Lighting the path to strategic photonic partnerships

Argotech, a Czech company, is advancing semiconductor photonics with key support from the Enterprise Europe Network.

Founded in 2006 in the Czech Republic, Argotech set out to advance semiconductor photonics and microelectronics assembly and packaging. They needed strategic partnerships to succeed, so they turned to the Enterprise Europe Network for help.

Looking for faster solutions

Argotech specialises in assembly, development, and engineering in photonics, building on a legacy from industry giants Siemens and Infineon. One major challenge they faced was packaging photonics integrated circuits (PICs).

PICs are advanced microchips that combine optical components like lasers, detectors, modulators and others onto a single semiconductor substrate. They are crucial for high-speed data transmission.

PICs are used to create complex optical circuits that can efficiently process and transmit large volumes of data at extremely high speeds over optical fibre networks. By integrating multiple functions onto a single chip, PICs can significantly reduce the size, cost and power consumption of optical communication systems while improving their performance and reliability.

However, integrating PICs into packages is complex, requiring intensive and time-consuming simulations. Martin Zoldak, Argotech’s Head of R&D, recalls a time when simulations used to take over a week. This is why Argotech set out to streamline this process.

Challenges in PIC integration simulation

Despite 15 years of experience, Argotech struggled with integrating high-frequency signals, managing elevated temperatures, and dealing with electromagnetic interference in PICs. Simulations were crucial to avoid cross-talk and ensure that the PICs could handle high-frequency applications.

Martin explained, "Simulating high-frequency PIC structures wasn't easy, with computational tests taking up to 8 days. These simulations were critical to ensure PICs could handle high electron flow and resist electromagnetic interference, especially for applications between 50GHz and 110GHz, where the PICs' structures significantly impact overall system performance."

Ondrej Simek from the  Enterprise Europe Network added, "Argotech was constantly seeking ways to optimise their production processes. They focused on improving the design of high-data-rate optical fiber components, which led them to approach the Technology Centre Prague." This partnership with the Technology Centre Prague helped the company overcome technical challenges.

"The most rewarding part was finding the right industry for our technology partner. Space technology turned out to be a great field for innovation," Ondrej said. He added that the Technology Centre’s experts were crucial in creating the Technology Need (TN) for computational electromagnetics analyses for optimisation of microelectronic optical components. 

This TN was sent to CST, a German company known for its electromagnetic optimisation software since the 1990s. CST had also worked on the Giuseppe ‘Bepi’ Colombo mission, a joint project of the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

The benefits of collaboration

With CST’s advanced software, Argotech slashed modeling time. Martin notes, "Thanks to CST's software, which benefited from space technology advancements, we can now complete simulations in just 6 hours instead of over a week. With CST’s advanced software, Argotech dramatically reduced modeling time."

The Enterprise Europe Network facilitated collaboration among Argotech, the Technology Centre Prague, and CST.

"Network specialists helped Argotech fine-tune their approach to finding technology partners and focus their search on the best solutions. With expertise in space technology, they guided Argotech towards relevant innovations," said Ondrej.

Martin added, "We learned that strategic collaborations, like our partnership with the Technology Centre Prague, are important for tackling complex tech hurdles."

Looking ahead, the Argotech team is ready to explore new opportunities and build more partnerships. "By embracing external knowledge and technologies, we'll continue to innovate and solve tough industry problems," Martin concluded.