KDPOF to set up photonic packaging line in Spain
KDPOF is to set up an automated pilot plastic packaging line for optical transceivers in Spain as part of the recently approved European IPCEI microelectronics programme.
KDPOF is working with three other companies on the automated line and on research for next generation transceiver chips as part of the programme.
“The funding supports us in making our plans of manufacturing ICs in Europe come true in the near future,” said Carlos Pardo, CEO and Co-founder of KDPOF (above). “European fabs only manufacture approximately 10 percent of semiconductors worldwide, making us dependent on Asia and the United States. We will pioneer the manufacturing of automotive optoelectronics in Spain in high volume, thus reducing this dependency.”
Photonic packaging
“We are developing a generation of transceivers for optical networks in vehicles, connecting cameras to powerful CPUs, particularly for autonomous driving [with data rates] 2.5 Gbit/s to 25Gbit/s and that is with Trumpf Photonic,” said Pardo tells eeNews Europe.
“We are also figuring out the next, next generation for 100G and beyond with integrated photonics and we will see if we are able to qualify that for automotive. We are working with foundry Vigo Photonics in Poland.”
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“The other part for first industrial deployment we will set out a couple of production lines in Madrid to qualify the products we are developing,” he said. “We are setting up the factory and we will need a new site. We estimate we may need around 10 lines but the IPCEI is funding two as a pilot line,” he said.
The aim is to develop fully automated lines from the wafer, with dicing and backgrinding, with automated transfer between machines and high precision automated alignment in plastic packaging. “There are machines in the market with the precision alignment we need, but at the speed we need there are only one or two,” he said.
KDPOF is working with assembly firm ASM Pacific on the lines and with a subsidiary, Critical Manufacturing, which is based in Portugal.
The aim is to start the development in September with the lines up and running by the end of 2024.
www.kdpof.com; ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_23_3087
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