Meet imec fellow Joris Van Campenhout

An early highlight to start a remarkable career in silicon photonics

Joris has been with imec for over 14 years. His career spans over two decades and includes plenty of highlights in silicon photonics, starting in 2002 when he engaged in a PhD program to build the first InP microlaser on silicon photonics. When asked about his very first highlight however, Joris mentioned his master’s thesis at Ghent University, where he designed the very first silicon photonics wafer that was processed in imec’s 200mm pilot line. “It was particularly interesting and joyful to witness the first light propagating through these silicon waveguides.”

Since then, silicon photonics has made tremendous progress. “Today, silicon photonics is considered a key technology for further scaling of optical interconnects and many other emerging applications. I’d say imec has created a formidable reputation in this field and it’s been a real privilege and honor for me to be part of this journey.”

Team effort as the key to success

Throughout his career, Joris has collaborated on many breakthrough projects and research. These collaborations have significantly impacted his view as to how innovation is driven further every year. “The opinion I share with many others is that R&D is increasingly a team effort, so I’m very passionate about teams coming together and jointly tackling complex problems and coming out with best-in-class solutions.”

Aspirations for imec going forward

Joris considers this team effort to be a key factor in overcoming challenges and identifying opportunities for imec going forward. “Imec has a growing set of opportunities across different application domains and several types of technologies, but of course the challenge is to pick those opportunities and technologies that will have the best potential to further grow the impact of imec. I think being selective about the type of projects is a key challenge. The solution to find the best answers is to have a cross connection between different teams, groups, and expertise under the imec roof to jointly find the best answers.”

A message to junior researchers

With plenty of experience in his field of research, Joris has some valuable advice for the bright minds next in line. “I’d say challenge yourself, make sure you deepen your stance on the physics, challenges, and solutions of the projects you’re involved in. Feed yourself with all the expertise that’s available across imec.” He further stipulates the importance of making the most of given opportunities at imec. “It’s a unique situation to find yourself in, so make true use of it.”