Spark Photonics Unveils Check Mate DRC: Revolutionizing Design Rule Checking for Integrated Photonics

Waltham, Massachusetts, USA – Spark Photonics, a leader in the field of integrated photonics design solutions, proudly announces the launch of Check Mate DRC, an innovative Design Rule Check (DRC) tool for integrated photonics applications. Compatible with Tower Semiconductor’s PH18M family of photonics processes, Check Mate DRC ensures designers can efficiently verify their photonic integrated circuits (PICs) against foundry-specific design rules, reducing errors and streamlining the design process.

“Check Mate DRC is made by PIC designers, for PIC designers. It addresses the growing demand for robust design verification in the integrated photonics industry, which has seen increasing complexity and many new entrants,” said Kevin McComber, CEO of Spark Photonics. “We aim to provide a tool that is accessible to everyone needing a photonics DRC solution.”

The software runs on Windows and is purposely crafted to be easy to use while offering advanced features, such as rule runtime display with the ability to exclude specific layers and rules from the run. “By incorporating comprehensive functionality with an intuitive user interface, Check Mate DRC provides an essential solution for designers aiming to produce high-performance photonic circuits,” commented Aeon Williams, Software Application Engineer at Spark Photonics.

Tower Semiconductor, the leading foundry of high value analog semiconductor solutions and a globally prominent provider of advanced integrated photonics foundry technologies, has partnered with Spark Photonics to support the release of Check Mate DRC on Tower’s PH18M technology platform. "The introduction of Check Mate DRC as an approved DRC solution for users of Tower’s PH18M photonics foundry offerings allows us to serve a wider customer base by simplifying and accelerating the design verification process for integrated photonics," said Samir Chaudhry, VP of Customer Design Enablement. "This tool not only enhances our ability to support complex designs but also ensures higher reliability and performance for our customers' photonic products."

To further enhance the user experience for PIC designers, Luceda Photonics, a leading provider of photonic integrated circuit (PIC) design software, has introduced a link between the Luceda Photonics Design Platform and Check Mate DRC. This integration allows designers to easily run DRC on their layouts created with Luceda IPKISS at any time during the design cycle with just one line of code. “This link streamlines the design workflow, ensuring that DRC errors are identified early in the design process, thus avoiding last-minute back-and-forth with the foundry,” stated Martin Fiers, Product Manager at Luceda Photonics. “Adding DRC to our reference design workflow enables layout engineers to adhere to foundry-specific design rules from the outset, further empowering them to confidently achieve a successful tape-out.”

Lucidean, an innovative startup company in PICs, highlighted the critical role of Check Mate DRC in their development process. "Check Mate DRC was instrumental in enabling us to successfully tape out our designs on Tower's photonics platform," said Hector Andrade, CEO at Lucidean. "The software’s user friendliness and reasonable pricing make it accessible to us as a small company. We highly recommend Check Mate DRC.”

Spark Photonics is committed to advancing the state of the art in the photonics industry by providing cutting-edge design services, software, and other solutions. The launch of Check Mate DRC marks a significant milestone in the company’s trajectory, ensuring PIC designers have the tools they need to achieve excellence.

For more information about Spark Photonics and Check Mate DRC, please visit www.sparkphotonics.com and www.sparkphotonics.com/checkmatedrc.

About Spark Photonics:

Spark Photonics is a leading provider of integrated photonics solutions, dedicated to advancing the field through innovative services and tools. With a focus on simplifying the design process, Spark Photonics empowers designers to create high-performance photonic devices with ease and accuracy.

Contact Spark Photonics:

Email: info@sparkphotonics.com

Phone: +1 617-209-9575

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/spark-photonics