APIC, UAlbany NanoCollege Form $10M Partnership

Los Angeles-based APIC Corp., a pioneer of photonics technology integrated with electronics, and the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) at the University at Albany have launched a $10 million partnership for development and commercialization of innovative “green” technology to enable faster computer chips that use significantly less power.

Integrating APIC’s expertise in photonics systems and devices with CNSE’s nanoelectronics resources, the collaboration will result in the creation of at least 20 high-tech jobs over the next 18 months, the majority at CNSE’s Albany NanoTech Complex.

The partnership will target the development and delivery of a new generation of modules and systems that use photonic integrated circuits (PIC), which combine optical communications with silicon-based CMOS technologies. As ongoing scaling continues to shrink the bandwidth of metal wiring used to connect CMOS circuits, severely limiting speed and functionality for advanced processors and multicore systems, optical is seen as a serious contender to break this communications bottleneck.

These PIC systems will be used to address the 21st century explosion in bandwidth and computing power needs — including advanced data centers, cutting-edge medical research, secure financial transactions and next-generation gaming capabilities — increasing speed by up to 60 percent, while reducing power consumption by as much as 90 percent.

“Combining the unparalleled capabilities of CNSE with APIC’s leading-edge photonics technology will enable advanced photonics integration with electronics and accelerate its introduction into the commercial marketplace,” said Dr. Raj Dutt, board chairman and CEO of APIC. “Budgeted at $10 million over the next 18 months, this joint program will expand both CNSE’s and APIC’s technical work force in Albany, New York, and Culver City, California, and pave the way for further collaboration in the future.”

The partnership also includes the potential for further R&D initiatives that may involve the location of additional APIC employees at CNSE’s Albany NanoTech Complex.

For more information, visit: www.cnse.albany.edu