Nanoscribe launches Quantum X align
Featuring the first-ever microfabrication system within a lithographic platform
Nanoscribe, a BICO company, will debut the Quantum X align, a new high-performance 3D printer at the Photonics West Conference and Exhibition in San Francisco. The Quantum X align is the first 3D printer with advanced 3D alignment capabilities that enables the printing of freeform micro-optical elements directly onto optical fibers and photonic chips, setting new standards in the design and fabrication of micro-optical elements.
The Quantum X align provides robust and reliable alignment solutions for realizing efficient light coupling via Free Space Microoptical Interconnects (FSMI) between chips and optical fibers. The microfabrication system extends the capabilities of the groundbreaking Quantum X platform, allowing for a more straightforward process chain, relaxed assembly tolerances no necessity of the costly and time-consuming active alignment, and a further reduction of devices dimensions.
“With the addition of the new Quantum X align to our industry-proven Quantum X platform, we are enriching Two-Photon Polymerization with powerful alignment technologies that drive the ever-increasing demand in data communications, telecommunications, and sensing applications,” said Martin Hermatschweiler, CEO and co-founder of Nanoscribe. “Our goal is to address the challenges of efficient coupling in photonic packaging and make high-precision 3D printing the technology of choice in integrated photonics.”
The new high-precision 3D printer unlocks unprecedented possibilities for photonic packaging, which is promising for developing more energy-efficient technologies with high data processing capacities. Photonic integrated circuits (PIC) will help to surpass the limited computing power of today’s microelectronics at tremendously lower power consumption, driving applications in artificial intelligence or quantum computing. However, the manufacturing of such devices requires new technologies for realizing micro-optical interconnects. The new system addresses these current challenges with innovative hardware and software solutions. Based on Two-Photon Polymerization (2PP) as the leading high-precision 3D printing technology, the Quantum X align achieves alignment accuracies in all spatial dimensions of down to 100 nanometers.
The Quantum X align is a finalist for the Prism Awards 2022 in the category Manufacturing and Test, proving the innovative approach of this printer. The awards ceremony will take place on January 26 in San Francisco as part of the SPIE Photonics West Conference and Exhibition.
