PLASMOfab

Integrated photonic biosensors for superior blood diagnostics at the point of care.

The future of CMOS-based PIC technology with plasmonics Researchers in the PLASMOfab project are leveraging plasmonics to co-develop extraordinary photonic components and electronics in a single manufacturing process. This could not only open up new functionalities and opportunities in the medical, communications and consumer sectors, but also help to reduce the cost of manufacturing photonic components, as Dr Dimitris Tsiokos explains.

The demand for photonic components for use across a wide variety of devices continues to rise, yet mass manufacturing photonic integrated circuits (PICs) remains a major challenge. While over the last three decades the development of innovative technologies has supported the growth of the electronics industry, there is not yet an effective integration platform that can support mass manufacturing of multifunctional photonic components, a topic central to the work of the PLASMOfab project. “We need to achieve something similar in photonics to what’s happened with electronics. At the same time, we want to effectively merge photonics and electronics, so that we can look to reap the benefits of both technologies,” outlines Dr Dimitris Tsiokos from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the coordinating partner of the project. The motivation behind the project’s work is to develop technologies that will enhance the performance of photonic components and systems. “We’re developing new integration technology, that will exploit plasmonics in the crossroad of photonics and electronics in a common manufacturing line. This will, in parallel, reduce the cost of manufacturing multi-functional and high performance devices,” explains Dr Tsiokos.

Integrated approach This more integrated approach is built on optical and electrical nanostructures, that can be used to manufacture both electronic and photonic components in a single process.

36

Plasmonic modulator integrated with electronics in a 100 Gbps optical data transmitter.

This is designed to be compatible with CMOS, the basic process used to manufacture most commercial electronics. “The majority of the chips in laptops, mobile phones and other commercially available electronic appliances, use the CMOS process. We want to develop a technology that will eventually be adopted

by CMOS manufacturing lines,” says Dr Tsiokos. Combining plasmonics, photonics and electronics will extend the frontiers of integration technology, also widening the functional portfolio of these circuits, says Dr Tsiokos. “On the one hand we open up new functionalities and we boost performance by using plasmonics, in combination with the more commonly used photonics and electronics circuits. At the same time, we also use CMOS-compatible, mass manufacturing equipment, to reduce the cost,” he outlines.

“We want to increase the functionality and at the same time reduce the cost. We’re trying to demonstrate this by using plasmonics as a bridging technology, that can effectively complement photonics and electronics.”

The underlying principle here is that

plasmonic waveguides can confine light into very small dimensions (nano-scale), even smaller than photonic waveguides can, giving them unique light-matter interaction capabilities and chip-scale functionalities. This means the dimensions of optical components can be further reduced, an important issue when increased chip integration density and energy efficiency are targeted. “In some cases, plasmonic waveguides may even perform a dual function and simultaneously carry both optical and electrical signals, giving rise to exciting new capabilities,” says Dr Tsiokos.

“We aim to show that PLASMOfab technology can be used to increase the rate at which information is generated and transferred in cables, computer boards or even within processor chips, at low power and low cost.”

This represents quite a radical approach to developing photonics and electronics devices, yet at the same time Dr Tsiokos is keen to stress that it does not require significant investment.

Millions have been invested over the last few decades in new electronics manufacturing technology; Dr Tsiokos says the project aims to build on these foundations. “We want to make sure that we can use already existing facilities, to advance photonics in parallel with electronics,” he explains.

Researchers are working to demonstrate how this integration technology can improve two main market applications. “One is medical diagnostics, and the other is optical communications for data centers, both growing markets,” continues Dr Tsiokos. “We chose very basic components to demonstrate

EU Research

how performance in these applications can be enhanced using already established fabrication technology. For the data communication application, we have an electro-optic transmitter, which is a fundamental component used in optical communications – for example in data centres – to inter-connect two computers or servers. The faster these computers can communicate, the more highbandwidth applications can be served, like big data for example.”

A second application researchers are exploring is how this new technology can be used to fabricate a bio-sensing chip, to be used in point-of-care applications

already completed the basic technology development, meaning investigations into the materials, as well as the design, fabrication, and development of the photonic integration technology,” he continues. “Now we’re focusing very intensively on assembling and demonstrating our prototypes – the transmitter and the biosensor. By the end of the project, we aim to demonstrate a fully-integrated transmitter, operating at a speed greater than 100 gigabits per second per optical channel, as well as a lab-on-chip diagnostic for reliable and instant detection of critical inflammation biomarkers even at ultra-low densities.”

We’re developing new photonic integration technology, that will exploit plasmonics photonics and electronics in a common manufacturing line. This will unleash unprecedented functional benefits in health and ICT applications while reducing the cost of manufacturing. and for on the spot molecular diagnostics.

Researchers will look at how to combine different technologies like photonic circuits, plasmonic sensors, microfluidics and on-chip chemistry to demonstrate a fully functional biosensor for the instant detection of specific biomarkers currently used in diagnostics.

“These biomarkers are used to identify certain diseases and assess an individual’s medical status. So, we are looking at using our biosensor to detect and quantify very basic inflammation biomarkers for example,” outlines Dr Tsiokos.

Once this has been demonstrated, it may in principle be possible to monitor multiple biomarkers, leading to real-time decoding of complicated biological and medical conditions. The project recently entered the final year of its funding term, and Dr Tsiokos says great progress has been made. “We have

This would have a significant impact on the performance of photonic components and systems, opening up new technological possibilities across different every day applications. However, while fully aware of the wider picture, Dr Tsiokos says the project is focused on exploitable research, and on laying the foundations for further development in future. “We want to pave the way and to identify the right direction. On the one hand we want to open up new functionalities by using plasmonics in combination with the more commonly used photonics and electronics circuits,” he says. “At the same time, we also want to use CMOS-compatible, mass manufacturing equipment, to reduce the cost and maximize technology exploitation.

So we want to increase the functionality and at the same time reduce the cost.”

Plasmonics in CMOS foundries.

www.euresearcher.com

PLASMOfab A generic CMOS-compatible platform for co-integrated plasmonics/photonics/ electronics PICs towards volume manufacturing of low energy, small size and high performance photonic devices

Project Objectives

PLASMOfab aims to develop CMOS compatible plasmonics as the means to effectively consolidate photonic and electronic integration. Wafer scale integration will be used to demonstrate volume manufacturing for low cost, powerful PICs. The new integration technology leverages plasmonics to unravel a series of innovations with unmatched benefits in biosensing and electro-optic transmitters.

Project Funding

The PLASMOfab project is funded under the Photonics Public Private Partnership and the European Commission Horizon2020 framework with Grant Number 688166.

Project Partners

• Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (GR) • Universite de Bourgogne (F) • Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (CH) • AMO GmbH (DE) • ams AG (A) • Micram GmbH (DE) • Saarland University (DE) • Mellanox Technologies (IL) • PhoeniX BV (N) • AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH (A)

Project coordination team Prof. Nikos Pleros Dr Dimitris Tsiokos

Contact Details

Dimitris Tsiokos, PhD Senior Research Fellow PhosNET Research Group Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation Balkan Center - Building A 10th Km Thessalonikis-Thermis Av, 57001 GREECE T: +30 2310 990590 E: dtsiokos@csd.auth.gr W: http://www.plasmofab.eu Dr Dimitris Tsiokos, PhD Dr Dimitris Tsiokos, PhD is a Principal Researcher at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece.

He previously held various research positions in Greece and a visiting researcher position at the University of Wisconsin, USA. His research interests focus on photonic integrated components and systems for optical sensors and optical interconnects.

37