Business from technology

Embedded photonic solutions

Competence

Photonics is a research and technology area harnessing light and enabling solutions for special functionalities like decoration and illumination, displays and signalling, sensors and measurements, energy harvesting, and even data transfer and processing.

We promote the penetration of photonic technologies into everyday products – as well as professional systems – through the research and development of integration and manufacturing methodology that facilitates the use of photonic solutions as an integral part of the product structures. Integration research is especially important for the volume products like mobile terminals or consumer / personal electronics in order to find the module/system-level optimum in respect to cost and performance. Our competence is built on in-house and networked resources on multidisciplinary system design (optics, electronics, mechanics, interconnects, thermal management), advanced materials research, and prototyping and manufacturing capabilities on various physical platforms including polymer and ceramic integration platforms, as well as roll-to-roll-printing, precision machining, and silicon micromachining.

Challenges

• Multidisciplinary design and cost estimation methodology of photonic systems for volume manufacturing
  
• Increasing of functional density in photonic systems by advanced photonic and multidisciplinary component and system designs
  
• Streamlining photonics manufacturing and increasing system reliability by the development of multidisciplinary integration platforms
  

Solutions

• Design of optics and optical systems for volume manufacturing
  
• Solutions for illumination, imaging, sensors, user-interface, brand promotion
  
• Solutions and proofs of concept on smart system integration for volume photonic products
  

Benefits

• Integration helps in reduction of manufacturing cost and increase of functional density leading to more compact, less expensive new products.
  
• More attractive and user-friendly products are possible via the increased freedom of design that is enabled by new structural solutions and new advanced manufacturing methods and integration platforms.
  
• When feasible, photonics will be designed as an integral part of the product structure increasing robustness, and reducing volume manufacturing costs and complexity of the system.
  

References and merits

• Finnish and European node in photonics design and photonic system integration: coordinator or partner in multiple EU and national (TEKES) projects
  
• Research and development managed by experienced research personnel: research professor, adjunct professor, several highly experienced post-docs and senior research scientists having extensive experience in managing and working in both research and industrial development projects
  

Examples of technical references:

• Oras water-tap sensor: cost reduction of 50 % by new integrated design
  
• Add-on mobile microscope for microcode reading: enabling easy access to product security
  
• Polymer integration platform enabling new conformal product structures: award in national innovation cup for optical touchpad (2008)