GF accelerates adoption of co-packaged optics for AI data centers

GlobalFoundries (GF) has announced the introduction of its SCALE optical module solution for co-packaged optics (CPO). GF’s SCALE solution, or Silicon photonics Co-packaged Advanced Light Engine solution, is the industry’s first Optical Compute Interconnect Multi-Source Agreement (OCI MSA) capable platform, exceeding the requirements for the OCI MSA’s optical interconnect specification for modern AI scale-up architectures, the company said in a press release. 

Built with GF’s advanced silicon photonics technology, the SCALE CPO solution utilizes both coarse and dense wavelength-division multiplexing (CWDM, DWDM) for bi-directional data transmission over each optical fiber for significant improvements in bandwidth density and system scalability versus traditional copper interconnects.  

GF’s SCALE CPO solution and silicon photonics technology offer an advanced portfolio of fully-qualified photonic devices, such as 50Gbps and 100Gbps micro-ring modulators, coupled ring resonators and integrated photodiodes. Additional features include through silicon vias (TSVs) for high-speed signaling and power delivery and copper pad pitches ranging from 110μm down to sub‑45μm for 2.5D/3D stacking from organic substrates to silicon interposers, enabling customers to move quickly from design to volume production, GF said.

“With over a decade of innovation and manufacturing expertise in silicon photonics technology at our disposal, GF stands ready to unlock the future of high-bandwidth, energy-efficient connectivity with our SCALE solution for co-packaged optics,” said Mike Hogan, chief business officer at GF. “Today, our technology already exceeds the requirements set by the OCI MSA, demonstrating our close collaboration with industry leaders and our technology’s readiness to scale next-generation, AI infrastructure.”