AIM PHOTONICS SUMMER ACADEMY

Join us for a week of intensive study in integrated photonics, including materials, devices, circuit design and chip fabrication principles, packaging, sustainability, testing, system applications, and introduction to electronic-photonic design automation (EPDA) software.

DATES: July 27 – August 1, 2025
COURSE TYPE: In-person
LOCATION: MIT | Cambridge, Massachusetts

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LEARN with instructors from AIM Photonics, MIT, Dartmouth College, University of Rochester, RIT and University of Twente. See the course summaries and meet the instructors.

NETWORK with colleagues from academia and industry.

MEET leading EPDA software vendors from Ansys, Cadence and Synopsys to examine the latest achievements in circuit simulation and layout.

COLLABORATE and present a design team project on application-specific PICs that helps define emerging photonics chip standards and performance metrics.

Professor Kimerling teaching a course at AIM Photonics Summer Academy at MIT

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Identify optical components market trends and assess electronic-photonic integration benefits in emerging industry applications: datacomm, RF signal processors, sensors, LIDAR imaging, and quantum computing.
Evaluate the performance of silicon photonic devices and foundry chip production methods.
Learn about the standardized approach of process design kits (PDKs) to begin designing basic photonic integrated circuits (PICs) for fabrication with AIM Photonics.
Learn about semiconductor sustainability challenges for electronic-photonic systems applications.
Explore leading automated design tools from vendors who collaborate with the AIM Photonics PIC foundry production process.
Learn about PIC packaging evolution and test characterization methods.
Interpret application design tradeoffs and identify manufacturing standards to satisfy unique metrics for application-specific PICs.
Develop foundational content to support and promote integrated photonic competency within a company, or an integrated photonics track within a community college or university.

CONTINUE YOUR LEARNING

In addition to the instructor-led courses, all participants will have access to the online course Fundamentals of Integrated Photonics for continued learning in key principles and application areas.

REGISTRATION

Sign up for our EWD mailing list to receive an email notification when registration opens for the AIM Photonics Summer Academy.

As an education offering of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the AIM Photonics Summer Academy adheres to the registration guidelines of the United States Office of Foreign Assets and Control (OFAC) sanctions list. Please read these important registration requirements PRIOR to registering for this course.

Students attending the AIM Photonics Summer Academy at MIT where they are learning about integrated photonics, chip fabrication, packaging, testing, and system applications.

SCHEDULE-AT-A-GLANCE

			
               
              Morning
              Afternoon
			

				Day 1
                		
				Registration, Semiconductor Sustainability
			

				Day 2
                		AIM Photonics Standards, Services
Passive Devices
				Design team project breakout session
PIC Application: Datacom
			

				Day 3
                		AIM Photonics TAP Services
Active Devices
Wireless Application
				Design team project breakout session
PIC Application: Sensing
			

				Day 4
                		Fabless Photonics
AR Imaging Application
				Design team project breakout session
PIC Optical Testing
			

				Day 5
                		Process variation and Design for Manufacturing
Quantum Computing Application
				PIC Packaging
Design team project breakout session
			

				Day 6
                		Design team project presentations
IPSR Roadmap
				 
				 
			

              NOTE: schedule may be subject to change 
            

See course summaries

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

The AIM Photonics Summer Academy is intended for academics and professionals interested in integrated photonic circuit design, chip fabrication, packaging, testing, and system applications.

Students ranging from the senior undergraduate level to faculty interested in starting an integrated photonics track at their school will become proficient in the fundamentals of PIC design and manufacturing.
The content will specifically prepare professional engineers in the electronic and photonic industries in the latest integrated photonic technology device and sub-circuit layout methodologies and provide exposure to its EPDA modeling/simulation tools.
Executives and technologists including planners, engineers, and scientists in the optical and electronic components technology supply chain will acquire a working knowledge of the field.

The AIM Photonics Summer Academy provides contextual background expertise to complete the online courses, PIC1: Fabless Design of Photonic Integrated Circuits and PIC Sensor Design and Fabrication, which prepare students for design submissions to multi-project wafer prototype runs at the AIM Photonics fabrication facility.

LOGISTICS

A light breakfast snack and lunch will be provided each day. Attendees are expected to arrange for their own dinner, except the Networking Dinner on Wednesday evening.

MATERIALS REQUIRED

Attendees are required to bring a laptop for the PIC Design Project at MIT.

Thank you to the vendors who support the AIM Photonics Summer Academy