Active alignment for photonic device assembly
Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) demand sub-micron alignment precision. A process that has traditionally been slow, costly, and heavily dependent on machine suppliers. Etteplan Indigo is a modular machine platform for active alignment of photonic components, from first prototype to full production. With a cycle time of under 30 seconds and cost reductions of up to 50%, it sets a new standard for photonic device assembly.
Why active alignment is critical for PIC manufacturing
Manufacturing photonic integrated circuits (PICs) places exceptional demands on precision. While electrical test points are accessible at feature sizes of around 30 micrometers, aligning photonic components requires accuracies between 20 and 50 nanometers — two to three orders of magnitude smaller. Passive alignment is insufficient for these applications; only active alignment, where optical coupling is continuously measured and corrected, delivers the required precision.
Traditionally, active alignment is the most costly part of the assembly process. It can represent up to 80% of total production costs and is heavily dependent on specialized machine suppliers for even the smallest adjustments. This makes rapid iteration in R&D near-impossible and slows the scaling the market demands.
Production volumes in the photonics industry are expected to grow by a factor of a thousand in the coming years. That is only achievable if alignment becomes faster, cheaper, and more accessible. Etteplan Indigo was developed to make exactly that possible.
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The Etteplan Indigo platform: built for active alignment
Etteplan Indigo is a modular machine platform for the assembly of photonic components, aligning and bonding two optical elements with ultra-high precision. The platform supports a wide range of applications: chip-to-chip alignment, lens-to-chip, optical fiber-to-chip, and more.
What sets Indigo apart is the combination of closed-loop active alignment with a user-friendly, browser-based programming interface. Users program production sequences themselves, without involvement from the machine supplier. Programs are stored and instantly retrievable, guaranteeing reproducibility and drastically reducing changeover times.
The result: a cycle time of under 30 seconds for a fully assembled product including active alignment and fiber termination, cost reductions of up to 50%, and a floor space requirement of less than 1.1 m².
- - 50%Cost reduction
- < 30 secondsRecord-breaking cycle time for photonic assembly
Fully automated
- 17 urad typical 0.02 dBAccurate
- < 1,1 m2Small floor space
- < 100 nm application specificSub micron accuracy
Automatic photonic device assembly
- Closed-loopActive alignment
Working with optical fiber flex circuits? Our fiber routing and coating machines automate the upstream production process, from routing to coating, so your fibers are production-ready before alignment begins.
Assembly functions
Indigo supports all critical assembly functions for photonic components in one integrated platform.
Mating of standard optical connector and gripper technology
Automatic curing
Automatic dispensing
Active alignment
From prototype to production: how Indigo scales with you
Indigo is designed for the full development cycle, from first prototype to large-scale production. The platform adapts to your stage of growth, not the other way around.
Flexibility
Short changeover times enable rapid testing and validation of prototypes and products, without dependency on external programmers.
Modularity
From operator-assisted loading to fully automatic loading and unloading, the system grows with your production volume.
Scalability
Configurable and expandable to meet production volume requirements. From piece-to-piece to mass manufacturing.
Whitepaper: photonics alignment in action
Discover how the Indigo platform combines active alignment and fiber termination in a cycle time of under 30 seconds. Download the whitepaper for the full technical details.
See how photonics alignment works in practice
In collaboration with our partner CITC we've developed a solution on the active alignment of optical fibers in packaging. In this video you can see how the modular machine platform works in practice.
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Speeding up design and simulation phases
By reducing development time and maximizing efficiency, design and simulation phases in R&D are accelerated.
Reducing costs
Flexibility and short changeover times empower researchers to independently and quickly test and validate prototypes and products, leading to efficient development and cost savings.
Enhancing collaboration and knowledge sharing
Etteplan's solution fosters collaboration and facilitates knowledge sharing among researchers in photonics R&D, promoting a more efficient and collaborative environment for innovation and breakthroughs.
Control software
HMI easy to use, to develop and teach applications.
Reduce dependency on machine supplier
No external programmers or support of your machine supplier needed anymore to make the smallest of changes.
- Data/media logging and reporting function
Active alignment in practice: Adimec case study
Adimec required precise alignment and bonding of CMOS sensors to lens systems, directly impacting the image quality of their metrology cameras. In collaboration with Etteplan, active alignment was integrated into the assembly process, enabling faster product variant switching, consistent performance, and improved responsiveness to customer demand. The focus stays where it belongs: on the end product, not the machine making it.
Frequently asked questions about photonics alignment
Ready to accelerate your photonics assembly?
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Director Project Office & Operations