Phononic Inc. - Experts & Thought Leaders

All About Circuits is one of the world’s largest and most active independent online communities for electrical engineers. Ingrid Fadelli, All About Circuits contributor, recently interviewed Simon Floyd, industry Director of manufacturing and transportation at Google Cloud, and Jason Ruppert, COO at Phononic, who explained how machine learning is revolutionizing semiconductor factory floors. Two months ago, Phononic implemented Google Cloud’s new cloud-based tool for machine learning. Google Cloud’s Industry 4.0 solution for manufacturing operations is set to make long-term improvements in semiconductor production and supply chains. Factory floor equipment Phononic’s key partnership with Google Cloud is poised to improve productivity, yield, and ROI in semiconductor fabs. Google Cloud’s newest cloud-based tool was designed to connect factory floor equipment to the cloud and provide monitoring, analytics, and AI/ML insights. Our goal here is to allow people to connect their products and their factory so they can have a single view" Among the many tools possible through Google Cloud’s new solution, some of the most notable include predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, and vision capabilities. “Our goal here is to allow people to connect their products and their factory so they can have a single view—a single pane of glass end to end—from how something is manufactured to how it operates in the field, and be able to learn from that,” Floyd said. Hybrid cloud solution On a lower level, the tool is entirely software-based (i.e., Google Cloud doesn’t provide any hardware), and consists of two major components. The first component, Manufacturing Connect, physically connects factory equipment to the cloud. To make the solution as interoperable as possible, Google Cloud teamed up with Litmus Automation to equip Manufacturing Connect with 250 different types of machine drivers for connection. The other solution is called Manufacturing Data Engine, the cloud component that performs all the data storage, processing, and analytics. This solution can be deployed as a hybrid cloud solution, where users can select which components to run on the cloud and which to run locally, adding flexibility and customization to the mix. Thermal electric technology To be a hybrid cloud, some components run directly on hardware so they can be installed in the factory" “To be a hybrid cloud, some components run directly on hardware so they can be installed in the factory. Then, other components go to the cloud,” Floyd explained. “The way we balance that is the difference between the scale of data processing and the speed of data acquisition. From here we can make the decision as to where something should run or operate.” So far, this tool has been used by a select group of companies, including Phononic, a manufacturer of thermal electric technology. Phononic has put Manufacturing Connect and Manufacturing Data Engine to work on its factory floor for two months. “There are a lot of complex processes that we want to be able to see in real-time,” Ruppert said. “For something like a wet etch or a plating process, there are variables like PH balances in assembly. There are pressures on machinery. Whatever the case may be, we want to be able to see those processes in real-time.” Providing predictive maintenance With the new tools from Google Cloud, Ruppert said Phononic has turned monitoring and analysis into insights. For example, the solution can provide predictive maintenance, allowing Phononic to shut down and repair a machine before it becomes damaged beyond repair. There is a significant ROI with just looking at this one part of our fab" Speaking about the benefits that Phononic has actualized through Google Cloud’s solution, Ruppert noted, “There is a significant ROI with just looking at this one part of our fab. Beyond that, we have a clear line of sight that our yield and throughput in this one particular area are going to improve dramatically.” Damaged beyond repair “The worst job in a factory is where you’re the substitute for a machine. You have to do monotonous things by hand, and it’s kind of degrading to the human race in a way,” Floyd added. “We’d like to give [operators] better instructions for how to perform a function, so that they’re adding their own value in the right way. We want them to be the human in the loop. When it comes down to a machine not quite understanding whether something is good, bad, or indifferent, a person can help the AI be trained using that human knowledge.”

Alex Guichard, the Vice President of Product Marketing at Phononic, was recently interviewed by Laser Focus World to discuss Phononic’s thermoelectric cooling technology for LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). This remote sensing method uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges, acting as ‘the eyes’ for autonomous vehicles. The automotive LiDAR industry is a very crowded market with numerous startups jockeying for top position. Phononic’s LiDAR TECs This is an exciting prospect for Phononic, with their cool LiDAR TECs providing unmatched safety and reliability for autonomous vehicles. If LiDAR continues to improve with scale, as many anticipate, it represents an enabling technology capable of changing business models for OEMs and changing how cars are made available to the market. Sensing an opportunity The decade-old Durham, North Carolina-based manufacturer, Phononic is excited about the potential The decade-old Durham, North Carolina-based manufacturer, Phononic is excited about the potential. Working with fiber-optic communications helped Phononic establish a niche, enabling high-end, high-data-rate, high-reach fiber-optic components, with precision-controlled temperature management, to lasers and detectors within the transceivers. Automotive LiDAR has a very similar need. After all, when lasers are pulsing at high frequencies, they need to be very high power and possess well-controlled wavelengths, while also operating over a broad temperature range. LiDAR sensors LiDAR sensors also need to exhibit very long range, with a quick refresh or frame rate, with the ability to provide a high-resolution 3D image of its field of view. “It is a lot to ask from one sensor coupled with the need to work in rain or shine, and across a broad temperature range, all without being flooded by sunlight or interference from other LiDAR systems that will likely be on the road,” said Phononic’s Alex Guichard, adding “It also has to be incredibly reliable, since it’s a safety-critical system.” Wide deployment of LiDAR technology As LiDAR finds its footing and possibly captures market share, the successful approach could presumably take two very different directions. Alex Guichard said, “The first being the low-cost, low-range, low-performance systems, which depend on flash LiDAR using pixels. They’re trying to take that low-cost approach today, with the goal of bringing the performance high enough to deliver needed levels of autonomy.” Alternatively, there are systems on the market currently that are already offering high performance, including the ability to achieve the specs and requirements for high levels of autonomy. Of course, this approach currently has a much higher price tag. “Yet, the thinking is, with more players focused on further innovation, the possibility exists to drive costs out of the already capable systems, while also maintaining the existing performance the advantage,” stated Alex Guichard. Investments in high-performance approaches But, notable investments in high-performance approaches are gaining steam Without a crystal ball, it’s impossible to tell which school of thought will win, or if it will be another technology altogether that automakers ultimately adopt. But, notable investments in high-performance approaches are gaining steam. All this activity is good news for Phononic. After all, a predictable, precise, and consistent temperature is crucial, no matter what is happening within the operating environment. Solving the challenge Reliability is obviously a huge requirement and big concern, considering the temperature ranges sensors need to be, in order to be able to not just survive, but operate for an extended period. Alex Guichard adds, “They operate past the boiling temperature of water—and compound semiconductor components like lasers and detectors don’t love that sort of environment.” Local thermal environment regulator Phononic’s primary technology offering acts as a local thermal environment regulator for the compound semiconductor component, addressing reliability since the laser itself is not exposed to such dramatic temperature swings.  When combining long range, wide field of view, high refresh rate, and high resolution, a signal-to-noise problem exists. “The four qualities are fundamentally at odds. If you try to improve one, you’re probably going to squeeze another,” said Alex Guichard, adding “Active cooling could improve detector sensitivity, as well as the stability and steady-state power output of the laser.” Overarching issues For instance, lasers and automotive LiDAR sensors require much higher power" Constant learning - At this point, no one knows the requirements. Alex Guichard stated, “We know the operation is very similar to fiber-optic communications, but we are focused on understanding the differences.” He adds, “For instance, lasers and automotive LiDAR sensors require much higher power and the operating temperature ranges are more extreme. We’re starting to understand how much more of an extreme environment it is and how it impacts our devices. We need to figure out how much further we can push our offering.” Expecting the unknowns What will the adoption rate look like? What’s the anticipated design cycle? As ABI suggests, market uptake isn’t going to reach kind of critical mass for at least another five years - making any investment a long-term play. Alex Guichard concludes, “Some sort of LiDAR sensing, some sort of very detailed, high-resolution 3D Point Cloud technology is necessary. And, we believe to achieve the requirements for such high levels of autonomy, you actually need a cool LiDAR.”