EU to Establish Pilot Line for Photonic Integrated Circuits

Europe’s Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU), the European public-private partnership that supports research, development, and innovation in semiconductor technologies, is beginning negotiations with the PIXEurope consortium to establish the Advanced Photonic Integrated Circuits (PIC) Pilot Line for Europe. The pilot line, expected to be established in the Netherlands, will be jointly funded by the European Union, through the Horizon Europe and Digital Europe Programmes, participating states, and private organizations.

PIXEurope's PIC pilot line will bring together Europe’s top research organizations to set up the world’s first open access PIC ecosystem, the Chips JU said in a statement. It will use state-of-the-art equipment to develop innovative PIC technologies and processes, including design, chip fabrication and hybrid integration, packaging, and test and reliability technologies.

According to the government of the Netherlands, Eindhoven and Enschede are potential future locations for the planned production facilities. A total of €380 million (~$405 million) has been allocated for the project, with €133 million expected to be invested in the Netherlands.

Coordinated by the Institute of Photonic Sciences, the 20-member consortium includes participants from Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Finland, Belgium, Portugal, Poland, Austria, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom.

The PIC pilot line is the fifth pilot line to be implemented in Europe by the Chips JU to strengthen the continent’s semiconductor ecosystem. Aligned with the goals of the Chips for Europe Initiative, the PIC pilot line is expected to collaborate closely with the other four Chips JU pilot lines, design platform, and competence centers. The NanoIC pilot line, led by imec, was announced earlier this year.

The Chips JU will proceed with the negotiations with the consortium to finalize the hosting agreements, joint procurement agreements, and the related grant agreements.