Research and Industry Partner to Commercialize Silicon Photonics in Finland

VTT Technical Research Centre and Tampere University of Technology (TUT) are accelerating the development and commercialization of silicon photonics products in support of the Finnish electronics industry. The VTT-led project, called RAPSI (Ramping up Silicon Photonics business in Finland), will develop silicon photonics for introduction into different applications, with the aim of generating revenues for the Finnish economy of more than €15 million by 2020 and €100 million by 2030.

VTT will coordinate the development of an open silicon photonics technology platform. Benefits of this platform will include low optical losses, dual-polarization operation, ultradense integration, and low-cost volume manufacturing.

TUT will focus on the development of compound semiconductor light sources and their integration on silicon chips.

Rockley Photonics, Vaisala, Okmetic, VTT Memsfab, Beneq, TTM Technologies, and Noptel are members of the RAPSI consortium and will be developing new manufacturing methods for silicon photonics as well as silicon photonics products. The Micronova cleanroom facility will be used for research and manufacturing.

“With the help of silicon photonics, we can replace modules built of separate components with photonic integrated circuits,” said VTT project leader Timo Aalto. "They can be used for such applications as intelligent sensors identifying multiple gases, small silicon chips capable of medical imaging, navigation devices for autonomous systems, energy-efficient data transfer in data centers, and optical quantum computing and encryption systems."

“Soon we will be using silicon photonics in the same manner as we use electronic microcircuits that have been replacing discrete transistors and electron tubes since the 1960s,” Aalto said.

The RAPSI project is co-financed by Business Finland.