About Vanguard Automation

The company develops process technology and software-defined manufacturing equipment for photonic integration and packaging. Building on advanced nano-printing technology, VA solutions complement planar photonic integrated circuits (PIC) by 3D freeform structures such as Photonic Wire Bonds and Micro-Optical Lenses. This technology is key to chiplet-based photonic systems that offer high packaging density and increased design flexibility, while being amenable to automated high-volume fabrication.

The technology has been researched at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) for almost one decade. Vanguard Automation GmbH was founded in 2017 as a joint venture of Vanguard Photonics GmbH and ficonTEC Service GmbH.

Solutions & Capabilities

Modular machine and software capabilities for scalable manufacturing

Machine Solutions

3D printing of freeform waveguides and micro-optical elements are revolutionizing photonic packaging and system assembly. Vanguard Automation offers the first industrial solution for in-situ printing of Photonic Wire Bonds (PWB) and facet-attached micro-optical elements.

Software Capabilities

User friendly user interface and software capabilities designed to serve your production requirements. With our unique approach of ‘software defined functionionality’ machines can be reconfigured easily to serve multiple applications if needed.

Applications & Technologies

Assembly and packaging solutions for photonic integrated circuits

Photonic Wire Bonding

Photonic wire bonding (PWB) exploits advanced three-dimensional (3D) nano-printing of single-mode interconnect waveguides between coarsely pre-positioned elements, thereby enabling highly efficient interfaces between waveguides of vastly different mode field profiles in a fully automated process. 

Facet-attached micro-lenses

We demonstrated a selection of beam-shaping elements at chip and fiber facets, achieving excellent coupling efficiencies between edge-emitting lasers and single-mode fibers. We also realized printed free-form mirrors and multi-lens systems for beam expansion.

News & Events

Get in contact with us and learn how we came here

April 18 – 19, 2023
PIC International Brussels, Belgium

We are exhibiting! Looking forward to interesting talks and discussions!

March 7 – 9, 2023
OFC, San Diego Convention Center, San Diego

We are exhibiting! Come and visit us at our booth #6240.

February 13 – 14, 2023
TOP Conference 2023, London

We are exhibiting! Looking forward to interesting talks and discussions!