primarily dependent on an industrial ecosystem consisting of new foundries, commercial modeling tools and photonic test capabilities.

Keysight, FormFactor and CompoundTek have jointly developed a photonics on-wafer testing solution that delivers what is claimed to be industry-first capabilities including automated alignment, simultaneous optical-optical and optical-electrical device tests.

To be offered by CompoundTek, the joint solution includes:

the FormFactor CM300xi-SiPh, with automated wafer-level photonics positioning combined with Keysight’s industry-standard IL/PDL engines and N7700A Photonics Application Suite (PAS), to support wavelength repeatability of ±1.5pm at two-way sweeps up to 200nm/s within 1240-1650nm to ensure accuracy and repeatability from O-band to L-band;
Keysight’s N4373E 67GHz Lightwave Component Analyzer, which delivers what is claimed to be unprecedented bandwidth for both optical receiver testing and optical transmitter testing with guaranteed specifications for electro-optical S-parameter measurements for device traceability;
Keysight’s PathWave software platform, which provides a consistent user experience, common data formats and control interfaces;
FormFactor’s SiPh software, which enables automated calibrations and alignments and simplifies integration with Keysight’s PathWave software platform, as well as optical instrumentation, to ensure ease of use.

Silicon photonics also delivers benefits for industrial segments such as intra-data-center communication and data-center interconnects (DCI), telecom, 5G and automotive connectivity, high-performance computing (HPC), light detection & ranging (LiDAR), as well as sensing and medical applications.

“Innovation in optics is critical to connect the world and help the industry to monetize 5G, as well as data-center and telecom services,” says Dr Joachim Peerlings, Keysight’s VP of Network and Data Center Solutions. “Advancing in speed as well as power and cost efficiency requires a tightly connected eco-system to jointly solve the challenges ahead.”

CompoundTek plans to establish a silicon photonics testing services hub in Singapore. “With added on-wafer level, automated silicon photonics optical/electrical/RF testing with this solution, customers will be able to limit packaging costs to avoid module-packaging-level testing turn-around time losses,” says chief operating officer, K.S. Ang. “This test solution complements our current services in mass-production volume with fast cycle-time, offered alongside world-class commercial foundry capabilities that accelerate time-to-market to achieve customers’ commercialization goals,” he adds.

“FormFactor’s industry-leading silicon photonics wafer test capability allows our customers to obtain repeatable, consistent results with unsurpassed throughput,” claims Claus Dietrich, VP & general manager of the Systems business unit at FormFactor. “The system’s automated and high-speed calibration and optical alignment, as well as precision measurement capability in collaboration with Keysight, enable CompoundTek to offer customers faster time to market.”

See related items:

CompoundTek delivers silicon photonics PDK in partnership with Mentor and Lumerical

CompoundTek and software provider Lumerical partner on enhanced silicon photonics PDK

Tags: Keysight Silicon photonics PICs

Visit: https://compoundtek.com

Visit: www.keysight.com

Visit: www.formfactor.com