HELIOS - When photonics meet electronics

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Abstract:

The aim of the project HELIOS is to combine a photonic layer with a CMOS circuit by different innovative means, using microelectronics fabrication processes. The objectives of HELIOS are manifold: • Development of high performance generic building blocks that can be used for a broad range of applications: WDM sources by III-V/Si heterogeneous integration, fast modulators and detectors, passive circuits and packaging • Building and optimization of the whole “food chain” to fabricate complex functional devices. Photonics/electronics convergence will be addressed at the process level and also at the design level since HELIOS will contribute to the development of an adequate design environment • Realization of several complex photonic IC’s addressing different industrial needs, including a 40Gb/s modulator, a 16x10 Gb/s transceiver, a Photonic QAM-10Gb/s wireless transmission system and a mixed analog and digital transceiver module for multifunction antennas.. • Investigation of more promising but challenging alternative approaches offering clear advantages in terms of integration on CMOS for the next generation of CMOS Photonics devices • Road mapping, dissemination and training, to strengthen the European research and industry in this field and to raise awareness of new users about the interest of CMOS Photonics. HELIOS will make integration technologies accessible for a broad circle of users in a foundry-like, fabless way.