FULL SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT
What you get with Photonfirst
From prototype to scaled deployment in aerospace, infrastructure, offshore and quantum systems – We build ruggedized packages for PICs serving the world’s most demanding environments and develop the systems required to operate them. Our products are engineered for deployment, not just for the lab. Qualified. Deployed. Proven.
We offer
From design and (rapid) prototyping to small-series production and system integration
Our PIC packaging capabilities
System Integration
Your journey with PhotonFirst does not stop at the PIC package. As one of the few companies in the world with PIC based system in the field in real world (harsh environment) applications, we offer our expertise to help you on your journey towards your application. This included system design, electronics design and manufacturing, software development and system testing and validation.
PIC Package Design
Our expert team can assist you in the design of your PIC package and even in the floorplan of your PIC Input/Output. We consider mechanical, thermal and reliability aspects of your end application during the design of your PIC package, together with your team.
PIC Testing
We offer die-level optical and electrical testing of your PIC before assembly. This allows us to identify known good dies to package and therefore significantly increase the chance of a successfully packaged PIC.
Die bonding
Our die bonding capabilities can be tuned to your needs ranging from ± 20 µm all the way down to ± 5 µm accuracy. We use automatic die bonders and can glue or solder the dies to the submount or TEC of your choice, followed by detailed inspection.
Wire bonding
Our cleanroom is equipped with both manual and automated wire bonders. This allows us to cater to both small and large volumes and can wire bond complicated pad layouts and PCB traces. We offer Gold ball and wedge bonding and also Aluminium wedge bonding. This allows us to cover DC up to 10 GHz modulation range in our standard offering, but we can also offer higher frequency bonds if required for a specific application.
Fiber alignment
We offer several options for single fibre alignment using both active alignment assembly based on monitoring a signal through the fibre during alignment or a computer vision based placement and gluing of fibre in v-grooves on your die.
Fiber welding
This is a unique capability, where we offer a laser based technique for welding the fibre to the submount. This is highly suitable for rugged and harsh environments and is – in fact – the technique we use for our own PIC in our interrogator families.
Fiber Array Alignment
We are experts in low-loss fibre array assembly ranging from 6 channels all the way up to 128 channels. We rely on active alignment for this and use loopbacks on the PIC to achieve very low insertion penalty from the packaging. We can handle interposers, Edge or vertical coupling and offer a wide range of fibres, suitable for your application wavelength. This allows us to match the MFD of your PIC to the fibre of your choice.
Qualification testing
We provide qualification testing for PIC packaging against demanding environmental requirements, with pathways aligned to standards such as DO‑160G and relevant MIL‑STD profiles for vibration, shock, temperature, and other harsh-environment conditions.
Today’s prototype can evolve into tomorrow’s industrial module
Our PIC Packaging Portfolio
We do not only package PICs; we are able to design complete packaging journeys that already comply with aerospace and defense‑grade requirements, using the same principles that power our own DO‑160G and MIL‑STD‑compliant interrogators, the NEO and NG4. We use DFM methodologies to always design with an eye on seamlessly scaling from prototypes to < €1k industrial units without “starting over” at each phase.
GP01/02/03
GB01
SIP01
BP01
SIP01
CU01 ..x
Technical resources to get you started
