MILADO will provide a robust and universal technology platform for the low-cost and large-volume fabrication of mid-infrared (MIR) lasers, enabling novel sensors in medicine and production. The key innovation is the technology upscale of the epitaxy of Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCLs) on large-area substrates and the development of concepts for direct III-V epitaxy on silicon.
By merging III-V and Si-photonics through the integration of QCLs and Si-based MIR photonics using CMOS-based technology, the well-established but very costly III/V technology-based manufacturing of QCL light sources for spectroscopic applications will be replaced by a cost-effective and scalable manufacturing technology on CEA’s CMOS Pilot Line, bringing MIR technology out of its niche.
Another building block of MILADO towards a general platform that can be extended for further integration of sensors and actuators in MEMS technology is the creation of MIR-PICs made from Ge/SiGe structures for the definition of waveguides, combiners, and other passive devices required to handle the optical connection of QCLs.
MILADO’s technology will open up new markets by enabling novel sensors for personal medical diagnostics and edge-sensors in chemical production. The versatility of the approach will be demonstrated in use cases covering process control and medical diagnostics, ranging from the hospital to the patient, including waste anaesthetic gas detection, histopathology, and biomarker monitoring.