NLM Photonics and Spark Photonics Partner to Advance Organic Hybrid Solutions
Partnership pushes forward results on Tower Semiconductor’s PH18M and AIM Photonics’ 300 mm silicon photonics platforms
SEATTLE — April 21, 2026 — NLM Photonics, a leader in silicon organic hybrid (SOH) photonic solutions, today announced an ongoing design partnership with Spark Photonics, a photonics design firm, to accelerate the development and integration of NLM’s high-performance SOH solutions across multiple silicon photonic foundry platforms. This collaboration has already advanced projects on Tower Semiconductor's PH18M platform and AIM Photonics' 300 mm silicon photonics platform, with additional efforts underway.
NLM Photonics recently completed processing of SOH modulators as part of a multi-project wafer (MPW) run on Tower Semiconductor's PH18M silicon photonics platform. Spark Photonics provided design services for the modulators and chip layout. NLM developed and executed the oxide open etch required for the deposition of its patented Selerion™-HTX organic electro-optic (OEO) material. The results demonstrate the compatibility of Tower's PH18 process with NLM's SOH technology and lay the foundation for the Process Development Kit (PDK) planned for later this year.
“Silicon photonics (SiPho) foundries are aggressively scaling capacity, with players like Tower Semiconductor planning to triple SiPho output by mid-2026. Integration of advanced modulator technologies, including silicon organic hybrid approaches such as NLM Photonics, provide a roadmap for continuing innovation at silicon photonics foundries,” said Vladimir Kozlov, Founder and CEO, LightCounting.
Spark Photonics also contributed to NLM's work on AIM Photonics' 300 mm silicon photonics platform, part of a U.S. Air Force AFWERX STTR Phase II contract. Spark Photonics developed the layout for a full custom wafer run incorporating NLM modulator designs. Building on prior MPW work, this run is intended to validate designs for a PDK offering on AIM’s process. This will significantly broaden access to the technology for U.S. Government and commercial customers in high-speed datacom, RF photonics, sensing, and other demanding applications.
"Spark Photonics brings deep photonic integrated circuit (PIC) design expertise and a solid understanding of the unique process requirements of SOH technology," said Brad Booth, CEO, NLM Photonics. "Their contributions have been essential to our progress on both the Tower and AIM platforms. We look forward to deepening this collaboration as we develop the SOH recipe for high-volume manufacturing and widespread commercial adoption."
“We are dedicated to lowering the barrier to entry for PIC technologies,” said Kevin McComber, CEO, Spark Photonics. “By integrating NLM’s high-performance modulation with Spark Photonics’ design expertise, this work is establishing the pathways necessary for customers to move from prototypes to production on industry-standard foundry processes. Spark Photonics is excited to continue building solutions that advance the state of the art of integrated photonics.”
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About NLM Photonics
NLM Photonics is architecting the future of photonic communications. Enabled by NLM’s Selerion™ family of organic electro-optic material and leveraging standard silicon photonic manufacturing, NLM has created a blueprint for building energy-efficient, high-bandwidth photonic interconnects for data centers, AI infrastructure, and quantum networking. For more information, visit nlmphotonics.com or follow us on LinkedIn at nlm-photonics.
About Spark Photonics Design
Spark Photonics Design (Spark Photonics) is a leading provider of PIC solutions, offering component, circuit, tile, and full-reticle design, layout, and PDK services across all material platforms. The company also sells and supports PIC design software from Luceda Photonics and provides PIC Kits designed for education, training, and measurement validation. For more information, visit sparkphotonics.com or follow Spark on LinkedIn at spark-photonics.
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