September 2026

LIGENTEC celebrates 10 years of PIC Innovation and unveils Next-Generation TFLN & III-V Photodetector Platform at ECOC

Marking 10 years of Silicon Nitride (SiN) PIC leadership, LIGENTEC announced its new active-passive photonic engine at ECOC in Malaga. The multi-material platform integrates high-speed Thin-Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN) modulators and III-V photodetectors onto low-loss SiN.

Built for AI interconnects, quantum computing, and optical communications, it offers >100 GHz modulation bandwidths, <2V drive voltages, and <1 dB/m propagation losses. Backed by a full PDK and 200 mm foundry partner X-FAB, it offers a seamless route from prototyping to volume manufacturing.

Visit LIGENTEC at ECOC Booth #1368 or read the full press release to learn more!

September 2026

NLM Photonics and LIGENTEC Build First Silicon Nitride Organic Hybrid Modulators on Commercial Platform

September 2026

Luceda Photonics and LIGENTEC Launch First Statistical PDK and DRC Deck for AN800 SiN Platform

LIGENTEC and Luceda Photonics have released the first statistical PDK and DRC deck for the AN800 SiN platform through the EU-funded photonixFAB initiative. The unified workflow enables process-corner simulation and layout verification to tackle real-world fabrication variations before tape-out. By identifying yield risks early, designers achieve “First-Time-Design-Right” PICs, accelerating scaling to high-volume 200 mm manufacturing for AI, quantum, and sensing applications.

Upgrade your PIC design workflow today—Read the full press release to learn more or contact LIGENTEC to access the new AN800 PDK!

February 2026

LIGENTEC Awarded Scale-Up Vaud 2026 Label

We are proud to announce that LIGENTEC has been awarded the Scale-Up Vaud 2026 label by Innovaud, joining 44 high-growth companies recognized for their innovation and impact in the Vaud region and beyond.

This milestone reflects our team’s dedication and our commitment to advancing silicon nitride photonic integrated circuits (PICs)—a technology transforming industries from telecom and quantum computing to biosensing and LiDAR.

We’re honored to be part of a community that collectively created 2,822 jobs in Switzerland and raised CHF 689 million in 2025.

Read the full announcement

Discover Scale-Up Vaud

January 2026

PRESS RELEASE

LIGENTEC and X-FAB Expand Integrated Photonics Offering with SOI and Thin-Film Lithium Niobate Volume Scaling

LIGENTEC and X-FAB announce today an expanded collaboration to strengthen our integrated photonics offering. The partnership brings X-FAB’s XPH90 Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) technology together with our established Silicon Nitride (SiN) platform, creating a unified ecosystem for telecommunications, quantum computing, and sensing applications. A key focus is scaling thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) integration on 200mm wafers, enabling advanced electro-optic capabilities and a clear path from prototyping to volume manufacturing.

Read the full press release to learn more about this strategic collaboration.

September 2025

Mariam Aamer Benelfaquih Named to ThePhotonics100 2026

We are thrilled to announce that Mariam Aamer Benelfaquih, our PDK/PCM Team Lead, has been selected for ThePhotonics100 2026 by Electro Optics magazine. This recognition celebrates the most innovative minds in the global photonics industry.Mariam’s exceptional work developing silicon nitride photonic design kits has enhanced our platform’s accessibility and accelerated design workflows for partners across academia and industry. The entire LIGENTEC team congratulates Mariam on this well-deserved achievement, which exemplifies the innovation and excellence that defines our organization.

Learn more: View Mariam’s profile and the complete ThePhotonics100 2026 honoree list.

April 2025

EU Invests €15M to Help Companies Supercharge Their Products with Light

The European Commission has launched PhotonHub PHACTORY, a new €15 million initiative to help companies across Europe integrate cutting-edge light technologies into their products. This ‘one-stop-shop’ offers expert support, access to leading labs, and significant subsidies (up to 85%) to accelerate photonics innovation. Ligentec is proud to be a partner in this pan-European network, offering our expertise to help businesses, both emerging and established, explore the transformative potential of photonics for product development and growth.Ready to explore how photonics can elevate your products?

Read more about PhotonHub PHACTORY and Ligentec’s role here.

February 2025

LIGENTEC Awarded Scale-Up Vaud 2025 Label

We are excited to announce that LIGENTEC has been awarded the Scale-Up Vaud 2025 label by Innovaud. This recognition places us among 42 high-growth companies acknowledged for their innovation, rapid growth, and job creation in the Vaud region and beyond.

This milestone celebrates the dedication of our exceptional team, our consistent growth, and our commitment to advancing silicon nitride photonic integrated circuits (PICs)—a technology transforming industries from telecom and quantum computing to biosensing and LiDAR.

Read the article “42 companies are awarded the Scale-Up Vaud 2025 Label by Innovaud”

Discover more about ScaleUp Vaud

October 2024

Spotlight on Innovation: Gabriele Navickaite Selected for ThePhotonics100 2025

We are thrilled to share that Gabriele Navickaite, our Director of Process Engineering at LIGENTEC, has been selected as one of ThePhotonics100 for 2025!  This prestigious recognition reflects her dedication and expertise in advancing photonic innovation and highlights her significant contributions to the industry.

Congratulations, Gabriele! Your hard work and leadership continue to inspire us all.

Let’s continue to support and celebrate our talented team members!

Discover Gabriele Navickaite’s Vision for Photonics Integration

Access the Full List Now on the Electro Optics Website

September 2024

PRESS RELEASE

World’s first integrated value chain platform initiative for heterogeneous integration in photonics.

X-Celeprint, Ligentec, and X-FAB have united to launch the world’s premier integrated value chain platform for photonic integrated circuits (PICs) using micro-Transfer Printing (MTP).

This pioneering collaboration aims to simplify the intricate process of heterogeneous integration by providing a seamless pathway from research and development to mass production. With unparalleled expertise in Silicon Nitride PICs, MTP technology, and scaling up to volume production, the partnership will deliver customers a streamlined solution for creating high-performance hybrid PICs. This initiative not only promises groundbreaking innovation in photonics, but also sets the stage for the development of greener, more efficient technologies.

Read the full press release here

September 2024

PRESS RELEASE

Standardized low loss fiber array to PIC interface demonstrated with photonic Wire Bonds

Vanguard Automation GmbH and LIGENTEC SA have successfully demonstrated a groundbreaking low-loss coupling solution for photonic integrated circuits (PICs) by integrating Vanguard’s 3D-printed Photonic Wire Bonding (PWB) technology with LIGENTEC’s low-loss silicon nitride (SiN) platform.

This collaboration enables seamless connectivity between fiber arrays and SiN PICs, achieving a total insertion loss of less than 1.5 dB. Leveraging Vanguard’s innovative micro-lens technology and LIGENTEC’s high-quality PIC production, this advancement paves the way for more efficient and flexible photonic integration.

Read the full press release here

June 2024

PRESS RELEASE

LIGENTEC Celebrated at the 2024 CCI France Suisse Trophies for Cross-Border Innovation

LIGENTEC was honored at the 2024 CCI France Suisse Trophies at the Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne. The event recognized nine Swiss and French companies for their contributions to cross-border exchanges. Organized by the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie France Suisse (CCIFS), the 35th edition of the event attracted nearly 400 distinguished guests from the Franco-Swiss economic and political sectors, highlighting collaboration and innovation. LIGENTEC won the “Development from Switzerland to France” category, affirming its leadership in integrated photonics and strengthening bilateral ties.

Watch Ligentec’s presentation here

Read the full press release here

April 2024

PRESS RELEASE

Exciting news from the photonixFAB Consortium. As a longstanding member of this pioneering initiative, Ligentec is proud to announce the launch of the customer engagement portal.

This portal is your gateway to a world of innovation in silicon photonics. Discover Ligentec’s expertise in Silicon Nitride (SiN) prototyping and explore collaborations with us and other members of the consortium.

Visit the photonixFAB customer engagement portal

Read the full press release here

February 2024

PRESS RELEASE

LIGENTEC proudly celebrates the remarkable achievement of our co-founder, Tobias Jan Kippenberg, for his well-deserved election to the prestigious National Academy of Engineering

NAE members are among the nation’s most knowledgeable engineering experts and have distinguished themselves in business and academic management, in technical positions, as university faculty, and as leaders in government and private engineering organizations.

Click here & read the full press release

January 2024

PRESS RELEASE

“EU Smart Networks and Services Project 6G-EWOC advances the next generation of optically enhanced 6G communication systems”

abstract

“The multidisciplinary project 6G-EWOC, which kicks off this month, will develop 6G technology in support for autonomous driving. A plethora of well-orchestrated technologies, reaching from precise sensing and optical wireless communications to high-capacity fronthaul connectivity and efficient datacentre technology, will be empowered by photonic integrated circuit technology and artificial intelligence to enable this mission. The Horizon-Europe project will not only reduce size and cost of its constituent sensing, communication and processing technologies, but will also bring application-level performance improvements in the context of “connected” vehicles.”

Click here & read the full press release

January 2024

ARTICLE IN DISCOVER SWITZERLAND, GERMANY & AUSTRIA MAGAZINE

Click here & read the article

December 2023

VIDEO

LIGENTEC is a proud partner of Med-IPUT, a groundbreaking project revolutionising medical ultrasound imaging which strongly increases its quality with innovative highly sensitive integrated photonics ultrasound transducers (IPUTs).

This will mean for healthcare:
– Med-IPUT transducers are expected to be up to 100x more sensitive than current ultrasound sensors
– Enhanced resolution to a more reliable and earlier diagnostics
– Replacement of invasive procedures, increasing patient comfort
– Affordable and widely accessible photoacoustic imaging
– Self-monitoring from home with health patches improving quality of life and reducing healthcare costs.

Together with The European Institute for Biomedical Imaging Research (EIBIR), TNO, VTT and Vermon, we will build 2 innovative demonstrators A2D imaging transducer and a transducer for photoascoustic imaging applications.

Watch the video to know more!

December 2023

VIDEO

LIGENTEC is a proud partner of AmbrosIa project which main objective is to avoid 11 million deaths worldwide through Accurate Sepsis Detection.

Can photonics technology utilising light, help in on-time sepsis diagnosis? This is where AmbrosIa project steps in to combine breakthrough photonics technologies.

AmbrosIa will revolutionise the field of point-of-care sepsis diagnosis by deploying a fully functional, portable and autonomous diagnostic system, through:
1. Plasmo-photonic sensors
2. Diagnosis decision support system
3. Micro transfer printing technology
4. Portable point-of-care sepsis detection & diagnosis system

This project is coordinated by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) and brings together 12 leading companies and academic & research institutes from 8 different countries.

Watch the video to know more!

November 2023

PRESS RELEASE

“Europe’s largest integrated photonics companies call on the EU to support building a resilient supply chain for photonic ICs“

abstract

“Group of CEOs present the EU Commission with a €4.25 billion plan to support growth of industry which is critical to applications including high speed internet, data security, autonomous vehicles and quantum computing.”

Click here & read the full press release

October 2023

PHOTONICS100 includes Anton Stroganov

Anton Stroganov, Product Manager at LIGENTEC, has been included to 2024 The Photonics100 list of most innovative people, being recognised among those at the forefront of the photonics industry.

abstract

“I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to my incredible colleagues: this would not have been possible without your unwavering support, passion for exploration, and dedication to pushing the limits together. Look forward to the next milestones on our journey to advance SiN integrated photonics and foster its adoption!”

Click here & know more

October 2023

ANSYS CASE STUDY

LIGENTEC Leveraged Ansys Lumerical Photonic Inverse Design for a Compact Waveguide Crossing Design

abstract

“Ansys Lumerical simulation software met our criteria for accuracy, compatibility, user-friendliness, and support, and enabled us to design and optimize our photonic devices with confidence. The software made it easy to integrate fabrication process data for practical and realistic simulation results. Additionally, the software’s customizability allowed us to tailor complex designs to our specific needs while leveraging advanced optimization methods. The quality technical support and resources ensured we got the most out of the software.”

Click here & read the full case study

June 2023

PRESS RELEASE

“LIGENTEC as key partner in european, industrial silicon photonics pilot line initiative“

abstract

“LIGENTEC, the leading supplier of high-performance, low loss, silicon nitride Photonic Integrated Circuits is a key partner in the European initiative “photonixFAB” to prepare for an industrial silicon photonics value chain.”

Click here & read the full press release

January 2023

ARTICLE IN WILEY INDUSTRY NEWS

Click here & read the article

January 2023

LIGENTEC ARTICLE AT SWISSPHOTONICS MAGAZINE

Click here & read the article

December 2022

LIGENTEC is a partner of FEMTOCHIP. Femtosecond lasers have become an indispensable part of research. They can be used to study ultrafast processes in materials and molecules, and their potential for applications in fields as diverse as optical telecommunications, quantum technologies or optical spectroscopy is great. However, these lasers are traditionally relatively large and quite expensive. A consortium consisting of Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY in Germany, the University of Twente in the Netherlands, Aalto University in Finland, the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, the company LIGENTEC SA from Switzerland and EurA from Germany, has set out to provide the same functionality in a much smaller and less expensive way: on a microchip.

www.femtochip.eu

www.eura-ag.com

Video produced by EurA AG

Click here & watch the recording

September 2022

LIGENTEC TALK AT ECOC 2022

“Low-loss PICs: From fast prototyping to high volumes”

If you were not able to attend ECOC 202 Basel, watch here LIGENTEC talk about Low-loss PICs: From fast prototyping to high volumes.

Click here & watch the recording

May 2022

NEWS ARTICLE

“Les puces photoniques de LIGENTEC en passe d’alimenter l’industrie 4.0”

abstract

“LIGENTEC est un pionnier dans un domaine déjà à la pointe du progrès : les circuits intégrés photoniques. Les circuits intégrés sont les sources de courant des puces d’ordinateur : ils reposent traditionnellement sur des électrons – d’où le nom de “circuits électroniques” – mais les circuits photoniques fonctionnent avec des photons, qui sont considérés comme des particules de lumière. Cela présente un certain nombre d’avantages : les puces photoniques nécessitent beaucoup moins d’énergie que les puces électroniques et peuvent concentrer beaucoup plus de puissance de calcul sur une surface plus petite. Elles ouvrent la voie à une toute nouvelle génération de robots, de capteurs et d’ordinateurs quantiques de haute technologie.”

Click here & read the article

April 2022

PRESS RELEASE

“LIGENTEC opens R&D Centre in France“

abstract

“This centre allows us to perform research and development very close to our strategic partner and will increase our efficiency,” says LIGENTEC’s co-founder Michalis Zervas, President of the new entity. “Furthermore, we benefit from the ideal boundary conditions for innovation given by the European Union, the French Government, the Region and the great talent pool in the metropolitan Paris region.”

Click here & read the full press release

December 2021

PIC MAGAZINE ARTICLE

“Silicon Nitride offers flexibility to move from R&D to volume production.“

“Silicon nitride (SiN) now provides additional pathways to photonic integration including a new 200mm, high volume, automotive qualified CMOS production line. The material platform has gained maturity over the past years next to well-established silicon photonics and offers new opportunities in photonic integrated circuit (PIC) markets for applications that need very low propagation losses, visible wavelength or high laser power.”

Click here & read the full article

September 2021

PRESS RELEASE

“LIGENTEC and X-FAB collaboration creates Europe’s largest capacity foundry service for integrated photonic circuits“

abstract

“This partnership allows us to offer the benefits of our technology to high volume customers,” says LIGENTEC’s Director Thomas Hessler. “X-FAB’s advanced equipment and superior process control will enable us to serve the mass market with elevated performance PICs. Its multiple sites and capacity to deal with 100,000 new 200 mm wafer starts per month gives exceptional supply assurance and almost limitless scope for scaling. The proven track record X-FAB has in the automotive and medical sectors will open up new opportunities for LIGENTEC.”

Click here & read the full press release

May 2021

PRESS RELEASE

“LIGENTEC joins Swiss Quantum Hub“

abstract

“We are delighted to announce that LIGENTEC SA, leader in low loss Silicon Nitride Integrated Photonics, has become a member of the Swiss Quantum Hub (SQH). Swiss based LIGENTEC provides custom specific integrated photonics circuits for a wide range of applications such as LiDAR, Biosensing, Space and Quantum and is a spin-off from the EPFL Lausanne.”

Click here & read the full press release

March 2021

PRESS RELEASE

“Swiss technology enables cloud based Photonic Quantum Computer“

abstract

“Quantum computers promise to solve problems that are impossible to compute by today’s supercomputers. The race for the best quantum computing technology is underway, many technologies are complex and require cryogenic cooling. Photonics approaches have so far been considered impractical because of difficulties in generating the required quantum states, or the transformations of such states, on demand.

Canadian based Xanadu now reported in the Nature magazine a programmable, cloud accessible and scalable photonic circuit able to operate different types of quantum algorithms. Future applications are for example in the development of new drugs.”

Click here & read the full press release

October 2020

PRESS RELEASE

“Photonics Digital Innovation Hub secures €19 million to boost SME growth and ensure Europe’s global competitiveness“

abstract

“PhotonHub Europe – a new pan-European photonics digital innovation hub –has been awarded €19 million investment from the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme. PhotonHub Europe will help European SMEs and mid-caps become highly competitive digital businesses through faster and smarter deployment of photonics-based technologies, directly creating over 1.000 new high-tech EU jobs and nearly €1 billion in new revenues and venture capital by 2025.”

Click here & read the full press release

July 2020

PIC MAGAZINE ARTICLE

“LIGENTEC adds wide tuning rage heater modules to its product lineup”

“According to the company, LIGENTEC’s advanced heater module provides four times more thermo-optical tuning and improved stability for tunable ring resonators and Mach Zehnder Interferometers (MZI) than standard heaters developed in silicon nitride.

The newly available heater module is optimized for LIGENTEC’s all-nitride AN800 process with waveguides that offer low bending radii (< 0.005 dB for 10 turns of 50um radius), low coupling losses (< 1 dB/facet), low propagation losses (< 0.1 dB/cm) and high power handling (up to 10 W tested).”

Click here & read the full article here

LIGENTEC WEBINAR BY THE OPTICAL SOCIETY – OIDA

(Monday 29th JUNE 2020 at 18:00 GMT+2)

On Monday 29th June at 18:00 GMT+2, OIDA (The Optical Society) hosted LIGENTEC webinar about “New Opportunities With Low Loss Silicon Nitride Photonic Integrated Circuits”.

In this webinar we gave an introduction into Photonic Integrated Circuits and discuss different material platforms. We presented our novel SiN platform for PICs, it’s main functional building blocks and their performance, show effective ways for optical I/Os and a pathway to heterogeneous integration of active elements. Finally, we discussed application examples in LiDAR, Sensing, Communications, Quantum Computing and RF-optical links in Metrology.

Watch the recording here

LIGENTEC NEW WEBINAR

(Tuesday 26th May 2020 at 14:00 GMT+2)

Next LIGENTEC webinar has arrived! Save the date: on Tuesday 26th May at 14:00 GMT+2 our Application Engineer Anton Stroganov will present our new webinar:

“Linear Components and Applications of LIGENTEC Platform”.

Majority of photonics integrated circuits are based on just a few basic components (or building blocks). Though the performance that can be achieved using them relies on capabilities and intrinsic properties of the platform of choice. Learn about the benefits a thick nitride platform can bring to your PIC solution! The webinar will cover the basic building blocks, main principles and examples of applications.

This new webinar will be presented by Anton Stroganov, who holds the position of LIGENTEC Application Engineer. With a background in applied physics and photonics, he has extensive experience with all aspects of LIGENTEC platform – design, layout, fabrication, characterisation and take to market.

Subscribe to webinar here

March 2020

LIGENTEC NEW WEBINAR

March 2020

PRESS RELEASE

abstract

“NEBULA is a new ambitious EU-HORIZON2020 R&D project that was launched on 1st of January 2020, with the goal to provide the foundations for a common future-proof transceiver technology platform with ultra-high bandwidth capabilities offered by a CMOS compatible toolkit and tailored towards meeting performance, cost and energy metrics in both inter-DCI coherent and intra-DCI ASIC co-packaged optics. NEBULA is funded under the ICT-05-2019: Application driven Photonic components call and is coordinated by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece.”

Click and read the full press release here

October 2019

PIC MAGAZINE ARTICLE

“LIGENTEC grows portfolio and expands board to spur growth”

“As explained by company co-founder Dr. Michael Geiselmann, LIGENTEC has commercialized its allnitride-core technology, enabling the development of products that support Industry 4.0 and other wide-ranging applications. Photonic integration is the process of downsizing optical components typically utilizing processes and techniques that have enabled microelectronic devices such as CMOS ICs to reduce their size while increasing performance. The emergence of photonic integration techniques is built around the idea of using photons instead of electrons as the basis for future advances in datacom, telecom and new photonic computing technologies. A miniaturized footprint can make optical operations much more power efficient and cost effective to manufacture.”

Click here & read the full article here

October 11th 2019

LIGENTEC FREE WEBINAR

September 2019

September 2019

PRESS RELEASE

abstract

“LIGENTEC’s advanced heater module provides increased thermo-optical tuning and improved stability for tunable ring resonators and Mach Zehnder Interferometer (MZI). The newly available heater module is optimized for LIGENTEC’s all-nitride AN800 process with waveguides that offer low bending radii (< 0.005 dB for 10 turns of 50um radius), low coupling losses (< 1 dB/facet), low propagation losses (< 0.1 dB/cm) and high power handling (up to 10 W tested).”

Click and read the full press release here

September 2019

TOP 100

We were selected by Venture lab among the TOP100 Swiss most promising companies one more year!

May 2019

PRESS RELEASE

abstract

“Dr. Thomas Hessler brings over 20 years of experience in executive management in the high-tech B2B environment, namely photonics and sensor. After obtaining his PhD in applied optics, he started a corporate venture, leading to Axetris AG, and developed the company to a market leader for micro-optics, optical gas sensing components and specialty MEMS foundry services with applications in the automotive, medical, analytical and industrial space.”

Click and read the full press release here

May 2019

TOP 100 votation

CLICK & VOTE FOR LIGENTEC so we can qualify amongst the 100 most Swiss Innovative Companies!

March 2019

PRESS RELEASE

abstract

“Designers that use LIGENTEC AN technology will now benefit from a workflow that starts from a graphical photonic integrated circuit design and system simulation environment, which seamlessly couples to layout design tools for scripted layout design and DRC capabilities. The new workflow is based on LIGENTEC and VLC Photonics verified reference designs with the simulation software by VPI Photonics using verified measurements of fabricated chips.”

Click and read the full press release here

January 2019

FORBES ARTICLE

We are glad that FORBES magazine said so!

“The fourth industrial revolution is underway, with LIGENTEC”

abstract

” How is silicon nitride a breakthrough for integrated circuits manufacturers? Dr. Michael Zervas enlightens us: “This material allows us to create chips of unprecedented thickness. When we use photons, which mean light, loss of propagation is 10 times less important with silicon nitride than with other materials. We can then miniaturize a lot of optical components and integrate them on a chip of the size of a fingertip, which is 5 times smaller than stantard integrated circuits.” This highly innovative work, provided by a team of 12 people today, has been recognized by its peers, winning this year’s Photonic Integrated Circuits Platform award at the PIC International Conference. This award recognizes advances in the development and application of key material systems driving today’s photonic integrated circuits and providing a stepping stone to future devices.”

Click and read the full article here

December 2018

PIC MAGAZINE COVER

“Award winning PIC innovation from LIGENTEC”

abstract

” As Geiselmann explained, the laboratory was developing integrated platforms with high quality resonators for nonlinear photonic applications including frequency comb generation prior to LIGENTEC’s formation. Geiselmann said these platforms started to attract a lot of interest for use in a variety of applications, so the co-founders decided to investigate the possibility of scaling up the process to make it commercially viable and offer it to researchers and the wider commercial photonics industry. He added that making the leap from lab to fab was made possible thanks to substantial commitment from Dr. Michael Zervas, another LIGENTEC cofounder, who brought his experience from Oerlikon, IBM and Intel to the Swiss startup. These abilities proved crucial in addressing commercial requirements and grappling with the many requirements new companies have to meet once they begin offering products and process solutions to commercial enterprises”

Click and read the full article here