Roquely Optoelectronics announced the launch of the first mTP silicon laser, whi

Recently, Rockley Photonics Holdings, a pioneer of sensing photonics in the UK, announced that the company had launched the world's first micro transfer printing (mTP) silicon photonic laser for commercial applications. In addition, a new silicon photonic biosensor chip using mTP technology is expected to be available in the first half of 2024.

The company said that this is expected to further improve the density of its high-density spectrophotometer chip and reduce its size - the chip is already the world's smallest broadband infrared wavelength laser spectroscopy process (covering 1000 nm spectrum), and its area is smaller than the LED solution currently used for wearable devices.

Photo source: official website of Rockley Photonics

It is reported that this progress may have a significant impact on a wide range of applications, including the design of wearable devices used to detect and measure multiple biomarkers. Rockley Photonics pointed out that "the application of micro transfer printing technology to the production of integrated lasers is a huge breakthrough, and we believe it will have a huge impact on wearable biosensors and the entire photonics industry."

The mTP technology was developed through multi-year partnerships with X-Celleprint, Tyndall National Institute of Cork University, Ireland, and IPIC, and was funded by the Irish government.
The mTP technology of X-Celeprint combines a variety of non primary components on the substrate - silicon, paper, plastics, ceramics or glass. It has been proved to be one of the best ways to realize heterogeneous integration, and has been used in chip manufacturing.

Using the mTP process, the photonic IC technology will integrate a laser generated "film" with a thickness of only 4 microns. This chip technology with higher density and smaller area has potential applications not only in biosensors and health monitoring, but also in other fields, such as ultra small wearable devices, clothing or XR/VR/AR earphones and glasses.

Aaron Zilkie, Chief Technology Officer of Rockley Photonics, said in a statement: "I believe that this next-generation heterogeneous integration platform will bring about several major technological advances, including higher density lasers, smaller and smaller chip sizes, and ultra-high output manufacturing."

According to the plan, a new silicon photonic biosensor chip using mTP technology will be launched in the first half of 2024. The new chip technology should not affect the upcoming Bioptx of Rockley Photonics ™ The biosensor belt will not affect any generation of products currently developed by the company and its customers.

With this breakthrough in silicon photonic laser mTP technology, Rockley Photonics has significantly increased the laser density of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) used for biosensors, creating a wide wavelength laser spectrophotometer chip believed to be the world's highest density, breaking its previous record.

In addition, the mTP process is expected to reduce manufacturing costs and achieve thinner, more compact and higher density chip designs. These features will become key advantages for consumers and the use of medical technology devices, and are expected to promote the integration of Rockley Photonics' biosensor technology into future micro wearable devices.

This breakthrough is the result of years of cooperation between Rockley Photonics and Tindall National Research Institute of Cork University in Ireland, X-Celeprint and the Irish Optoelectronic Integration Center (IPIC), and has received financial support from the Irish Science Foundation (SFI) and the Disruptive Technology Innovation Foundation (DTIF) of the Irish government. The project started five years ago, focusing on developing customized mTP processes for Rockley Photonics' silicon photonics platform. It has a multidisciplinary team composed of world-class engineers and researchers.

About Rockley Photonics Holdings
Founded in 2013, Rockley Photonics Holdings is a well-known supplier of silicon photonic integrated chips and modules, as well as a global leader in photonic health monitoring and communication solutions. Its business market focuses on healthcare, wearable devices and machine vision, as well as large-scale data center connectivity. From the next-generation sensing platform designed for mobile health monitoring and machine vision to high-speed, high-capacity solutions for data communication, Rockley Photonics is laying the foundation for a new generation of applications across multiple industries.

Source: OFweek