Results demonstrate versatility of Tower’s PH18 platform to support silicon organic hybrid modulators for next-generation photonic integrated circuits 

LOS ANGELES — March 16, 2026 — NLM Photonics has completed initial processing of silicon organic hybrid (SOH) modulators from a multi-project wafer (MPW) run on Tower Semiconductor’s PH18M silicon photonics platform. NLM developed and performed the oxide open etch required for the deposition of its patented Selerion™-HTX organic electro-optic (OEO) material, encapsulation, poling, and crosslinking. The results prove the compatibility of Tower’s PH18 process with NLM’s patented SOH modulator technology and will help define the Process Development Kit (PDK) for later this year. 

“We are encouraged by NLM’s promising results,” said Dr. Ed Preisler, Vice President and General Manager of RF Business Unit, Tower Semiconductor. “Our collaboration with NLM Photonics further validates the strength and versatility of our high-volume silicon photonics platform, demonstrating its ability to incorporate NLM’s SOH modulator technology for our customers to use in next-generation photonic integrated circuits.” 

“Silicon photonic foundries are looking for a path to higher bandwidths, and SOH is a technology gaining interest as a ‘fab-friendly’ approach,” said Brad Booth, CEO, NLM Photonics. “The modulators are showing good initial performance, and as we refine the processing to achieve optimal results, we see a clear roadmap to 400G per lane on Tower’s PH18 platform.” 

About NLM Photonics  

NLM Photonics is architecting the future of photonic communications. Enabled by NLM’s Selerion™ family of organic electro-optic material and leveraging standard silicon photonic manufacturing, NLM has created a blueprint for building energy-efficient, high-bandwidth photonic interconnects for data centers, AI infrastructure, and quantum networking. For more information, visit nlmphotonics.com or follow us on LinkedIn at nlm-photonics. 

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