SkyWater Technology Introduces OnRamp Foundry Program and Details SP90 200 mm Silicon Nitride Quantum Photonics Platform

SkyWater Technology has launched OnRamp, an open-access foundry commercialization initiative aimed at transitioning early-stage quantum hardware startups from academic laboratory prototypes into commercial fabrication. Operating through SkyWater Quantum Solutions, the program provides direct engineering engagements to evaluate device stacks and define foundry-validated manufacturing roadmaps on 200 mm production lines without requiring founders to surrender underlying intellectual property. Alongside the initiative, the foundry disclosed initial characterization data for its SP90 silicon nitride (SiN) platform, targeting hardware modalities across computing, sensing, and communications.

SP90 Silicon Nitride Waveguide Backbone and Heterogeneous Architecture

The core waveguiding infrastructure operates across a wide optical spectrum spanning 400 nm to over 2000 nm, bypassing the infrared-only operational limits typical of standard datacom silicon photonics. The foundational passive layer incorporates variable SiN thicknesses and multi-layer routing topologies to minimize optical propagation loss from visible to near-infrared regimes. Initial wafer-scale mapping across 45 measured die locations per wafer characterized loss profiles at 493 nm, 650 nm, and 1762 nm, supported by a 25-wafer physical vapor deposition (PVD) film uniformity study. To accommodate disparate quantum hardware platforms, the foundry interfaces this passive backbone with modular active layers, single-photon detectors, and optical interconnect packaging.