PXI is the way Forward for High-Volume PIC Testing

Blog by: Kees Propstra, VP Global Sales & Marketing & General Manager Quantifi Photonics USA

For anyone involved in the integrated photonics ecosystem, the Integrated Photonics Systems Roadmap – International (IPSR-I) is essential reading.

Drawing on the knowledge and insights from over 400 photonics experts from industry and academia, the IPSR meets regularly and publishes a roadmap to define future needs and help facilitate the volume manufacturing of PICs between industry participants.

The roadmap’s latest chapter on photonic device testing defines various test requirements at different stages of production, from wafer, to die, to assembled module. At wafer level, the IPSR states that test equipment will need to move from a lab rack-and-stack to dedicated instruments in PXI format.

This is a transition Quantifi Photonics has been preparing for, and has developed the industry’s only comprehensive PIC testing platform in PXI form factor, which has the flexibility and capability to test at all stages of production.

Only with an automated, flexible and scalable test platform can PIC manufacturers implement cost-effective test systems, leading to lower costs of production and faster scale up of high-volume PIC manufacturing.

We’re very interested to hear from anyone who is evaluating their PIC testing options.