ABOUT AIM PHOTONICS

Who we are

Our mission is to advance integrated photonic circuit manufacturing technology development in the United States. To achieve this:

  • We provide access to state-of-the-art integrated photonics fabrication, packaging, and testing facilities and services to industry, academia and the United States government.

  • We develop new and innovative technologies, processes, and materials within the integrated photonics sphere, addressing high-risk/high-reward challenges in photonics integrated circuit manufacturing technology.

  • We strive to create an adaptive integrated photonic circuit workforce capable of meeting the integrated photonics industry’s needs, thus increasing domestic competitiveness.

How we work

Our partnership with electronic photonic design automation (EPDA) industry leaders, large and small photonic integrated circuit (PIC) companies, government institutes, and globally recognized university researchers has established an ecosystem that provides complete access across the entire product cycle: design, research, development, proof of concept, prototyping, validation, and fast transfer to volume manufacturing. This provides AIM Photonics members a low-cost solution with quick cycles of learning, creating reduced time to market.

Our Technology Focus

In line with our vision and mission and to make the largest impact to the U.S. based integrated photonics industry, AIM Photonics has targeted our primary activities towards Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) 4 – 7 with transition capability to MRL 8 – 9.

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Formation

In 2014, the United States Office of the Secretary of Defense identified interest in developing a Manufacturing Innovation Institute in the field of integrated photonic circuits. This resulted in the Air Force Research Laboratory publishing a funding opportunity announcement (FOA-RQKM-2015-0009) which ultimately lead to the award of the Integrated Photonics Institute for Manufacturing Innovation operating under the name of the “American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics.” The Research Foundation for The State University of New York and The United States of America USAF/AFMC entered into Cooperative Agreement Number FA8650-15-2-5220, dated July 9, 2015 for Phase I of AIM Photonics. On September 29, 2021, a new cooperative agreement was signed and extends federal funding for the institute for another seven years.

The Research Foundation for The State University of New York, acting on behalf of SUNY Polytechnic, serves as the administrator of AIM Photonics. AIM Photonics is an unincorporated research and development center. AIM Photonics operates as a program of SUNY Poly, with the Foundation and SUNY Poly providing administrative support to AIM Photonics, and jointly participating in AIM Photonics as an AIM Photonics member.