POET Technologies Introduces Optical Interposer Platform for Co-Packaging of Electronic and Optical Components

Platform Leverages Proprietary Dielectric Waveguide Technology

SAN JOSE, CA, January 29, 2018 – POET Technologies Inc. (“POET”) (OTCQX: POETF; TSX Venture: PTK), a designer, developer and manufacturer of optoelectronic devices, including light sources, passive wave guides and Photonic Integrated Circuits (PIC) for the data communication and telecom markets, today announced a novel Optical Interposer Platform, which facilitates the co-packaging of electronics and optics in a single Multi-Chip Module (MCM). Based on its previously announced Dielectric Waveguide technology, POET’s Optical Interposer provides the ability to run electrical and optical interconnections side-by-side on the same interposer chip at a micrometer scale. The optical interposer represents an integral part of POET’s hybrid integrated optical engines and leverages the manufacturing processes and unique capabilities of its dielectric waveguides.

As the need for higher data transfer speeds at greater baud rates and lower power levels increase, optics will move increasingly closer to the source of the data, whether it be a processor, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or field programmable gate array (FPGA). POET’s Optical Interposer Platform enables an optoelectronic interconnect fabric to interface directly with the source of data to support high-speed optical data transfer from within the Multi-Chip Module (MCM). Additionally, this technology is projected to offer cost-efficient optical interconnects, allow for a reduction in components, and reduce test and assembly steps to decrease manufacturing costs. The Company believes its Optical Interposer Platform targeting 100G transceiver applications is readily scalable to 200G and 400G transceiver products with minimal incremental cost. Importantly, the scalable architecture (in reach and speed) of this innovative platform has the potential to provide POET with a highly differentiated competitive advantage in leading-edge data communication transceiver products.

POET’s Optical Interposer has applications in a wide range of high-growth markets, primary among them being high-performance computing, networking, optical transceivers and transponders and automotive LIDAR systems. This platform technology is applicable to both Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) and Indium Phosphide (InP) based optical components. Optical engines for single mode transceiver modules represent the initial high-volume application for POET’s Optical Interposers.

POET also announced that it has successfully completed development of the Company’s low-loss dielectric waveguide stack and is readying the technology for transfer to manufacturing. As part of its continued technology development, POET has demonstrated a 10x improvement in the optical loss of its waveguide stack as compared to the performance publicly disclosed at the Photonics Integrated Circuit (PIC) conference in March 2017. Optical transmission loss within the dielectric stack has now been measured to be below 0.2dB/cm (Decibels/Centimeter), which renders the stack virtually loss-less for most practical applications. The ability to deposit low-loss and low-stress dielectric waveguides is the first critical step to enabling complex functionality of these waveguides in key applications, such as Arrayed Waveguide gratings (AWGs), Echelle gratings, Laterally Coupled gratings, Multi-mode interference (MMI) Couplers and Splitters, and Pass-through Waveguides. These functional features are integral to enabling the performance of a transceiver optical engine and essential to the performance of the Multiplexer/De-Multiplexer component required in Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) systems.

Consistent with prior expectations, the Company continues to work toward providing engineering samples of a Receive Optical Engine to customers by the middle of 2018. This device will be fabricated leveraging POET’s Optical Interposer Platform.

POET Technologies will be participating at SPIE Photonics West 2018, through its wholly owned subsidiary DenseLight Semiconductors. Photonics West is the world's largest photonics technologies event, in San Francisco, CA from January 27 to February 1, 2018.