1/12/2024 0 Comments Aim academy mitIn addition to the chip itself, the complete EWD PIC Kit also includes detailed documentation of what’s included on the chip, as well as exercise examples developed in conjunction with integrated photonics educators at both two- and four-year programs. McComber says that the next generation of the EWD PIC chips, which are currently being fabricated by AIM Photonics at the Albany Nanotech Complex, will be more application-specific and include six chiplets to allow students to more fully explore photonic devices used in datacom and telecom applications. Subsequent generations have also incorporated active components, so students can see what can happen to the light when electricity is applied, such as switching, tuning and modulating. The first generation of the EWD PIC chips that were manufactured by AIM Photonics for wide distribution were strictly passive (meaning there are no electronics built into the chip), which gives students a broad understanding of what happens to light as it passes through basic photonic structures on the chip. With the EWD PIC Kit, students can get the same type of ‘in-the-trenches’ experience they can expect in a real-world manufacturing environment, but in a more supportive infrastructure that nurtures innovative thinking, he added. “Simulation tools allow you to explore the what-ifs, but this actually allows you to get into the nitty-gritty of how measurement gets done,” McComber said. One of the most significant benefits, though, is how the learning that transpires with the EWD PIC Kit provides students with the type of hands-on, on-the-job training that most programs just can’t offer. Helps students determine which device designs work best for specific applicationsĮncourages analytical and innovative thinking Makes the technology more approachable for students to exploreįeatures basic designs that support existing university curricula “As a DoD Manufacturing Innovation Institute, AIM Photonics’ job is to foster the adoption and expansion of photonics, so working with Spark Photonics to develop the EWD PIC Kit was clearly a good match for us,” said Bob Geer, AIM Photonics director of Education and Workforce Development.ĭesigned with education in mind, Spark Photonics worked with members of the AIM Photonics team, as well as other contributors from the academic community, to develop a new-generation education-specific photonic chip that: Those supply chain issues, compounded with the current shortage in chip production, prompted McComber to turn to AIM Photonics to develop a more comprehensive educational and workforce development PIC kit that would be designed, developed, manufactured and distributed entirely in the U.S. In addition, delivery of the chip kits was often less than reliable, he said, noting that in some cases they simply weren’t even delivered at all. With a background in education and workforce development programs for AIM Academy, Kevin McComber (MIT PhD in silicon photonics) knew he could change that.Īs founder and CEO of Spark Photonics, an independent commercial photonic integrated circuit (PIC) design house based in Waltham, Massachusetts, McComber saw a unique business opportunity to develop and market an educational PIC chip that gives both students and members of the integrated photonics industry supply chain a functional chip that helps them learn how to use and calibrate equipment, test and work with different features and components, and better understand PIC device design in general.Īlthough educational chip kits are not new to the industry, McComber said, most of them weren’t entirely manufactured domestically and didn’t always come with helpful documentation. What’s more, unlike other established industries, few education and workforce development programs focus specifically on the integrated photonics industry in the U.S., and only a handful of those offer students the type of hands-on experience that they will face in a real-world manufacturing environment. And while the emerging technology has advanced considerably over the last decade, the development of a highly skilled workforce needed to make integrated photonics commercially viable for both small and large businesses is seriously lagging. Department of Defense (DoD) as a critical technology for both national and economic security. Microelectronics-particularly integrated photonics-has been identified by the U.S.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |