Background
Light-based technologies, or photonics, are essential to many technologies, from broadband networks and data centres to future quantum computers and sensors. Most UK-manufactured chips are made from silicon, which is unable to process the blue and green light used in many quantum and sensing applications. Aluminium nitride (AlN) is a promising alternative as it is transparent to a wide range of light, enabling vital functions that silicon cannot. However, making high-quality AlN photonic chips at scale has been a challenge, with UK companies forced to rely on costly overseas suppliers.
About the Project
The Platform for Aluminium Nitride Photonic Integrated Circuits (PANPIC) project brought together Cardiff University, the University of Leeds, world-leading semiconductor company IQE plc, and chip design experts Wave Photonics Ltd.
Supported by the Royce Institute Industrial Collaboration Programme, the project team’s goal was to move from making one-off, small-scale chips to producing full 100 mm (10 cm) wafers – large discs holding many chips, similar to those used in the semiconductor industry. Key facilities included Cardiff’s advanced cleanroom, featuring a newly installed electron-beam lithography tool for precise chip patterning, and the Royce Cleanroom at Leeds, which handled specialist polishing and staff training.
Project Details & Results
PANPIC set out to:
- Create a reliable process for making AlN photonic chips at wafer scale
- Achieve very low optical losses so more light gets through each chip
- Build high-performance resonators (components that trap light for advanced functions)
- Establish the foundations for UK companies and researchers to design and manufacture their own AlN chips cost-effectively
The team succeeded in every major goal:
- Developed a new manufacturing process that produced uniform, high-quality and reliable chips across entire wafers
- Improved the way chips are prepared for use, enabling easy connection to fibre optics
- Provided hands-on training to staff, spreading new skills across partner institutions
The UK now has a home-grown method for making aluminium nitride photonic chips at scale, with improved performance for both research and industry needs.
Impact
Economic and industrial
- Producing chips at wafer scale in the UK cuts the cost per chip by a factor of ten
- The project has already created a new full-time role and follow-on funding bids to expand the platform
Societal and environmental
- UK manufacture reduces supply chain emissions and ensures faster delivery to users
- Access to advanced photonic chips will speed up innovation in quantum sensing for healthcare and environmental monitoring
Knowledge and skills
- The partnership has created a complete supply chain in the UK, from materials to chip design and manufacturing
- The capability delivered from the project can be accessed by universities and small businesses, opening up opportunities for many more UK innovators
Collaborators
The universities of Cardiff and Leeds, with semiconductor company IQE plc, and chip design experts Wave Photonics Ltd, have developed a new process to make high-performance photonic chips from aluminium nitride on full wafers, reducing chip losses and costs. This breakthrough, facilitated by Royce ICP funding, offers new possibilities for quantum technology, advanced communications and sensing, all manufactured in the UK.
"Establishing wafer-scale aluminium nitride chip fabrication in the UK is a huge step forward. It opens the door for British researchers and industry to access advanced photonic technology without relying on overseas suppliers."
Professor Anthony Bennett, Lead Applicant
Cardiff University
