Keysight Technologies Inc., FormFactor Inc. and CompoundTek have joined forces to accelerate integrated photonics innovations.

Integrated photonics, also called silicon photonics, is a revolutionary technology that multiplies data transfer capacities while reducing power consumption and cost. While photonics integrated circuits (PIC) offer an exciting alternative to the limitations of traditional data center networking, they also introduce new design and test challenges for component and device manufacturers. Adoption of PICs is primarily dependent on an industrial ecosystem comprised of new foundries, commercial modeling tools and photonic test capabilities.

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Keysight, FormFactor and CompoundTek, have jointly developed an advanced photonics on-wafer testing solution that delivers industry-first capabilities including automated alignment, simultaneous optical-optical and optical-electrical device tests.

The joint solution, to be offered by CompoundTek 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 ±1.5 pm at 2-way sweeps up to 200 nm/s within 1240 to 1650 nm to ensure accuracy and repeatability from O- to L-Band.
  • Keysight's N4373E 67 GHz Lightwave Component Analyzer which delivers 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 that 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, light detection and 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," said Dr. Joachim Peerlings, vice president of Network and Data Center Solutions at Keysight Technologies. "Advancing in speed as well as power and cost efficiency requires a tightly connected eco-system to jointly solve the challenges ahead. We are pleased with our partnerships and progress of enabling this eco-system through our unmatched photonics test expertise."

CompoundTek plans to establish a state-of-the-art silicon photonics testing services hub in Singapore.  The company's COO, K.S. Ang, commented, "With added on-wafer level, automated Si 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. 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."

"FormFactor's industry-leading silicon photonics wafer test capability allows our customers to obtain repeatable, consistent results with unsurpassed throughput," said Claus Dietrich, vice president and 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."