{"id":209780,"date":"2025-06-24T07:24:09","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T07:24:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/209780\/"},"modified":"2025-06-24T07:24:09","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T07:24:09","slug":"eu-project-elena-pioneers-lnoi-platform-for-next-gen-photonic-circuits-europes-1st-commercial-supplier-of-lnoi-wafers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/209780\/","title":{"rendered":"EU Project ELENA Pioneers LNOI Platform for Next-Gen Photonic Circuits & Europe\u2019s 1st Commercial Supplier of LNOI Wafers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Date Announced: 23 Jun 2025<\/p>\n

Capacity to Deliver Millions of TFLN Chips Annually <\/p>\n

\u2018Firmly Positions Europe as a Global Leader in Photonic Chip Manufacturing\u2019<\/p>\n

June 23, 2025<\/strong> \u2013 A recently concluded 42-month EU project, ELENA<\/a>, announced today the development of the first-ever, European-made lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI) substrates for photonic integrated circuits (PICs)\u2014a breakthrough that establishes a fully European supply chain for thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) technology.<\/p>\n

TFLN is a breakthrough material platform enabling high-performance PICs through its thin-film structure, offering unique electro-optic, nonlinear optical, and acousto-optic properties. The advent of LNOI wafers allows micromachining of LN with high precision, integrating multiple optical functions within a footprint smaller than a fingertip. These attributes make LNOI particularly attractive for high-speed, low-power optical communications and quantum systems.<\/p>\n

Until now, the LNOI ecosystem has been constrained by a limited supply chain reliant on a single commercial supplier outside the EU\u2014and the absence of a commercial foundry capable of producing TFLN photonic chips at scale. The ELENA project directly addressed these critical gaps by establishing Europe\u2019s first commercial LNOI wafer supply and laying the groundwork for a TFLN photonic chip foundry.<\/p>\n

The \u20ac5 million initiative united 10 partners across the PIC value chain\u2014from substrate innovation and photonic design to manufacturing, testing, and packaging. Key outcomes include the first process design kit (PDK) for the LNOI platform and advances in foundry-compatible processes to transition TFLN technology from research to commercial production. This effort significantly enhances European sovereignty in a strategically vital segment of the semiconductor supply chain.<\/p>\n

Spinout Launched to Produce TFLN Photonic Chips on 150mm Optical Grade Wafers<\/strong><\/p>\n

A cornerstone of the project is the creation of Europe\u2019s first open-access LNOI photonic chip foundry at the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology<\/a>\u2019s (CSEM) certified cleanroom facility in Neuch\u00e2tel, Switzerland. There, TFLN chips will be produced on 150 mm optical-grade LNOI wafers at industrial scale. As a result, CSEM<\/a>, which coordinated the project, has launched CCRAFT<\/a>, a dedicated spinout to scale up production.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe spinout foundry is uniquely positioned at the core of the TFLN value chain, because it delivers production-grade service, a rare block in the supply chain,\u201d said Hamed Sattari, ELENA\u2019s project manager and CEO of CCRAFT. \u201cCCRAFT\u2019s roadmap includes expanding capacity to deliver millions of TFLN chips annually, firmly positioning Europe as a global leader in photonic-chip manufacturing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The availability of a production-grade photonic chip foundry, combined with project members CEA-Leti and SOITEC\u2019s plans to commercialize LNOI wafers, also supports Europe\u2019s ability to manufacture the next generation of photonic chips across a broad range of markets and industries.<\/p>\n

Meeting Diverse Market Needs with Demonstrator Prototypes<\/strong><\/p>\n

To validate the platform, ELENA produced four demonstrator PICs targeting high-impact sectors:<\/p>\n