EU Effort Achieves Initial Graphene Photonic Integrated Circuit

The EU-funded Graphene-based All-Optical Technology Platform for Secure Internet of Things (GATEPOST) project has presented the first photonic integrated GATEPOST chip. Presented at a meeting of the project’s eight stakeholders at the EurA AG headquarters in Ellwangen, Germany, the chip is now being manufactured by in the experimental pilot plant at IHP GmbH at the Leibniz Institute for Innovative Microelectronics.

The graphene-on-silicon nitride chip is designed initially with nine layers, said Leonardo Del Bino, co-founder of Akhetonics GmbH in his presentation. The chip, he said, can be thought of as a cake with each layer made up of different ingredients, and each layer with a mask representing a specific material at a specific point in the cake.

Members of the Horizon Europe-funded GATEPOST project presented the first graphene photonic integrated photonic chip produced by the three year project. Courtesy of Graphene Flagship.

According to Del Bino, the chip currently exists in a simplified version, with some elements to be included in the project’s final result. The project however, is on schedule and its first papers were presented at the Optical Fiber Communications Conference and Exhibition 2024.

The Horizon Europe-funded GATEPOST project seeks to develop and produce graphene-based chips to revolutionize existing computer technology and IT security, according to Mindaugas Lukosius of IHP GmbH, lead partner in the project. GATEPOST intends to integrate graphene and 2D materials into into silicon nitride using standard CMOS processes. Taking place under the auspices of the EU’s Graphene Flagship program, the project began last October and will run for 3 years, funded with €5.4 million ($5.8 million).

The project is being undertaken by eight partners: IHP GmbH Leibniz Institute for Innovative Microelectronics, Akhetonics GmbH, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Enlightra, Fraunhofer Heinrich Herz Institute, EurA AG and the Interuniversitair Micro-Electronica Centrum.