International Project to Standardize Optical Chip Production and Development

Eindhoven University of Technology is leading an international R&D project, called the PARADIGM (Photonic Advanced Research and Development for Integrated Generic Manufacturing). The €13 million project has been started with the focus on the standardization of the production and development of optical chips.

The PARADIGM project aims to reduce the cost of the optical chips for use in various products. The project will allow companies to construct prototypes and provide solutions to market at a faster rate. In addition, cheaper manufacturing methods will enable new, cost-effective products. Optical chips are used in numerous application areas including Internet. The researchers predict other applications of the optical chips in computers and medical instruments.

The PARADIGM project comprises sixteen industrial and academic partners including Alcatel-Thales III-V Lab, Oclaro, Willow Photonics, Linkra, Gooch&Housego, CIP, Philips Miplaza, and two Fraunhofer Institutes. In addition, the project includes three design software companies, namely, Filarete, Photon Design, and Phoenix; and the universities of Eindhoven, Milano, Chalmers, and Cambridge. The Eindhoven University of Technology’s COBRA Institute is the coordinator of the project. The European Commission has provided the major part of the funds for the optical chip project.