SABIC to showcase recently launched EXTEM RH1016UCL resin and ULTEM 3310TD resin at OFC 2023 trade show in San Diego, March 7-9

At the conference, SABIC will spotlight its recently launched EXTEM RH1016UCL resin, a thermoplastic polyimide material well suited for injection molding lenses used in co-packaged optical transceivers, and ULTEM 3310TD resin, a polyetherimide material with very low thermal expansion, targeting lenses for single mode optical transceivers. Visitors will be able to view various parts that have been micro-molded using these resins, such as aspherical test lenses and a mountable lens array with multi-fiber push-on (MPO) connector pins. 

To address evolving industry requirements, SABIC representatives will discuss plans for upcoming materials with even higher near-IR transparency than existing grades. These new solutions can help enable the use of advanced assembly processes to boost productivity and reduce costs.  

High-heat EXTEM RH1016UCL resin, a 2023 Edison Award finalist in the Next Generation Manufacturing category, can withstand the 260°C peak temperature of printed circuit board (PCB) reflow soldering while maintaining the dimensional stability required of complex, miniaturized lenses and arrays. It can help customers transition to co-packaged optics that help reduce power requirements and costs by relocating the optics much closer to the main switching application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). ULTEM 3310TD resin features a very low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), which can play a key role in maximizing the dimensional stability of collimator lenses and pinpointing alignment with single-mode fibers.

The opto-electronics industry may benefit significantly from EXTEM and ULTEM materials, which expand design freedom; offer new opportunities for part integration; and support efficient molding of parts at large build numbers. To realize the full potential of these materials in customer applications, SABIC’s Optical Center of Excellence in the Netherlands offers advanced support in thermoplastic processing and component design. Also, the company has developed a brochure featuring EXTEM and ULTEM resins for potential use in optical interconnects and lenses, and a new video describing the potential benefits EXTEM resin can bring to co-packaged optical connectors. 

OFC 2023 will take place March 7-9 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, Calif., USA.