Kate Gleason College of Engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology has acquired Vanguard Automation’s SONATA 1000, a fully automated 3D Lithography system for enabling photonic integration and packaging via Photonic Wire Bonding and Facet-Attached Micro Lenses.
Rochester, New York, March 7, 2023 — Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) announced today the acquisition and commissioning of Vanguard Automation’s SONATA 1000, a next generation technology for photonic packaging and integration. RIT is focused on solving the challenges of photonic integration of PICs, lasers and optical fibers. Vanguard Automation’s equipment for automated fabrication of Photonic Wire Bonds™ and Facet Attached Micro Lens enables low loss interconnects between photonic devices, without requiring high-precision mechanical alignment. The equipment scales from R&D and prototyping work to volume manufacturing applications.
Vanguard’s SONATA 1000 will enable researchers to predictably fabricate multi-chip photonic subassemblies in various high performance computing uses such as classical, neuromorphic, and quantum computing. The system will also be a key tool used for training a workforce in advanced photonic packaging. RIT will be using the system in courses and workshops, as well as available for faculty-researchers involved in the development of novel photonic devices.
“We are excited to bring this technology to our labs at RIT,” said Dr. Stefan Preble, Director of the Microsystems Engineering Ph.D. Program and Professor of Electrical & Microelectronic Engineering in RIT’s Kate Gleason College of Engineering. “The Vanguard Automation system will accelerate research and development in integrated photonics by enabling researchers to rapidly and flexibly integrate a wide range of photonic chip components with a high level of predictability.”
“The installation of our SONATA 1000 system at an integrated photonics stronghold like RIT marks a significant milestone for our company,” stated Thorsten Mayer, CEO of Vanguard Automation. “Dr. Preble has been instrumental in developing Rochester as a leading photonics center in the Eastern part of North America, and we are excited to have the opportunity to contribute to his efforts.”
RIT acknowledges funding support from AIM Photonics, one of the Manufacturing Innovation Institutes managed and established by the United States Department of Defense.
About Vanguard Automation GmbH Vanguard Automation combines a decade of research in integrated photonics with 20 years of experience in building high-precision assembly machinery to propel photonic integration and packaging. Headquartered in Karlsruhe, Germany, VA develops process technology and machines for creating low-loss photonic connections between passive and active optical components leveraging its unique IP portfolio for Photonic Wire Bonding and facet-attached micro-optics. Augmenting nano-print technology, VA’s solutions enable high packaging density, increased design flexibility and fabrication throughput.
About Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester Institute of Technology is home to leading creators, entrepreneurs, innovators and researchers. Founded in 1829, RIT enrolls 19,700 students in more than 200 career-oriented and professional programs, making it among the largest private universities in the U.S.
The university is internationally recognized and ranked for academic leadership in business, computing, engineering, imaging science, liberal arts, sustainability, and fine and applied arts. RIT also offers unparalleled support services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The cooperative education program is one of the oldest and largest in the nation. Global partnerships include campuses in China, Croatia, Dubai and Kosovo.