The construction of the world's first industrial factory for the production of indium phosphide photonic chips on 6-inch wafer scale has recently started. The factory aims to strengthen the Netherlands' position in the field of photonics.
The go-ahead for construction was given earlier this month by European Commission executive vice-president Henna Virkkunen and Dutch ministers Heleen Herbert (Economic Affairs and Climate) and Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius (Defence). High Tech Campus Eindhoven will be home to the new plant.
Information transfer via light particles
Photonics is the science and technology that focuses on the generation, control and detection of light (photons). Instead of electrons (as in electronics), photonics uses light particles to process, transfer and store information. Photonic chips play a crucial role in modern communications, medical devices, sensors and computer networks.
Photonic chips offer several advantages over regular chips. For instance, light moves faster than electrons, enabling higher data rates. In addition, photonic systems consume less energy than electronic systems. Photonic chips can be integrated into compact systems, such as smartphones and wearables.
R&D and production
The new factory in Eindhoven will focus on both research and development (R&D) and scalable production. The factory should accelerate the development of concepts into concrete solutions. This should pave the way for a new generation of energy-efficient AI data centres, 6G networks, medical innovations and supercomputers.
Tjark Tjin-A-Tsoi, CEO of TNO, highlights the importance of the factory for the Netherlands' position in the chip market. "With this factory, TNO is taking a unique step: for the first time we are building an industrial pilot line. By bringing research and production close together, we strengthen the position of the Netherlands within the European semiconductor landscape and help companies scale up high-performance photonic technology faster and more efficiently. This is an investment in our technological strength as well as in future economic growth," Tjin-A-Tsoi said.
Strengthening the Netherlands' European competitiveness
Economic Affairs and Climate Minister Heleen Herbert also points to the added value for the Netherlands' European competitiveness. "With this investment, we will start working to move from knowledge and innovation to concrete applications of integrated photonics. Our goal is to gain a strong European competitive position with this key technology. Both in terms of knowledge, innovation, supply and final production. This is necessary for the Dutch jobs and income of the future, solving societal challenges and our national security," said Minister Herbert.
Government adviser Peter Wennink points to the impact of integrated photonics, which he says is similar to the rise of integrated electronics decades ago. Wennink: "By investing in scalable production capacity now, we are creating an ecosystem that can help set the global technological direction. This is a launch pad for Europe's future digital economy."
Part of PIXEurope
The realisation of the chip factory will cost around €150 million in total. The factory is part of PIXEurope, a pan-European consortium that aims to position Europe as a world leader in the development and production of photonic chips. The project is part of the European Chips Act and is coordinated by the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) in Barcelona, with support from the European Commission and the Chips Joint Undertaking.
The project is a public-private partnership between TNO, TU/e, PhotonDelta, SMART Photonics and High Tech Campus Eindhoven. Besides technological gains, the factory directly provides high-quality employment. After the start-up phase, about 40 specialists will initially be employed at the factory, which is expected to increase later.
