Replies to post #231392 on Lightwave Logic Inc (LWLG)

[ysung]

Wow wow super post !!!!
Fairly easy to understand !!!!
I saw video that light wave gross margin could exceed 60% as per new business model !!!!

[prototype_101]

Walter quoted, Design Tools (PDKs): He referred to Luceda Photonics, a company providing design tools for photonics chips (whose CEO is based in Belgium). By giving partners access to polymer technology via PDKs (Process Design Kits), many more designers can work with it. Yves views this as a multiplier for their technical sales capacity.

Luceda Photonics supports over 20 foundry partners globally. Their platform, IPKISS, is one of the most widely integrated design environments in the photonic integrated circuit (PIC) industry, covering a broad spectrum of material platforms including Silicon (SOI), Silicon Nitride (SiN), Indium Phosphide (InP), and Lithium Niobate (LiNbO3).

Below is the most complete and current list of foundries that offer Luceda PDKs, categorized by material platform:

1. Silicon Photonics (SOI) Foundries
These foundries represent the high-volume standard for data centers and AI interconnects.

SilTerra (Malaysia): Recently announced as a primary partner for Lightwave Logic (LWLG) polymer integration on 200mm wafers.

Advanced Micro Foundry (AMF, Singapore): A high-performance specialty foundry (now part of GlobalFoundries).

GlobalFoundries (USA/Europe): Supports the GF Fotonix™ 300mm platform.

Tower Semiconductor (Israel/USA): Major high-volume 200mm partner.

CompoundTek (Singapore): A pure-play silicon photonics foundry.

IMEC (Belgium): The iSiPP platform, often used for pilot lines and advanced R&D.

AIM Photonics (USA): The primary US-based open-access foundry.

VTT (Finland): Specialized in thick-SOI (3-micron) platforms.

CEA-Leti (France): High-end R&D and pilot production.

Cornerstone (UK): Rapid prototyping for academic and industrial researchers.

SiEPICfab (Canada): A specialized silicon photonics fabrication cluster.

2. Silicon Nitride (SiN) Foundries
SiN is favored for its transparency and low loss, often used in sensing and quantum applications.

LIGENTEC (Switzerland): Known for low-loss thick SiN (all-nitride) processes.

LioniX International (Netherlands): Leaders in the TriPleX™ waveguide technology.

X-FAB (Germany): A major industrial partner for SiN and heterogenous integration.

Solinide Photonics (Sweden): A new 2026 partner specializing in dispersion-engineered SiN for frequency combs.

3. Indium Phosphide (InP) & Other Platforms
InP is essential for active components like lasers and amplifiers.

SMART Photonics (Netherlands): A leading pure-play InP foundry.

Fraunhofer HHI (Germany): A world-class R&D foundry for InP and polymer photonics.

Infinera (USA): Provides high-end optical engine fabrication.

NanoLN / GPIC (China): Specialized in Thin-Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN).

4. Assembly & Testing Partners (ADKs)
Luceda also provides Assembly Design Kits (ADKs) to ensure the chips can be packaged:

PHIX Photonics Assembly (Netherlands)

Tyndall National Institute (Ireland)

Why this list matters for LWLG
Since Luceda acts as the common language between these foundries, Lightwave Logic's development of a PDK for SilTerra makes their technology significantly more mobile. If LWLG needs to scale to massive 300mm volumes, having their designs already scripted in Luceda's IPKISS environment makes porting to a high-volume giant like GlobalFoundries much faster than it would be on a proprietary foundry platform.

[MarcoPolo4]

An excellent summary on many of the past and present issues affecting the possibility of LWLG polymers being taken up by the industry. The work our management team has done to move this forward is made very clear by your post.

In reading this I could not help to think of the old saying " Don't bite the hand that feeds you". I remember the disappointment that we all had that there were no foundry partnerships other than AMF announced. This despite Michael Lebby describing over 4 years ago, many were engaging and he was predicting several foundries (I believe it was up to 5) would develop PDKs in a reasonable time frame. It did not happen and LWLG was dying on the vine. The big PIC makers were not going to feed LWLG if they were going to compete with them. Michael Lebby did not budge and he clearly forgot the warning not to bite the hand that feeds you.

The change in management was a blessing as it took the absolute practical approach, and as you said, Yves communicated with customers and was told building LWLG PICs was seen as a clear competitive position and they would not use polymers to elevate a competitor's position. Without customer support, the big foundries were likely not willing to develop Lightwave PDKs and if they did, it could lead to customers using another foundry for future business. Michael Lebby did not understand "Don't bite that hand that feeds you" but Yves and the big foundries certainly did and Yves put LWLG into a position as a good and capital healthy partner as a material and IP supplier, leaving companies operating in the optical chip design and build business to find the best designs to beat their known competitors. Being neutral in a competitive market has worked wonders for Switzerland and it will work very well for our small company. Getting a huge foundry onboard is a clear message there are willing customers waiting for results.

By the way, Walter's Post should be a sticky.