The companies specifically expect the combination to enable improved system performance while reducing integration costs through relaxed photonics packaging requirements. The MTP technology, licensed from X-Celeprint, enables a broad degree of freedom for the system and product designers, by providing flexible integration of various material system chiplets into the product design, X-FAB said.
This collaboration builds on the PhotonixFAB EU funding project, which aims to provide a path to scalable high-volume manufacturing for silicon-on-insulator and silicon nitride silicon photonics, MTP-ready InP chiplets, and microtransfer printing of chiplets. X-FAB heads the public/private PhotonixFAB consortium, of which SMART Photonics is a partner.
The companies anticipate industrial prototyping by 2026, with risk production readiness by 2027. Early customer engagements, they said, can be supported within the ongoing PhotonixFAB project framework.