PHOTONIC CHIP FACTORY

With the ever-increasing demand for photonic chips and tensions on the geopolitical stage, Europe must have sufficient facilities to produce these chips itself. The ambition is there: the European Union wants a fifth of all chips to come from Europe by 2030. There is still work to be done to achieve that goal. Twan Korthorst, CEO of New Origin, is contributing to that mission by building a factory for photonic chips in Twente.

The interest in photonic chips is growing as more applications emerge. That creates a challenge when it comes to production. “You not only want more to be produced, but also for the quality and reliability to increase, and for the costs to decrease,” Twan explains. “We need to move from research to development and production. In a few years, these types of chips will be indispensable in all kinds of applications, but to make that possible, we need to scale up now. With New Origin, we want to take the first step from the current research environment to a more industrial environment.”

Unique and complementary

So it’s time for a chip factory for photonic chips. Specifically silicon nitride photonic chips. “There are many different ways to make photonic chips,” says Twan. “Here in Twente, we are going to make silicon nitride photonic chips. The advantage of these is that they have very low losses. This means that you can control and use the chips with relatively little light. This is important for quantum applications, for example. In addition, it also allows visible light to pass through, which is important for augmented reality, for example. New Origin is unique in the world in offering manufacturing capacity for this type of photonic chips based on silicon nitride and is therefore complementary to other factories.”

Hotspot for photonics

This unique factory will be built in Twente. A logical place, according to Twan. “In Twente, we have been working on photonics research and the development of these types of chips for a long time. We use the NanoLab of the MESA+ Institute of the University of Twente for this. In addition, you have companies such as LioniX International that develop prototypes and help customers worldwide to make modules that contain photonic chips. So we have all the knowledge and expertise we need here.”

Undisputed quality

The arrival of the factory builds on what is already there. That ensures a significant impact. “First of all, it will of course have an impact on employment. Not only for theoretically trained people but also for practical talents. In such a factory, you need all levels of education. It will also create new jobs around the factory. You often see that with these kinds of initiatives, all kinds of new start-ups emerge or other photonics companies establish themselves. It spreads like wildfire. In addition, I am convinced that this is the right time to scale up the production of silicon nitride photonic chips. At the moment, it concerns a few chips that are produced in a research environment, but if we want to make a large number of chips at low costs, then you also need those facilities. That is why our starting point is undisputed quality and leading lead time in the industry at the right costs. And when those chips are so much easier to obtain, creative, new solutions for all kinds of problems also emerge. The factory therefore stimulates innovation and employment. That strengthens the position of Twente and Europe on the world stage.”

Green light

The challenge now is to mobilize everyone to realize the factory. Twan has a leading role in this. “It’s about finding money, location, partners, and the first customers. We’re very busy with that now. By the end of the summer, I want to be able to give the green light for the money and the location. Then we’ll start the process of arranging permits, purchasing equipment, building, validating, and then manufacturing. And the latter will be just like baking pancakes. The first batch of chips probably won’t be perfect. You have to practice with that to get it right, and that takes time. Realistically, I think we can cut a ribbon somewhere in 2027. That’s why we’re already looking at smart ways to build a bond with future customers so that we can develop together with them, and so that we have ‘teaching customers’ from day one with whom we have a strong bond of trust.”

Twan ​​looks to that future with confidence. “Initially, we can make 25,000 wafers (disks on which chips are made, ed.) per year in that factory and we can scale that up. In ten years, I want to be at that point where we have a well-functioning manufacturing process and help dozens of customers to their satisfaction. And that the photonic chips have reached our daily lives, that they are in your phone, for example. Ultimately, you want those chips to ensure that our lives become better. If we are successful with New Origin, that is proof that the technology has truly broken through. But for that, we now have to work together to ensure that the factory is built."