AI Connectivity Breakthrough: New US Platform Targets Faster Optical Chip Development
Published: August 12, 11:00
Image caption: This development is expected to accelerate the design and fabrication of advanced photonic integrated circuits. (Photo: unsplash)
OpenLight, a US company, has joined forces with Israeli semiconductor manufacturer Tower Semiconductor and design-software firm Cadence to unveil a new photonic device design platform. Built into Cadence's automated design environment, it is intended to speed up development of high-performance photonic integrated circuits for data centers and artificial intelligence systems.
What Makes the New Platform Stand Out
As part of the announcement, the companies released an updated process design kit (PDK) based on the PH18DA manufacturing process. The platform supports optical chips with throughput of 400 Gbps and 1.6 Tbps by pairing indium phosphide (InP) with a silicon base. Indium phosphide plays a critical role in generating and amplifying laser signals for high-speed optical networks.
The solution also enables lasers, modulators, and amplifiers to be integrated monolithically on a single chip, greatly simplifying production. It supports both co-packaged optics (CPO) and near-package optics (NPO) architectures, giving designers greater flexibility. According to the developers, the PH18DA process closes the gap between chip design and mass production, a shift that could have a significant impact on the industry.
Overall, the new offering marks a major step forward in photonic integrated circuits, addressing the growing demand for speed and performance in modern technology.
The launch could reshape the photonic integrated circuit market, especially as data centers and AI systems push toward higher data-processing speeds. By incorporating materials like indium phosphide, manufacturers can deliver more powerful and efficient solutions aligned with current needs. These advances may lay the foundation for future breakthroughs in optical communications and integrated circuits, potentially benefiting many sectors. As cloud computing and AI workloads expand, high-bandwidth, low-latency interconnects are becoming essential infrastructure, making such photonic platforms increasingly important.