Photonics & LiDAR
Enabling the optical revolution — SOI, InP, GaAs, Si₃N₄ and specialty substrates for photonic integrated circuits, VCSEL arrays, and LiDAR sensors.
Overview
The photonics industry is experiencing explosive growth driven by the convergence of exploding datacenter bandwidth demands, autonomous vehicle LiDAR deployment, consumer 3D sensing, and quantum information processing. Global silicon photonics revenue alone is projected to exceed $5 billion by 2028, while the automotive LiDAR market is forecast to reach $8 billion by 2030.
GINECHIP provides the diverse substrate portfolio required to address this multi-material photonics landscape: SOI wafers with precise device-layer and BOX thicknesses for silicon photonics, semi-insulating InP for photonic integrated circuits, GaAs substrates for VCSEL and edge-emitting laser epitaxy, Si₃N₄-on-SiO₂ deposited substrates for ultra-low-loss waveguides, and emerging platforms such as thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) for next-generation electro-optic modulators.
Photonic Integration Platforms
Silicon Photonics (SiPh)
Silicon photonics leverages mature CMOS fabrication infrastructure to integrate optical components — waveguides, modulators, photodetectors, and grating couplers — on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers. The high index contrast between Si (n ≈ 3.47) and SiO₂ (n ≈ 1.44) enables tight optical confinement and sub-micron waveguide dimensions, while 300mm wafer processing delivers the cost structure essential for datacenter transceiver volumes.
InP Photonic Integrated Circuits
Indium Phosphide is the only material platform that supports monolithic integration of both active (lasers, amplifiers, modulators) and passive (waveguides, AWGs, couplers) photonic components. Essential for telecom/DWDM transmitter/receiver PICs, tunable lasers, and coherent optics. The InGaAsP/InP material system covers the entire telecom wavelength range (1.26–1.67μm).
Silicon Nitride (Si₃N₄) Photonics
Low-loss silicon nitride waveguides deposited via LPCVD on thermal SiO₂-on-silicon substrates. With propagation losses as low as 0.1 dB/m, Si₃N₄ excels in applications requiring long optical path lengths: narrow-linewidth lasers, optical frequency combs, true-time-delay beamforming, and quantum photonic circuits. Broad transparency from visible to mid-IR (400nm–4μm).
VCSEL & Edge-Emitting Laser Substrates
Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) and edge-emitting lasers require epitaxially-grown III-V substrates with precisely controlled DBR mirror layers (AlGaAs/GaAs for 850nm VCSELs) and active regions (InGaAs quantum wells). Dominant for datacom (multi-mode fiber), consumer 3D sensing (face ID), and automotive LiDAR illumination.
LiNbO₃ Thin-Film (TFLN)
Lithium niobate-on-insulator (LNOI) is emerging as the premier platform for high-speed electro-optic modulators with bandwidths exceeding 100 GHz and record-low Vπ·L products. Ion-sliced single-crystal LiNbO₃ films bonded to SiO₂-on-LiNbO₃ or SiO₂-on-Si handle substrates. Enables next-generation coherent optical transceivers for 800G and 1.6T datacom links.
LiDAR Technologies
905nm / 940nm Pulsed VCSEL Arrays
High-power VCSEL arrays on GaAs substrates for short-to-medium range (10–200m) flash and scanning LiDAR. Thousands of individual VCSEL emitters on a single chip deliver peak powers exceeding 100W for automotive ADAS and autonomous vehicle perception.
1550nm Fiber / Diode Lasers
Eye-safe 1550nm wavelength LiDAR using fiber lasers (Er-doped) or InP-based diode lasers. Longer wavelength allows higher pulse energy while remaining within eye-safety limits (IEC 60825-1 Class 1), enabling long-range (>300m) detection for highway-speed autonomous driving.
SPAD / SiPM Detector Arrays
Single-Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) and Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) arrays fabricated on silicon substrates for LiDAR receiver channels. Sub-nanosecond timing resolution and single-photon sensitivity enable direct time-of-flight (dToF) measurement with cm-level depth accuracy.
SOI Substrate Specifications for SiPh
| Parameter | Standard SiPh | Advanced SiPh |
|---|---|---|
| Device Layer (Si) | 220nm ± 5nm | 220nm ± 2nm (or custom) |
| BOX Layer (SiO₂) | 2.0μm ± 5% | 2.0μm ± 2% (or 3.0μm) |
| Handle Wafer | 725μm Si (100) | 725μm HR-Si (>1kΩ·cm) |
| Si Thickness Uniformity | < 2nm (1σ) | < 1nm (1σ) |
| BOX Uniformity | < 1% (1σ) | < 0.5% (1σ) |
| Wafer Diameter | 200mm | 200mm, 300mm |
| Surface Roughness | < 0.2nm RMS | < 0.15nm RMS |
| Particle Count | < 20 @ 0.12μm | < 10 @ 0.09μm |
SiPh specifications follow industry standards for multi-project-wafer (MPW) foundry compatibility. Custom device layer and BOX thicknesses available for specialized photonic designs.
Typical Applications
400G/800G/1.6T pluggable transceivers (QSFP-DD, OSFP) using SiPh or InP PICs with integrated lasers, modulators, and detectors. DR4/FR4/LR4 reach on single-mode fiber for hyperscale data centers.
940nm VCSEL arrays + NIR SPAD detectors for structured-light and ToF-based 3D facial recognition in smartphones, tablets, and access control systems.
905nm VCSEL and 1550nm fiber/diode laser-based LiDAR sensors for ADAS (L2/L3) and autonomous driving (L4). Long-range, high-resolution 3D point cloud generation at 10–30 fps.
Si₃N₄ and SiPh waveguides for on-chip generation, manipulation, and detection of single photons and entangled photon pairs. Integrated quantum key distribution (QKD) transmitters.
Swept-source and spectral-domain OCT systems using broadband superluminescent diodes (SLDs) and integrated SiPh spectrometer chips for medical retinal and cardiovascular imaging.
High-power VCSEL flood illuminators and iToF/dToF depth sensors for robotic guidance, automated quality inspection, and logistics automation in Industry 4.0 environments.
Waveguide Fabrication Support
For silicon photonics and Si₃N₄ waveguide technologies, substrate quality directly determines optical propagation loss. Our SiPh SOI wafers feature ultra-smooth device layer surfaces (RMS < 0.2nm) to minimize scattering-induced waveguide sidewall roughness. For Si₃N₄ platforms, we offer LPCVD-deposited stoichiometric Si₃N₄ with precisely controlled film stress (tensile < 200 MPa) and thickness uniformity (< 1% across 200mm) — critical for phase-sensitive devices like arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs) and Mach-Zehnder interferometers.
Epi-Wafer Quality for VCSELs & Lasers
GaAs and InP epi-wafers for laser applications demand exceptional material quality: low defect density (EPD < 500/cm² for VCSEL-grade GaAs), precise DBR layer thickness (±0.5% for cavity resonance wavelength control), and uniform quantum well composition for consistent emission wavelength across the wafer. We source from MOCVD growth facilities with in-situ reflectance monitoring and post-growth XRD/PL mapping — providing full epitaxial characterization with every wafer lot.
Developing Photonic Devices or LiDAR?
Specify your photonic platform, substrate requirements, and volume — our team will provide substrate availability, epi-wafer specifications, and a detailed quotation within 24 hours.