CORNERSTONE 2

The Universities of Southampton (SOU) and Glasgow (GLA) have established a new Silicon Photonics fabrication capability for the UK science base, through a project entitled CORNERSTONE. Following completion of the project, from December 2019 the CORNERSTONE fabrication capability will be self-sustaining. Based upon demand from the UK’s premier photonics researchers, this proposal seeks funding to extend the capability that is offered to UK researchers beyond the current Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) platforms, to include emerging Silicon Photonics platforms. These emerging platforms will enable a multitude of new applications either not suitable for the SOI platforms, or complementary to the SOI platforms. This proposal seeks support to bring the new platforms to a state of readiness to deliver the new functionality via a multi-project-wafer (MPW) mechanism to satisfy significantly increasing demand, and to encourage wider usage of world class equipment within the UK. This resource-only bid will facilitate access to a very significant inventory of equipment at the 2 host universities, including access to UK’s only deep-UV projection lithography capability.