Design Kit simplifies the creation of optical circuits
CEA-Leti, a research institute at CEA, has collaborated with Siemens Digital Industries Software to offer an updated process design kit (PDK) that enables photonic designers to design optical circuits.
The PDK will enable engineers to select multiple methodologies, including layout centric, schematic driven and layout automation and provides access to CEA-Leti’s 300mm photonics multi-project wafers (MPW).
The methodologies are compliant with Siemens’ Calibre platform for physical IC verification.
Additional benefits of using CEA-Leti’s PDK with Siemens’ Tanner L-Edit software tools include autonomous photonic design, easy creation and editing of waveguides, automatic insertion of crossing waveguides, an export simulation netlist and layout-oriented design.
Combined with Siemens’ LightSuite Photonic Compiler, an automated electronic and optical line-routing tool for a seamless design flow, the new PDK includes:
- The industry’s first integrated electrical/photonic layout automation tool,
- Automated routing of both the waveguides and electrical control
- Rapid production of a new layout without DRC error (verified by Calibre software), and
- A tool based on EDA standards: OpenAccess, Python & iPDK.
In addition to simplifying optical-circuit design, the new PDK version allows increased flexibility and evolution for future designs, along with many more components for both C-band and 0-band applications.
“Our close collaboration over many years with the EDA segment of Siemens Digital Industries Software (formerly Mentor Graphics), has produced a new level of maturity in content, layout design rules, photonic routing and other EDA features with this state-of-the-art PDK,” said Christophe Kopp, Head of the Photonic Circuit, sensor and display Lab at CEA-Leti and Director of the Nanoelec Photonic sensors program. “In addition, thanks to its compatibility with the LightSuite Photonic Compiler tool, designers will have the tools to produce electro-optical circuits with optical and electrical routing on thousands of components in a matter of minutes. The design of optical circuits will be greatly simplified and shortened, while adding flexibility and evolution for future versions.”