Silicon Photonics – Planar Lightwave Circuits (PLC) is of course something that has been around for a long time. Which begs the question…why is it taking so long for this technology after all the money that has been spent to integrate optics?

Silicon photonics is not the answer.

So rather than try to make silicon do everything you need it to do in both domains let’s keep what it does well and use something that is very compatible to provide optical  needs without sacrificing electronic advancement. That is what it comes down to.

The dielectric waveguide.

Silicon waveguides are great for guiding light. But not so good at controlling light.

POET deposits multiple layers of silicon based materials (including oxides and nitrides) at varying purity and thickness on top of the silicon wafer. It is done at low temperature which preserves all the electronic circuits that are on the silicon wafer. It also allows for a really low stress interface between the material layers. This is why POET can talk about 12 inch silicon wafers. The wafers remain flat as bowing stresses are eliminated at low temp deposition with materials that closely match thermal expansion coefficients.

What is really important though is that after just over a year POET has learned how to modify the waveguide dielectric composition and structure to match the required shape and wavelength of light required for specific applications ...example mux/demux. to  allow insertion across material sets without signal  loss in a solid state without free space optics which is exactly what the glass block is. 

A lot of  companies are working on silicon photonic solutions. Companies that well financed. Just checking out Scorpios digs. Wow.

Our share price sucks and it  is a downer. But I  have to believe that there is  a plan to address this and if is is entirely dependant on the  achievement of deliverables so be it. The deliverables that this  company produces are going to be the direction that will deiremen future industry road maps.

Key bit of info that will make the reveal sweeter:

The ability to isolate photonic from electronic heat signatures to improve wavelength control will enable all partiers from Octoberfest to get through the door.