Silicon photonics technology is the core driving force behind the optical communication revolution. How do the inspection requirements for silicon photonics wafers differ from those of ordinary silicon lenses? This article analyses the inspection challenges brought by the silicon photonics wave.
I. Why Is Silicon Photonics Booming?
Silicon Photonics (SiPh) integrates photonic devices onto silicon chips and is the core technology route for 800G / 1.6T / 3.2T optical transceivers. Compared to traditional III‑V compound semiconductor lasers, silicon photonics offers three major advantages: smaller footprint, lower power consumption, and compatibility with CMOS manufacturing processes.
In 2026, driven by surging AI computing power demand, silicon photonics has become the key technology enabling ultra‑high‑speed optical interconnects, with global silicon photonics wafer production capacity expanding rapidly.
II. The Inspection Challenges of Silicon Photonics Wafers
The microlens arrays on silicon photonics wafers differ significantly from traditional silicon lenses in both form and manufacturing process, presenting entirely new challenges on the inspection side:
III. Three Fundamental Changes in Inspection Requirements
The scale‑up of silicon photonics wafer mass production has driven an upgrade in inspection requirements, manifesting in three key dimensions:
Change 1: Large batch volumes → wafer‑level full inspection becomes a necessity
With the expansion of silicon photonics wafer production capacity, batch inspection has become standard practice. Traditional sampling inspection can no longer meet reliability requirements – wafer‑level full inspection must keep pace with production line takt time.
Change 2: Higher accuracy requirements → sub‑nanometre accuracy becomes the threshold
The surface form error of microlenses on silicon photonics wafers directly impacts coupling efficiency. Inspection equipment must achieve sub‑nanometre vertical resolution – 0.5 nm‑level resolution is no longer "optional" but "standard."
Change 3: Data traceability → MES integration is a mandatory requirement
Every single microlens on a silicon photonics wafer requires a complete quality record. Inspection data must be uploaded to the MES system in real time, forming a traceable quality data chain – not remaining locally on the equipment.
The common thread across these three changes is: inspection equipment must simultaneously meet the bar on both "accuracy" and "speed" – neither can be compromised. Insufficient accuracy means failing to measure coupling efficiency correctly; insufficient speed means failing to keep up with capacity expansion.
IV. The Upgrade Path for Inspection Solutions
Facing the new inspection requirements of silicon photonics wafers, traditional solutions face clear limitations:
Shortcomings of traditional white‑light interferometry scanning solutions:
Inspection time of seconds to tens of seconds per lens – unable to support wafer‑level batch full inspection
Point‑by‑point scanning efficiency decreases further when covering large‑area wafers
Data export relies on manual operation; MES integration processes are cumbersome
Solutions optimised for silicon photonics wafers (e.g., MCZX Qiuhao R Series):
Laser interferometry full‑field single‑exposure imaging – ~1 second per lens, matching production line takt time
Supports 4‑inch to 12‑inch wafer specifications, accommodating different size requirements
0.5 nm vertical resolution, covering accuracy requirements of λ/50 and above
Inspection data automatically uploaded to MES, supporting complete quality traceability
V. Conclusion
The surge in silicon photonics wafers is not simply about "inspecting more lenses" – it represents a fundamental shift in inspection requirements from "accuracy‑first" to a trinity of "accuracy + speed + data."
The upgrade of traditional inspection solutions is, at its core, a transition in technical route from "point‑by‑point scanning" to "full‑field imaging." The MCZX Qiuhao R Series (laser interferometric 3D profilometer / laser interferometric 3D topography measurement instrument), with its 0.5 nm vertical resolution + ~1‑second per lens inspection speed + automatic MES data upload capability, provides a practically viable solution for silicon photonics wafer mass‑production full inspection.
As silicon photonics wafer production capacity continues to expand, inspection capability becomes the ceiling on production capacity. Those who complete the inspection solution upgrade first will secure their ticket to compete in quality control in the silicon photonics era.
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