SEMI SiPhIA announces special interest groups to advance silicon photonics
The Taiwan-based platform brought together over 200 industry leaders and experts at an event to launch three focus groups dedicated to future development trends in silicon photonics technology, advanced packaging and testing, and key equipment needed by the industry
The SEMI Silicon Photonics Industry Alliance (SiPhIA), a platform for connecting the silicon photonics industry, recently held an event called Bridging Light & Silicon: SEMI SiPhIA SIGs Kick-off & Seminar. The event marked the official launch of three special interest groups (SIGs) aimed at integrating expertise from various sectors to formulate industry standards and accelerate technological innovation and commercialisation.
The vice presidents of TSMC and ASE attended as co-chairs of SEMI SiPhIA and delivered speeches to guide the SIGs. The seminar gathered over 200 industry leaders and experts to discuss the development of silicon photonics technology and the layout of the global supply chain.
Silicon photonics has become a key technology driving the development of AI due to its advantages in high-speed data transmission, high bandwidth, low power consumption, and high integration. However, it still faces challenges in manufacturing processes, packaging and testing to meet the rapidly increasing demand for data transmission. These challenges include shrinking chip sizes, reducing costs, minimising energy loss in PICs, integrating photonic chips with advanced packaging, and developing effective solutions for heat dissipation. To overcome these challenges, SEMI SiPhIA has established three SIGs aiming to accelerate breakthroughs and commercialisation of silicon photonics technology.
“The SEMI Silicon Photonics Alliance, centred on Taiwan's semiconductor industry, brings together over 110 leading domestic and international companies to develop the world's largest and most comprehensive international platform for silicon photonics technology collaboration,” said Terry Tsao, global chief marketing officer and president of Taiwan, SEMI. “The alliance spans the entire supply chain, integrating cross-enterprise and cross-disciplinary expertise to fuel global innovation. Additionally, it has launched three SIGs focused on driving innovative technology breakthroughs and accelerating standardisation efforts to jointly address the challenges posed by technological fragmentation.”
SEMI established the SiPhIA in September 2024 to advance silicon photonics technology. The alliance has formed three SIGs, spanning the entire industry ecosystem from system design and component manufacturing to packaging and testing.
SIG 1, called System, Subsystems, and Silicon Photonics Technology Development, focuses on the future development trends in silicon photonics technology, including the design, manufacturing, and integration of silicon photonics chips, forming a complete silicon photonics ecosystem.
SIG 2, called Advanced Packaging and Testing, looks at heterogeneous integration and co-packaged optical application packaging and testing technologies, driving optical-electronic integration.
SIG 3, Equipment and Others, is dedicated to developing and providing key equipment and technologies needed for the silicon photonics industry, focusing on process automation, including assembly, inspection technologies, and related equipment and innovative applications.
“TSMC will collaborate with the industry to develop a comprehensive roadmap for silicon photonics co-packaging solutions and work diligently to put it into practice,” said K.C. Hsu, vice president of TSMC and co-chair of SEMI SiPhIA. “We aim to overcome the technical bottlenecks by collaborating with alliance members through SIGs on cross-group projects to address specific technological challenges or application scenarios.”
C.P. Hung, vice president of ASE and co-chair of SEMI SiPhIA, said: “ASE has been deeply involved in silicon photonics technology development for over 15 years. We will collaborate with alliance members through regular cross-group SIGs meetings and establish a shared database to ensure that the technological development strategies of different SIGs align with market demands and facilitate cooperation.”
Wei-Chung Lo, deputy general director of Electronic and Optoelectronic System Research Laboratories at ITRI and vice president of the SEMI SiPhIA, commented: “SEMI SiPhIA has successfully connected the industry and research sectors. ITRI has long been committed to silicon photonics technology research and development and plays a bridging role within the alliance, promoting the integration of research outcomes with industry demands to accelerate technology commercialisation.”
Outlook for silicon photonics technology development roadmap 2024-2027
Silicon photonics technology is regarded as a key technology for next-generation signal transmission. By integrating optical components onto silicon chips, this technology significantly enhances data transmission rates and reduces power consumption, addressing the growing demands for higher bandwidth and lower latency in datacentres, 5G networks, high-performance computing, and other applications.
The key discussion points of the SEMI SiPhIA include the 2024-2027 silicon photonics technology blueprint. It is expected that the technology will gradually evolve from 2D planar structures to 2.5D and 3D structures, significantly reducing energy consumption. As integration increases and energy efficiency improves, it will effectively meet the growing demands of high-speed datacentres and AI computing.
According to SEMI, Taiwan has laid a solid industrial foundation with its complete supply chain ecosystem and advanced packaging technology in the semiconductor industry. SEMI plans to continue to build various open platforms and integrate cross-disciplinary expertise to assist the industry in formulating clear development strategies and collaboratively promoting technological innovation.
