Focus on ”optical semiconductors” that solve AI heat generation and bottlenecks... Industry technological development accelerates

Optical semiconductors are attracting attention as they solve the heat generation and bottlenecks of AI. Global big tech companies such as Amazon and Google are using AI
They are focusing on photonic semiconductors as a technology to solve the problems of server heat generation and processing delays.
The industry is also accelerating the development of related technologies in response to this trend, and optical semiconductors are expected to become a "game changer" in the next-generation AI semiconductor market.
Silicon photonics is an optical semiconductor technology that converts electrical signals into laser light for processing and transmission.
Conventional semiconductors transmit data through copper wiring, but as speeds increase, power consumption increases, and data loss and bottlenecks occur.
Silicon photonics uses light to transmit data quickly and reliably over long distances.
This has the advantage of simultaneously solving the biggest problems with semiconductors: heat generation and bottlenecks.
Recently, with the rapid expansion of demand for high-performance AI data centers, it has attracted attention as a next-generation technology that can increase the bandwidth of AI accelerators and solve power consumption issues.
Global big tech companies are rapidly expanding their investments to secure related technologies. Amazon Web Services (AWS) recently announced that it had acquired ASICs.
The company has decided to apply silicon photonics products from design company Marvell Technology to its own servers by the end of 2030.
AWS has also signed a supply agreement with STMicroelectronics for optical transceiver semiconductors.
NVIDIA is promoting the use of GPUs through its next-generation AI network switches, Spectrum-X and Quantum-X, which are based on silicon photonics.
NVIDIA is using this technology to reduce power consumption and heat issues in AI factories and supercomputing centers,
The plan is to dramatically improve computing speed. Google is also using optical-based technologies at the core of its data center network design, and is conducting research into silicon photonics.
Semiconductor companies are particularly focusing on the development of CPO (Collaborative Optical Packaging) technology. Conventionally, transceivers that transmit and receive data are mounted on the outside of the device.
O is a technology that places optical transceivers close to the chip and integrates them into a single package, which increases data processing speed and eliminates bottlenecks in the transmission process.
Marvell, a representative example of accelerating the development of CPO technology, is a silicon photonics specialist, Celestial AI
The company recently held a briefing for analysts,
Marvell also unveiled its silicon photonics and CPO technology roadmap, with plans to develop and sample a CPO engine by 2027.
Broadcom is also continuing to develop next-generation silicon photonics technology. This year, Broadcom will develop third-generation silicon photonics.
The company has released a series of products for data center networks, including the CPO-based "Tomahawk 6" switch.
The Broadcom vice president will be the CPO at ISES USA 2026, which will be held in Silicon Valley in April next year.
Semiconductor foundries will also be showcasing silicon photonics technologies, including CPO, which will boost data center speeds.
TSMC has teamed up with Nvidia, a major customer in the market, to accelerate commercialization. Samsung Electronics is also a CPO
While securing core talent, we are also working to develop CPO through our global R&D center.
The company is accelerating the development of packaging technology. An industry insider said, "As AI performance becomes more advanced, the demand for next-generation silicon photonics will also increase.
"The industry is also working to strengthen its related capabilities," he said.