Advanced Photonics Coalition Open Source Supply Chain Ecosystem
The Advanced Photonics Coalition Open Source Ecosystem encompasses every aspect of the Silicon Photonics + Co-Packaged Optics product formation supply chain, from beginning concept to fabrication.
Advanced Photonics Coalition Open Source
Ecosystem Technologies & Products
Co-packaged optics (CPO) refers to the integration of optical components—such as lasers, modulators, and photodetectors—directly alongside electronic components like switch ASICs or processors within the same package or substrate. This architecture minimizes the distance electrical signals must travel before being converted into optical signals, significantly reducing power consumption, signal loss, and latency compared to traditional pluggable optical transceivers (e.g., QSFP or OSFP).
CPO is particularly valuable in high-performance computing and data center networks where bandwidth demands are increasing and energy efficiency is critical. By moving the optics closer to the source of data, CPO enables higher I/O density, better thermal management, and improved scalability for AI/ML and hyperscale infrastructure. It’s seen
as a key enabler for next-generation networks beyond 51.2 Tbps switch architectures.
By putting optics in silicon, CPO promises dramatic boosts in speed while lowering power requirements, if it can meet reliability expectations and outlast competing approaches. In summary, co-packaged optics is a system-level approach that brings optical interconnects into the same physical footprint as the switch or compute silicon, driving performance and efficiency at scale.
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Foundry/PDK/HBM
A foundry is a semiconductor fabrication facility that manufactures integrated circuits (ICs) designed by third-party companies, while a PDK (Process Design Kit) is a collection of files used by Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools to model the foundry’s manufacturing process, enabling accurate chip design.
OSAT/ Packaging
OSAT (Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test) providers specialize in packaging and testing of semiconductor devices after wafer fabrication. Packaging involves enclosing chips in protective materials and creating the necessary electrical connections to integrate them into systems.
Materials / Thermals
Materials and thermals encompass the substrates, adhesives, and thermal interface materials critical for chip packaging and system assembly, as well as thermal management solutions (e.g., heat sinks, spreaders, and cooling systems) to ensure reliable operation.
Chiplets / PICs
Chiplets are modular pieces of silicon designed to work together within a single package, offering flexibility and cost-efficiency; PICs (Photonic Integrated Circuits) are a type of chiplet that integrate optical components to process and transmit data using light.
E/O Test + Test Equipment
E/O test (Electrical/Optical test) refers to the validation of both electrical and optical performance of devices—especially relevant for photonic components—using specialized test equipment such as high-speed oscilloscopes, optical spectrum analyzers, and wafer probers.
Optical Parts
Optical parts include components such as lenses, mirrors, waveguides, fiber connectors, and couplers, which guide and manipulate light within photonic systems and are essential for aligning and interconnecting photonic elements.
E-Optical Engines
E-optical engines combine electrical and optical components—often including lasers, modulators, and detectors—to convert electrical signals into optical ones and vice versa, enabling high-speed data transfer, especially in data centers.
Systems + Platforms
Systems and platforms refer to complete hardware assemblies—like servers, networking gear, or photonic systems—where chips and optical components are integrated and operated, serving end-use applications.
Interface / Cable
Interface and cables refer to the physical connectors and transmission media—such as copper or optical cables—that link chips, modules, or systems together to transmit data, power, or control signals. In high-speed or optical systems, these interfaces must maintain signal integrity and low latency.
Lasers
Lasers in this context are compact, chip-integrated light sources critical for transmitting optical signals.
Contract Manufacturer
Contract manufacturers build these systems on behalf of OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), providing services like PCB assembly, mechanical integration, and quality assurance.
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Interconnects
Interconnects are the conductive pathways—either electrical (e.g., traces on a PCB, microbumps in chiplets) or optical (e.g., waveguides)—that enable communication between components within or across packages and systems. In photonics, optical interconnects provide high-bandwidth, low-power alternatives to traditional electrical links.
EDA/PDA
EDA (Electronic Design Automation) refers to the suite of software tools used by engineers to design, simulate, verify, and layout ICs, forming the backbone of modern semiconductor and photonic design workflows.
Connectors
Optical connectors precisely align and join optical fibers, enabling efficient light transmission for high-speed data, telecom, and photonic interconnect applications.
Fiber Array Unit
A Fiber Array Unit (FAU) is a precision-aligned component that holds multiple optical fibers in a fixed arrangement, enabling efficient coupling between fiber bundles and photonic integrated circuits (PICs) or transceivers. FAUs are critical for scaling optical I/O and ensuring accurate alignment between fibers and on-chip waveguides.