SPARC Foundry provides full‑stack III‑V semiconductor manufacturing for photonic integrated circuits and discrete optoelectronic devices in Europe. Its 1,600 m² clean‑room offers epitaxial growth of GaAs, InP and GaN, 193 nm immersion lithography, multi‑project wafer prototyping, wafer‑level packaging and automated test, enabling telecom, data‑center, automotive lidar, quantum and defense customers to prototype and scale production locally.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
The European photonics ecosystem lacks a domestic, high‑volume source of III‑V semiconductor wafers, forcing designers to rely on overseas fabs with long lead times and limited capacity. This bottleneck slows development of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and discrete optoelectronic components for telecom, automotive, quantum, and defense applications.
Solution
SPARC Foundry operates a purpose‑built, 1,600 m² clean‑room facility in Vigo that delivers full‑stack III‑V semiconductor manufacturing for photonic integrated circuits and discrete devices. By offering both dedicated runs and multi‑project wafer (MPW) services, the foundry enables customers to prototype and scale production without the typical wait times of non‑European suppliers. The platform supports epitaxial growth of GaAs, InP, and GaN layers, advanced lithography, and high‑precision etching, followed by reliable packaging and test. Integrated R&D capabilities allow rapid design‑for‑manufacturing (DFM) feedback, shortening time‑to‑market and strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy in photonics.
Target Audience
Primary customers are photonic IC designers and system manufacturers in telecommunications, data‑center optics, automotive lidar, quantum computing, aerospace, defense, and biomedical device sectors seeking European‑based wafer fabrication and packaging services.
Features
- 1,600 m² state‑of‑the‑art clean‑room with up to 20,000 III‑V wafers per year capacity
- MOCVD and MBE epitaxial reactors for GaAs, InP, and GaN material systems covering UV to mid‑IR wavelengths
- 193 nm immersion lithography and electron‑beam patterning for sub‑micron photonic feature definition
- Multi‑project wafer (MPW) service enabling low‑volume prototyping and shared mask costs
- Advanced wafer‑level packaging (flip‑chip, wafer‑on‑wafer bonding) and automated test for high‑frequency and high‑power devices
- Integrated design‑for‑manufacturing (DFM) loop with CAD‑to‑fab support and rapid design iteration
- Secure data handling and traceability compliant with ISO 27001 and EU data‑privacy standards
- Direct access to European R&D programs (e.g., GIGaNTE, CIRCULARPHOTONICS, PROMISE) for co‑development opportunities