AIM Photonics Releases Process Design Kit (PDK) for the Domestic Manufacture of Electronic Interposers

Accessible, low-volume capabilities now available to support advanced packaging prototype development

AIM Photonics has announced the release of a new electronic interposer process design kit (PDK) developed to help designers create more packaging design options for advanced photonic integrated photonic circuits (PICs) that can be manufactured and packaged at the institute’s facilities in Albany and Rochester, NY.

“This new offering is in response to the demand from our members and customers for a more accessible source for electronic interposers,” said Colin McDonough, AIM Photonics’ 3D and Heterogeneous Integration Manager, who will be speaking on interposers next month at the 34th Annual Packaging Symposium at the Albany NanoTech Complex. “This is particularly important for our Department of Defense (DoD) partners who typically require their technologies be domestically developed and manufactured,” he added.

While not a completely new technology, the ability to domestically manufacture electronic interposers is limited primarily to high-volume manufacturers.

“As a research and development organization, it is imperative for our members and customers to have access to this technology for their prototyping designs in much lower volume,” said Amit Dikshit, AIM Photonics’ Design Enablement Manager.

AIM Photonics PDKs guide electronic photonic design automation (EPDA) from chip to package. Each PDK includes design guides, design rule checking decks, component libraries, and various plug-ins/scripts for designers to create photonic integrated circuit (PIC) prototypes to manufacture with AIM Photonics’ wafer fabrication services.

The new electronic interposer PDK incudes component libraries from Analog Photonics and the SUNY Research Foundation, and is currently compatible with KLayout and Cadence design tools, Dikshit said, adding that future plans may include additional EPDA vendors if demand exists.

Electronic interposers play a key role in enabling the integration of diverse electronic and photonic components and technologies on a single platform, which in turn can enable more efficient, higher-density packaging solutions.

“Having this capability to manufacture electronic interposers in Albany will significantly help us develop a more streamlined and standardized 2.5D assembly process with our TAP facility in Rochester,” McDonough said.

Additional Information and Related Links

AIM Photonics Electronic Interposer PDK: https://www.aimphotonics.com/electronic-interposer-pdk

AIM Photonics Technology Portfolio: https://www.aimphotonics.com/technology-portfolio

34th Annual Packaging Symposium: https://www.binghamton.edu/ieec/eps/agenda.html