The PUNCH consortium comprises 7 partners from all over Europe: Belgium (1), The Netherlands (1), Germany (1), Italy (1), Austria (1), UK (1) and Israel (1). 1 partner is SME, 3 partners are RTO/University, and 3 partners are large enterprises. PUNCH aims at developing core photonics technologies and networking solutions, but it is application and market oriented, aiming to capitalize on the vast expertise of partners in the individual fields. The PUNCH consortium is led by IMEC that is strongly engaged in supporting activities such as low-volume prototyping services (Europractice).
IMEC is a world-leading independent research centre in the field of semiconductor and nanotechnology. IMEC has been pioneering silicon photonics foundry processes in its CMOS fab since the early 2000s. In PUNCH, IMEC contributes with multiple research groups, and IMEC also coordinates the PUNCH project.
The Centre for Microsystems Technology (CMST) specializes in packaging & integration technology for electronic and photonic integrated circuits, enabling novel semiconductor microsystem applications. Within PUNCH, the team is responsible for the development of optical redistribution layers based on polymer optical waveguides.
The Photonics Research Group is worldwide at the forefront in the field of heterogeneous photonic systems. It is developing technologies for the integration of III-V semiconductors on silicon and silicon nitride photonic integrated circuits (PICs), to enhance the functionality and performance of the PICs. Within PUNCH, the team is developing micro-transfer-printing technology for integrating SOAs on Si photonic switches, enabling lossless optical switching.
The Silicon Photonics Team is responsible for the development and application of IMEC’s world-class iSiPP50G silicon photonics platform in a CMOS compatible environment on 200 mm and 300 mm wafers. The team will be responsible for the iSiPP50G fabrication and for the short-loop fabrication of test PICs for developing novel packaging processes.
The IDLab Design research group has been a leader in optoelectronic front-end and (sub-) system design since the early 1990s, and is recognized world-wide for its high-speed, low-power transmitter and receiver integrated circuits. The team will provide high-speed driver and receiver circuits and develop the switch control electronics.
PHIX is a world leading packaging and assembly foundry for photonic integrated circuits (PICs), building optoelectronic modules based on all major PIC technology platforms in scalable manufacturing volumes. We specialize in chip-to-chip hybrid integration, coupling to fiber arrays, and interfacing of DC and RF electrical signals. By offering our knowledge already at the chip design stage, we ensure ease of scale-up for volume manufacturing and provide a one-stop-shop for PIC assembly.
Since its founding in 1993, NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) has been a pioneer in accelerated computing. The company’s invention of the GPU in 1999 sparked the growth of the PC gaming market, redefined computer graphics, ignited the era of modern AI and is fueling industrial digitalization across markets. NVIDIA is now a full-stack computing infrastructure company with data-center-scale offerings that are reshaping industry. More information at https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/.
NVIDIA- is a leading supplier of accelerated networking solutions of InfiniBand and Ethernet, giving enterprises the infrastructure that supports develop-to-deploy implementations across all modern workloads and storage requirements that enable a new era of accelerated computing to maximize AI investments.
NVIDIA is validating the technology developed within PUNCH for datacenter use cases. NVIDIA’s contribution spans from the definition of specifications to development and testing.
ERICSSON enables communications service providers and enterprises to capture the full value of connectivity. The company’s portfolio spans the following business areas: Networks, Cloud Software and Services, Enterprise Wireless Solutions, Global Communications Platform, and Technologies and New Businesses. It is designed to help our customers go digital, increase efficiency and find new revenue streams. Ericsson’s innovation investments have delivered the benefits of mobility and mobile broadband to billions of people globally.
In PUNCH project, Ericsson participates with its Ericsson Research branch located in Pisa, Italy. Ericsson is responsible for the Testing, TRL validation, and scalability tests work package, and will deploy PUNCH switch device in a low latency 5G Radio Access Transport Network Demonstrator.
As a global technology enterprise, AT&S is actively involved in these developments and plays a decisive role in shaping the digital world of tomorrow. The high-end PCBs and IC substrates AT&S supplies influence future industry standards, products and applications in a number of key industries. AT&S products’ unrivalled quality and constant innovation secures our customers’ long-term competitiveness. AT&S’ technologies appear in every area of modern life – from mobile phones and computers to vehicles, industrial robotics, medical devices, aeroplanes and satellites. In addition, we make a crucial contribution to efficiency gains and energy savings. This also represents an enormous responsibility, which AT&S has always accepted and fulfilled through its forward-looking vision, pioneering investments in research and development, and responsible use of resources.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM is a leading reseach institution for microelectronic packaging. As part of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Fraunhofer IZM specializes in applied and industrial contract research. Fraunhofer IZM’s focus is on packaging technology and the integration of multifunctional electronics into systems and it has been pioneering in the field of wafer and panel level packaging. In PUNCH, Fraunhofer IZM contributes with the following research groups:
“System Integration & Interconnection Technologies – Assembly and Encapsulation” researches integration technologies for system-in-package products, focusing in particular on device assembly for highly integrated packages and joining/encapsulation processes based on polymeric materials. Within PUNCH, the group contributes with the manufacturing of Fan-out Wafer Level Packages with integrated photonic and electrical ICs by compression molding on its 200 mm production line.
The department “Wafer Level System Integration” (WLSI) develops advanced packaging and system integration technologies and offers customer-specific solutions for microelectronic products in the overall scope of smart system integration. It contributes with its expertise in processing electrical redistribution layers for Fan-out Wafer Level Packaging.
The University of Cambridge is one of the UK’s highest ranked universities. The Department of Engineering is the largest department at the University and one of the leading centres of engineering in the world. The Department collaborates with other disciplines, institutions, companies and entrepreneurs. The assessment of UK research showed that Cambridge has the greatest concentration of world-leading engineering research in the country and the best environment for engineering research with a perfect score unrivalled by any other general engineering submission. The combination of academic excellence and a superb environment enabled Cambridge to deliver the highest concentration of world-leading impact in general engineering, creating real benefits to industry and society more widely. The activity at Cambridge will primarily involve the Photonics Systems Research group, which counts more than 35 people now. It has taken leadership roles in large national and international research projects, including the UK INTERNET and UP-VLC programme grants, the Cambridge-UCL EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Integrated Photonic and Electronic Systems, the EU ERA-NET+ TUCAN WDM PON project and the PARADIGM IP, to name but a few examples. It has a record of knowledge transfer to both large and small companies (one example being the polarization stabilised VCSEL which is now used in laser mice with over 100M units sold annually) and co-founded the radio over fibre distribution company Zinwave (www.zinwave.com). The Photonic Systems Group has a distinguished history in innovative photonic component and system research. In terms of integrated component research, innovation examples include the world’s first integrated InGaAs quantum dot switch, the development of the world’s first uncooled WDM laser, and the development of uncooled laser diodes with ultrahigh linearity for RF signal distribution.
Packaging of ultra-dynamic photonic switches and transceivers 