TSMC is moving its silicon photonics platform Coupe from development into mass production this year, the firm announced at a Semi meeting (via Commercial Times). This marks a key step toward optical interconnects in AI data centers. Full-scale adoption, however, is expected to be a gradual process that spans many years.
The Compact Universal Photonic Engine integrates photonic and electronic circuits using 3D-stacked SoIC packaging, enabling shorter signal paths and lower power consumption. AI chip leader Nvidia has announced two networking switch products based on Coupe, but so far, the technology has only been in limited trial production.
