During the project lifetime, the consortium has focused on three core action lines to meet its technical objectives.
1. Materials and waveguides: The consortium has focused its efforts on the theoretical and experimental investigation of materials used in large IC manufacturing lines (CMOS) and their deployment for the design and development of fundamental plasmo-photonic waveguides and components. In this context, the optical properties of aluminum, copper and titanium nitride were thoroughly investigated as the basic technology ingredients of plasmonic waveguides. The co-integration methodology of such waveguides with photonic materials in monolithic structures was established while optimum structures have been fabricated and experimentally validated, practically demonstrating the plasmo-photonic integration proof-of-concept using both noble and CMOS-compatible metals. The outcomes of this activity were practically demonstrated by using them to successfully develop two validation vehicles as follows
2. Electro-optic transmitter prototype: The second core action line of the project was to develop an electro-optic transmitter using advanced plasmonic modulators and ultra high speed electronics. To maximize success potential, the consortium has streamlined the development of two transmitter variants. The first prototype involved the heterogeneous integration of modulator chip and electronics chip in a single miniaturized device package. 2D integration was deployed by using ultra-short wire bonds to demonstrate experimental operation at 100 Gb/s NRZ data. The second prototype involved the monolithic integration of the plasmonic modulator onto the back-end of line of the high speed electronics chip, compatible to the standard wafer scale BiCMOS process.
3. Biosensor prototype: The third core action line involved the detailed design and the manufacturing of the biosensor chip using outcomes from activity 1. 3 sensors were fabricated on a single chip using both gold and aluminum as the plasmonic elements. CMOS fabrication of the sensor chip was successfully demonstrated by fabricating functional chips entirely within a CMOS foundry. The plasmo-photonic biosensor chips were functionalzed with antibodies to detect C-reactive Protein, a critical inflammation biomarker present in the human blood. Experiments successfully demonstrated the proof of concept, detecting CRP protein in concentration of the order of ug/mL and pg/mL, potentially addressing limits of detection at the low pg/mL range or below.
Activities related to the development and integration of the transmitter led to the follow-up H2020 project plaCMOS targeting transceivers with even higher data rates up to 200 Gb/s as well as to the founding of a start-up company by ETHZ that aims to commercialize plasmonic modulator technology. In addition, those activities led to the publication of 13 journal articles, the preparation of one patent application while it appeared in 23 conference proceedings.
Activities related to the development and integration of the biosensor module led to the publication of 9 journal articles, a PCT patent application while it appeared in 17 conference proceedings. Finally this activity has led to the founding of the start up company bialoom supported by AUTH and AMO that aims to commercialize plasmo-photonic biosensing technology in the point of care diagnostics market.
