Making Canada a world-leading centre of innovation: How SiEPICfab is accelerating the fabrication of silicon photonics
| Client | University of British Columbia |
| Project | Silicon Electronics-Photonics Integrated Circuits Fabrication (SiEPICfab) |
| Location | Vancouver, B.C. |
| Program | Regional Innovation Ecosystems |
| Sector | Advanced manufacturing, digital technology |
In 2019, we provided $2.95M in funding to the Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute for a new world-class nanofabrication facility to support quantum technology development. Now, this infrastructure is the cornerstone of SiEPICfab, which is accelerating the fabrication of silicon photonics in Canada.
We caught up with the SiEPICfab team to discuss the recent impact of our funding:
- In 3 years, SiEPICfab grew from a consortium of 10 companies and 3 universities, to 17 companies and 6 universities.
- During the pandemic, SiEPICfab pivoted to research and development of biosensors for rapid testing of viruses including COVID-19.
- Key industry leaders including Applied Nanotools Inc. use the new nanofabrication facility to enhance commercialization efforts.
- New capabilities such as photonic wire bonding now make SiEPICfab a leader in Canadian silicon photonics fabrication and packaging.
