Ligentec and X-FAB expand integrated photonics
Ligentec and X-FAB are expanding their collaboration to further strengthen their integrated photonics offering and streamline customer access to advanced photonic technologies.
The announcement marks the next step in aligning their portfolios to address growing demand across communication, computing, quantum, and sensing markets.
As part of this expansion, the partners will jointly bring X-FAB’s XPH90 Silicon Photonics (SOI) technology to market through its integration into Ligentec’s broader photonics platform portfolio, creating a unified ecosystem spanning both SOI and established lowloss Si) technologies. Ligentec will serve as the primary customer interface, providing a streamlined and coherent entry point to both high-bandwidth SOI solutions and its established low-loss SiN platform.
Together, these platforms address a wide range of application requirements, from high-speed, high-volume datacom and telecom to advanced computing, quantum, and sensing systems. The SiN technology continues to gain significant traction and expands capabilities across multiple markets, while SOI adds a dedicated solution for bandwidth- and integration-driven datacom and telecom applications.
A central pillar of the collaboration is the industrialisation of heterogeneous integration technologies across both the SiN and SOI platforms, addressing the integration of key active and passive building blocks, including lasers, optical amplifiers, high-speed modulators, and photodetectors. A particular focus will be placed on thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) technologies, enabling advanced electro-optic capabilities for high-performance, next-generation communication and signal-processing systems.
To support this vision, the partners will invest in scaling high-speed TFLN-on-SiN and TFLN-on-SOI within the X-FAB foundry ecosystem on 200 mm wafer technologies. This step supports a clear path from advanced R&D to industrial-scale production and strengthens Europe’s position in next-generation photonic integration.
“Our collaboration with Ligentecto co-develop and co-market XPH90 SOI technology alongside their low-loss silicon nitride platform is a powerful response to the market’s need for versatile, scalable photonics,” said Rudi De Winter, X-FAB’s CEO. "By fostering this heterogeneous integration, particularly with thin-film lithium niobate, we are providing the essential building blocks for quantum computing and the next generation of telecommunications and data communications systems. This collaboration reinforces our commitment to developing a robust, industrial-scale high volume European photonics supply chain."
“Our goal has always been to offer a seamless transition from prototyping to volume production,” said Thomas Hessler, the CEO of LIGENTEC. “By expanding our partnership with X-FAB, we are giving our customers early access to a broader technology stack that now includes X-FAB’s XPH90 silicon photonics (SOI) technology, as well as high-volume thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) integration. This technology enables cutting-edge performance and helps our partners stay at the forefront of innovation in sensing, connectivity and computing applications.”
