Michael Liehr, Chief Executive Officer of the American Institute for Manufacturing (AIM) Photonics and colleagues visited Tyndall to meet with Peter O’Brien, Director of the PIXAPP Packaging Pilot Line. AIM Photonics is a $600 million public-private partnership announced by the Obama Administration in 2016 and is focused on developing an end-to-end integrated photonics ecosystem in the U.S., including:
- Domestic photonic device foundry access
- Integrated design tools
- Automated packaging
- Assembly and test
- Workforce development
The Institute brings government, industry and academia together with the goals of organising capabilities in integrated photonic technology and positioning the U.S. relative to global competition. AIM Photonic research partners include the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia University, University of Arizona, University of Santa Barbara California and SUNY Polytechnic Institute.
During the visit, a detailed overview of the advanced packaging technologies available within the PIXAPP Pilot Line were presented, along with a tour of the photonics packaging facilities at Tyndall. They also discussed opportunities for collaboration, including training and the development of technology roadmaps for integrated photonics.