TSMC’s() entry into the photonic chip market is no longer a secret.
Analysts note that TSMC’s position in silicon photonics is becoming increasingly important, and that the company could come to dominate the field in much the same way it has in advanced AI packaging. With its manufacturing platform COUPE (Compact Universal Photonic Engine), TSMC can combine leading-edge electronic logic, mature photonic processes, and advanced packaging integration. Its system-level integration capability currently has no real peer among competitors.
TSMC says that, compared with conventional micro-bump packaging, COUPE can cut power consumption by 40% at the same speed, or deliver a 170% speed increase at the same power. More broadly, the optical-device roadmap points to energy per bit falling from more than 30 pJ/bit with traditional copper packaging, to below 5 pJ/bit with co-packaged optics on the substrate, and ultimately to below 2 pJ/bit as optical I/O moves onto the interposer.
Recently, TSMC shared its latest views on its optical platform.
The original optical roadmap
Before covering TSMC’s latest progress, it is worth reviewing the company’s earlier plan for photonic chips.
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