ACDRC Silicon photonics design and analysis
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16 – 27 June 2025
- FEE CTU in Prague
Are you interested in cutting-edge photonics technology? Apply now for the two-week Silicon Photonics Design and Analysis summer school, held at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, from June 16 to June 27, 2025.
Led by leading experts, this hands-on program offers a unique opportunity to dive into the fundamentals and advanced techniques of photonic chip design. Through a combination of daily lectures and practical sessions in the Cadence computer laboratory, you’ll explore topics such as waveguide design, modulators, phase shifters or the EAM concept.
Lectures are led by prof. San-Liang Lee (NTUST), prof. Ming-Wei Lin (TSRI, NARL) and Ching-Wei Peng.
Schedule
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Monday
June 16, 2025
Morning:
• History and evolution of photonic integration
• Advantages of silicon photonics over traditional optics
• Key applications: data centers , telecom, biosensing, LiDAR
Afternoon:
• Overview of common design tools: Lumerical, KLayout, Synopsys
• Introduction to photonics process
• Design flow for silicon photonic circuits -
Tuesday
June 17, 2025
Morning:
• Wave optics review
• Straight waveguides and optical modes (with Hands-on)
Afternoon:
• Bending waveguide and loss simulation (with Hands-on) -
Wednesday
June 18, 2025
Morning:
• Y-branch and MMI-based optical splitters design (with Hands-on)
Afternoon:
• Grating coupler and edge coupler design (with Hands-on) -
Thursday
June 19, 2025
Morning:
• Design and simulate Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZIs) (with Hands-on)
Afternoon:
• Design and simulate phase shifter (with Hands-on) -
Friday
June 20, 2025
Morning:
• Design and simulate Micro-ring modulator (MRM) – spectrum (with Hands-on)
Afternoon:
• Design and simulate Micro-ring modulator (MRM) – frequency response (with
Hands-on) -
Monday
June 23, 2025
Morning:
• Electro-optic modulator (EAM) concept and performance (with Hands-on)
Afternoon:
• Design the PAM4 circuit using EAM (with Hands-on) -
Tuesday
June 24, 2025
Morning:
• Introduction to PDKs (Process Design Kits)
• Layout GDSII files for tape-out -1 (with Hands-on)
Afternoon:
• Layout GDSII files for tape-out -2 (with Hands-on) -
Wednesday
June 25, 2025
Morning:
• CMOS-compatible fabrication techniques.
• Overview of key processes: lithography, etching, deposition, doping.
Afternoon:
• Back-side TSV and heterogeneous integration.
• Challenges in fabrication and yield optimization. -
Thursday
June 26, 2025
Morning:
• Optical loss measurement.
• Spectral response of devices.
• Eye diagram and bit error rate (BER) analysis.
• Reliability and thermal analysis.
Afternoon:
• Application: Photonic transceivers and optical interconnects.
• Application: Co-packaged optics and 3D photonic integration. -
Friday
June 27, 2025
• Final Project: Design the high ER PAM4 circuit using a commercial PDK
FAQ
How much does it cost?
The summer school is free of charge.
I am a student. Will I get any ECTS?
FEE students will get 3 credits.
What is the teaching format of the course?
2h lecture + 3h practical exercises (Mon-Fri).
Where will the practical exercises take place?
In the Cadence computer laboratory at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering - Czech technical university in Prague
Where can I get accomodation in Prague?
You can stay in the Masaryk Dormitory near the faculty.
In what language will the summer school be held?
In English.
The capacity of the summer school is limited. We recommend to register as soon as possible.
This workshop is organised in the frame of The Advanced Chip Design Research Center (ACDRC), which aims to foster innovation and collaboration in semiconductor research and education between Taiwan and the Czech Republic. ACDRC is established under the Taiwan-Czech Democratic Partners Supply Chain Resilience and Capacity Building Cooperation Plan for 2022-2026. The center is dedicated to cultivating integrated circuit design talent across various fields and fostering the development of the semiconductor industry ecosystem in the Czech Republic.
You can find recordings of ACDRC workshops on our Youtube channel.
This project is a collaborative effort between Taiwanese and Czech organizations, specifically NARLabs and CyberSecurityHubcz, which serves as the main execution unit, complemented by a consortium that includes the Czech Technical University, Masaryk University and Brno University of Technology.
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