Two European photonics pilot lines to land in the Netherlands

The Netherlands is set to claim 133 million euros out of a 380-million-euro EU investment in integrated-photonics technology. The Dutch share, co-funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, will be used to set up pilot manufacturing lines in Eindhoven and Enschede. The investment is part of the European Chips Joint Undertaking, a public-private alliance that has already established four pilot lines for ‘traditional’ semiconductor technologies.

Eindhoven and Enschede are the home bases of indium phosphide (InP) and silicon nitride (SiN) integrated-photonics platforms, which excel in different areas. Eindhoven University of Technology played a major role in developing InP technology, which resulted in the spin-off of InP foundry Smart Photonics. Enschede-based Lionix, loosely associated with the University of Twente (UT), is a frontrunner in SiN technology. Moreover, the Twente region is working on setting up a SiN foundry called New Origin.