Integration of High-Density Polymer Waveguides With Silicon Photonics for CPO (imec, Ghent)


A technical paper titled "Low-Loss Integration of High-Density Polymer Waveguides with Silicon Photonics for Co-Packaged Optics" was published by researchers at imec and Ghent University. Abstract "Co-Packaged Optics applications require scalable and high-yield optical interfacing solutions to silicon photonic chiplets, offering low-loss, broadband, and polarization-independent optical coup... » read more

On The Ground At ECTC 2025


Senior Executive Editor Laura Peters examines the the hot topics at last week's IEEE's Electronic Components and Technology Conference, including the impact of hardware-software integration on power consumption, co-packaged optics, hybrid bonding, and fan-out panel-level packaging. https://youtu.be/yBDKqrPQBl4   » read more

Co-Packaged Optics Reaches Power Efficiency Tipping Point


Commercialization has started for network switches based on co-packaged optics (CPO), which are capable of routing signals at terabits per second speeds, but manufacturing challenges remain regarding fiber-to-photonic IC alignment, thermal mitigation, and optical testing strategies. By moving the optical-to-electronic data conversion as close as possible to the GPU/ASIC switch in data center... » read more

Optimizing Data Movement


Demand for new and better AI models is creating an insatiable demand for more processing power and much better data throughput, but it's also creating a slew of new challenges for which there are not always good solutions. The key here is figuring out where bottlenecks might crop up in complex chips and advanced packages. This involves a clear understanding of how much bandwidth is required ... » read more

Three-Way Race To 3D-ICs


Intel Foundry, TSMC, and Samsung Foundry are scrambling to deliver all the foundational components of full 3D-ICs, which collectively will deliver orders of magnitude improvements in performance with minimal power sometime within the next few years. Much attention has been focused on process node advances, but a successful 3D-IC implementation is much more complex and comprehensive than just... » read more

Silicon Photonics Raises New Test Challenges


Semiconductor devices continuously experience advancements leading to technology and innovation leaps, such as we see today for applications in AI high-performance computing for data centers, edge AI devices, electric vehicles, autonomous driving, mobile phones, and others. Recent technology innovations include Angstrom-scale semiconductor processing nodes, high-bandwidth memory, advanced 2.5D/... » read more

Advanced Packaging Evolution: Chiplet And Silicon Photonics-CPO


As we enter the AI era, the demand for enhanced connectivity in cloud services and AI computing continues to surge. With Moore’s Law slowing down, the increasing data rate requirements are surpassing the advancements of any single semiconductor technology. This shift underscores the importance of heterogeneous integration (HI) as a crucial solution for alleviating bandwidth bottlenecks. Tod... » read more

Why HPC Chip Designers Are Looking Into Linear Pluggable Optics


This paper delves into the technical complexities and emerging trends in integrating linear pluggable optics within AI chip design. The rapid growth of hyperscale data centers, driven by the demands of LLMs and transformative AI applications, requires innovative solutions optimized for power, latency, and bandwidth. Emerging industry standards are ensuring interoperability between independently... » read more

Co-Packaged Optics To Train/Run GenAI Models in Data Centers (IBM)


A new technical paper titled "Next generation Co-Packaged Optics Technology to Train & Run Generative AI Models in Data Centers and Other Computing Applications" was published by researchers at IBM. Abstract "We report on the successful design and fabrication of optical modules using a 50 micron pitch polymer waveguide interface, integrated for low loss, high density optical data transf... » read more

Next-Gen High-Speed Communication In Data Centers


Data centers are being flooded with data. While more of it needs to be processed locally, much of it also needs to be moved around within a system and between systems. This has put a spotlight on a variety of new optical technologies and methodologies. Yang Zhang, senior product marketing manager at Cadence, talks about the rapid increase in different types of optics and optical scenarios being... » read more

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