Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and top global chipmakers are speeding up the development of next-generation silicon photonic technology, aiming for production within the next five years to meet the requirements needed for advancing artificial intelligence (AI) computing, such as high energy demands and faster data transmission speed.
"The growth is driven by [demand for] high data rate modules for increased fiber-optic network capacity, especially pluggable and co-packaged optics (CPO)," KC Hsu, TSMC's Vice President of Integrated Interconnect and Packaging, in an interview with Nikkei Asia. Hsu expects the silicon photonics market to grow by 40% annually, reaching $500 million by 2028.
However, mass production timelines remain uncertain, dependent on customer demand.
