IME, Alcatel-Lucent to jointly develop advanced silicon photonics technology

PARIS, FRANCE & SINGAPORE: The Institute of Microelectronics (IME), a research institute of Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research, and Bell Labs, Alcatel-Lucent’s research arm, recently signed a research collaboration agreement to jointly develop advanced photonics technology for next generation cost-effective high data-rate communication networks.

The need for service providers to meet the explosion in demand for new multimedia consumer content services and governments across the Asia Pacific region to provide citizens with access to broadband networks makes development of low cost, high data-rate communications particularly urgent.

According to IDC, Internet usage will increase by 550 million from 2006 to 2010 and the number of unique internet buyers will increase from 421 million to 686 million over the same period. Optical communications is well suited to meet this exponential demand because it supports data rates that exceed 10 Gbit/s, the highest speed at which copper-based networks operate and overcomes critical power consumption challenges and reach limitations.

Despite the benefits that optical communications offers, the improved performance comes at a cost, a challenge that the collaborative research programme between Alcatel-Lucent and IME will address by delivering increased performance at reduced cost.

Prof. Dim-Lee Kwong, Executive Director of IME, said: “We are very pleased to collaborate with Bell Labs in developing core technology for next generation high data-rate communications. Our collaboration will build upon developed modules with new generation of low cost integrated silicon-based photonic devices and improved processes. This partnership demonstrates our commitment in bringing impactful research to the industry.”

“This collaborative agreement with IME is important because it represents the next step in a series of programmes we have undertaken over the years with customers, government agencies, and academic institutions in Singapore,” said Dr Rod Alferness, Chief Scientist at Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs. “It is a prime example of the value Bell Labs brings to partners around the world,” he added.