Leading IC packaging and testing company, ASE, has been consistently highlighting silicon photonics (SiPh) as a future trend since the latter half of 2023. CEO Dr. Tien Wu stated that the computing capability necessary for future AI applications could be several times larger than current values, potentially up to tenfold. He emphasized that current AI chips are insufficient to support future computing needs, and the key to increasing chip capability lies in SiPh technology.
ASE recently gathered industry personnel and media for a forum on SiPh trends. At the SiPhIA founding meeting on August 3, Wu mentioned that while SiPh research and development has been ongoing for several years, it has been limited to development and small-quantity production stages due to client cost considerations.
SiPh: The second evolution of advanced packaging
The demand for AI computing capability has created a significant business opportunity for SiPh, pushing all hardware technology to progress rapidly. Wu predicts that the arrival of SiPh will be sooner than expected. Regarding the establishment of SiPhIA, Wu expressed the necessity of having companies of different sizes and specialties introduce SiPh technology to allow this trend to flourish.
Wu explained that as chip density increases, the demand for connection technology strengthens. The requirements for heat conduction, energy efficiency, and speed have already clashed with the physical limits of currently available metal materials, making "SiPh" a more frequent topic of discussion. Given Taiwan's advantage in semiconductors and servers, industry personnel project that more international businesses will partner with Taiwan-based manufacturers.
Dr. Vincent Lin, Director of CRD/Technology Development at ASE, stated at the Silicon Photonics Global Summit that SiPh represents the second evolution of advanced packaging. It not only marks a shift from electricity to light but also supports data centers in providing stronger computing capabilities.
Lin pointed out that while fiber optic transceiver modules are typically on the front-end of servers, high-frequency signals consume significant energy. By placing SiPh closer to the IC for placement adjustments and size minimization, with some even constructed on the same substrate, power efficiency can achieve six times the current value.
Industry personnel have also noted that due to SiPh's characteristics, including low losses, high transmission volume, speed, and computing capability, it is highly suitable for high-volume data computing and transmission applications such as large AI data centers and HPC that require high bandwidth and low latency data transmission.
SiPh technology can minimize power consumption and heat generation while increasing communication efficiency between nodes. Additionally, using SiPh technology would efficiently integrate optoelectronic components, creating an even more tightly packed optical module, reducing the size and costs of the overall system.
Dr. CP Hung, Vice President of ASE, is optimistic that the future development of SiPh will exceed expectations. He believes it will affect not only data center-related optical communication applications, high-efficiency computing, biochips, B5G, and 6G, but also sees quantum computers as a potential market opportunity.
