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

On June 18, 2026, Tower Semiconductor and Marvell announced that they have shipped over five million coherent photonic integrated circuits (PICs). This milestone underscores the growing demand for hig... Read original →

Shipping over five million coherent photonic ICs isn’t just a volume milestone—it’s forcing a structural shift in AI data center architecture. Silicon photonics is transitioning from optional to essential, compelling co-evolution of high-speed SerDes, advanced packaging, and optical engines. Tightening U.S. export controls on coherent optics and concentrated non-silicon (e.g., InP) supply chains elevate compliance costs for Tower-Marvell’s 3D integration approach. Competitors like Intel and GlobalFoundries will likely accelerate their SiPho roadmaps, while TSMC in Taiwan, China may leverage CoWoS-L to enter premium optical modules. Within 18 months, photonic ICs will migrate from data center interconnects into intra-AI-cluster links, cementing foundry-optics partnerships as the new battleground for AI infrastructure dominance.