University of Twente and Fraunhofer take step towards photonics assembly line

The Fraunhofer Project Center has developed a machine that can glue glass fibers to chips. The development is a step towards assembly lines for photonics chips, in order to apply the technology on a large scale.

Until now, connecting the glass fibers to the chips had to be done manually, which made the production process labour-intensive and therefore expensive. According to the University of Twente, the fact that this can now be automated immediately ensures that there are fewer quality differences between the chip connections.

The machine accurately lays sixteen glass fibers onto the tiny glued slots. In time, this will open the way to mass production and assembly of photonics chips. Photonics is expected to take off, but according to the UT, the success depends on the ability to produce and assemble chips in large numbers. Photonics chips can play an important role for 5G and data centers, among other things, thanks to the ability to efficiently process large amounts of data.

The machine comes from the Fraunhofer Project Center, a partnership between the University of Twente, the Fraunhofer IPT and Saxion. The center in turn collaborated with the company PHIX Photonics Assembly, which specializes in the manufacture of photonics modules.