News: Optoelectronics
20 February 2025
ST launches SiPho and next-gen BiCMOS technologies for higher-performing cloud optical interconnect in data centers and AI clusters
With the exponential growth of AI computing needs, challenges arise in performance and energy efficiency across computing, memory, power supply and the interconnections linking them. STMicroelectronics of Geneva, Switzerland says that it is helping hyperscalers, and the leading optical module provider, to overcome these challenges by unveiling its next generation of proprietary technologies for higher-performing optical interconnect in data centers and AI clusters. Its new silicon photonics and next-gen BiCMOS technologies are scheduled to ramp up from second-half 2025 for 800Gb/s and 1.6Tb/s optical modules.
Picture: STMicroelectronics’ fab in Crolles, France.
Inside a data center’s transceivers, ST’s new, proprietary silicon photonics (SiPho) technology will bring users the ability to integrate multiple complex components into one single chip, while ST’s next-gen proprietary BiCMOS technology brings ultra high-speed and low-power optical connectivity, which are key to sustain the AI growth.
“AI demand is accelerating the adoption of high-speed communication technology within the data-center ecosystem. This is the right time for ST to introduce new power-efficient silicon photonics technology and complementing it with a new generation of BiCMOS for our customers to design the next wave of optical interconnect products, which will enable 800Gbps/1.6Tbps solutions for the hyperscalers,” says Remi El-Ouazzane, president of ST’s Microcontrollers, Digital ICs and RF products Group. “Both technologies will be manufactured on 300mm processes in Europe, bringing customers an independent high-volume supply for two key components of their optical module development strategy. Today’s announcement represents the first step for our PIC [photonic integrated circuit] product-family and, thanks to close collaboration with key partners across the entire value chain, our ambition is to become a key supplier of silicon photonics and BiCMOS wafers for the data-center and AI cluster market, be it pluggable optics today or optical I/O tomorrow,” he adds.
“AWS is pleased to collaborate with STMicroelectronics to develop a new silicon photonics technology, PIC100, that will enable interconnection between any workload including artificial intelligence,” says Nafea Bshara, VP & distinguished engineer at Amazon Web Services. “AWS is working with STMicroelectronics based on their demonstrated capability to make PIC100 a leading SiPho technology for the optical and AI market. We are enthusiastic about the potential innovations this will unlock for SiPho,” he adds.
“The pluggable optics for data center market is experiencing significant growth, valued at $7bn in 2024,” notes Dr Vladimir Kozlov, CEO & chief analyst at LightCounting. “This market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23% during 2025-2030 to exceed $24bn at the end of this period,” he adds. “Market share of transceivers based on silicon photonics modulators will increase from 30% in 2024 to 60% by 2030.”
ST’s SiPho technology combined with the ST BiCMOS technology comprise a unique 300mm silicon platform to serve the optical market. Both technologies are being industrialized and will be manufactured in ST’s Crolles (France/Europe) 300mm fab.
