PhotonPath, the Milan-based integrated photonics company, has announced a strategic manufacturing partnership with Xiver, the Eindhoven-based MEMS foundry, aimed at scaling production of its Oxyn photonics platform.

The collaboration marks an important step in PhotonPath’s growth strategy, enabling the transition of Oxyn manufacturing to Xiver’s advanced 200 mm wafer infrastructure. By leveraging larger wafer production capabilities, the partnership is expected to increase manufacturing capacity, shorten lead times, and deliver consistent quality for high-performance photonic devices.

Expanding the Capabilities of Oxyn

Oxyn is PhotonPath’s integrated photonics platform designed for telecom and datacom applications. The technology combines Silicon Nitride and Planar Lightwave Circuit (PLC) architectures to deliver high-performance optical functionality in a compact footprint.

Key features of the platform include:

• Ultra-low waveguide losses of approximately 0.1 dB/cm
• High optical power handling capabilities
• Tight bend radii down to 300 μm
• Low fiber coupling losses of approximately 0.1 dB when used with UHNA fibers

The platform also incorporates polarization-insensitive standard waveguides, reducing system complexity by eliminating the need for polarization diversity schemes. In addition, hybrid waveguides enable controlled polarization rotation and multiplexing, while integrated thermal actuators provide precise tuning and reconfigurability.

Combining Design Expertise with Manufacturing Excellence

PhotonPath has developed extensive expertise in integrated photonics design, manufacturing transfer, and platform development. The company’s engineering team has built the Oxyn platform from the ground up, combining chip-level design, control electronics, calibration routines, and system-level integration.

Xiver brings decades of experience in semiconductor and MEMS manufacturing, offering advanced capabilities in thin-film deposition, complex material stack processing, precision etching, and wafer-level integration. The foundry’s manufacturing environment is specifically designed to support advanced photonic technologies and custom process flows.

By combining PhotonPath’s photonics expertise with Xiver’s production capabilities, the companies aim to deliver highly reliable and scalable manufacturing for next-generation photonic solutions.

Supporting Europe’s Photonics Ecosystem

The partnership aligns with broader European efforts to strengthen domestic semiconductor and photonics manufacturing capabilities. The collaboration supports the objectives of the upcoming European Chips Act 2 and contributes to the development of a stronger and more resilient European integrated photonics supply chain.

The initiative has also benefited from support across the European innovation ecosystem, including organizations such as PhotonDelta, NFIA, BOM, and EPIC, which have played a role in fostering cross-border collaboration, investment, and industrial growth.

Commenting on the announcement, Emanuele Guglielmi, CTO and co-founder of PhotonPath, said that moving to a 200 mm manufacturing environment will allow the company to scale production volumes while maintaining strict control over performance and repeatability. He added that the transition also creates a foundation for future developments, including the integration of photodiodes directly into the Oxyn platform.

As demand for integrated photonics continues to grow across telecommunications, data centers, and emerging optical applications, the PhotonPath-Xiver partnership positions both companies to support the next phase of photonic innovation and industrial-scale manufacturing.

Source: PhotonPath