SiEPIC openEBL: Remote Silicon Photonic Design-Fabrication-Testing Enabled by Open-Source Process Design Kits and Design Tools

We present the SiEPIC openEBL platform, an open-access, remote silicon photonic design-fabrication-testing workflow enabled by open-source process design kits (PDKs), electronic design automation (EDA) tools, a design submission and aggregation platform, and an automated electro-optic probe station. Design is supported using the open-source SiEPIC-Tools EDA, a Python-based tool that can operate as a standalone module for experienced designers or integrate with the KLayout layout viewer for ease of use. Additional support is provided for popular EDA tools such as gdsfactory and Luceda IPKISS. Designers utilize the mature SiEPIC EBeam PDK, which offers a variety of hardware-validated devices with accompanying measurement data and compact models, alongside experimental ones. Fabrication is performed using electron beam lithography, enabling rapid prototyping of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and facilitating the transition from design to experimental validation within short turnaround times. Designs are aggregated through an open-source repository, allowing designers to submit and verify layouts. During the design and aggregation phase, designers can specify measurement sites and test routines for characterization using a PIC probe station. The probe station’s hardware configuration and control software are available in an open-source repository for replication in local facilities. The SiEPIC openEBL platform has been widely adopted, with over 3,000 students and researchers from 70 countries participating in the associated online edX course, Silicon Photonics Design, Fabrication, and Data Analysis. This paper presents an overview of the platform, its impact on silicon photonics education and research, and future directions to expand capabilities and improve accessibility within the silicon photonics ecosystem.