Photonic Integrated Circuit Packaging ACademy (PICPAC)

The Photonic Integrated Circuit Packaging ACademy (PICPAC) project shall create and deliver course content and materials on packaging necessary to enable the rapidly growing field of photonics within the semiconductor sector. Semiconductor based photonics devices are critical in enabling telecommunications, datacomms, imaging, and quantum technologies (e.g. quantum computing, quantum cryptography and quantum sensing). However, to operate in real world applications, delicate semiconductor chips must be packaged to interface with the outside world. Aspects of photonic packaging that must be considered are the mechanical, electrical, thermal and photonic interfaces as well as the interplay between the different aspects. While there has been much recent investment in foundry activities (upstream semiconductor activity) there has been little investment in downstream activities (assembly, packaging and testing - APT) and their is a clear gap in practical knowledge in the area of APT within the UK semiconductor landscape.

The PICPAC project aims to create a national centre for semiconductor photonic packaging training located within the nationally recognized South West semiconductor cluster. Bay Photonics (BP) and Davies & Bell (DB) will capture industrial training requirements and create course content together with South Devon College (SDC) who will deliver the courses in a variety of formats. The format of the courses will be flexible and the timing will be flexible (effectively, on demand), to align with the needs of industry. Once created, this will be the only programme of its kind in the country.