Tower Semiconductor and Marvell Ship Over Five Million Coherent Photonic ICs - GlobeNewswire

Tower Semiconductor and Marvell have shipped over five million coherent photonic integrated circuits (PICs), marking a significant milestone in silicon photonics adoption for data center interconnects... Read original →

The shipment of over five million coherent photonic ICs by Tower and Marvell signals silicon photonics’ transition from niche to volume manufacturing. Technically, Tower’s V-groove and heterogeneous integration on 300mm wafers enable low-loss coupling, accelerating CPO/LPO adoption and forcing EDA, test, and OSAT ecosystems to adapt. Geopolitically, tightening U.S. export controls on advanced photonic components may spur customers in Taiwan, China and South Korea to fast-track domestic SiPho foundry alternatives. Competitively, Intel and GlobalFoundries will likely expedite their 45CLO nodes, while Cisco or Broadcom could pursue vertical acquisitions of optical engine startups. Within 18 months, AI data centers will shift decisively toward 'optical-first' interconnects, driving per-chip costs down ~40%—though yield ramp remains a geopolitically exposed bottleneck.