AI's new top ten construction projects deploy silicon photonics, and the Ministry of Economy plans to start a trial production line

2025/07/25

TechNews Technology News
June 28, 2025
Author: Central News Agency Liu Qianling

In order to lay out key silicon photonic technologies, the Ministry of Economic Affairs plans to invest NT$1 billion in four years. In addition to strengthening the design of optical chips and cooperating with the world's advanced silicon photonic process component library, it also provides a feedback mechanism through the photoelectric measurement laboratory to accelerate the product development of the industry. In the future, it plans to launch a pilot production line to provide high-end module manufacturers with a small amount of various trial production services.

The government has created ten new artificial intelligence (AI) construction projects, including the development of silicon photonics, quantum and intelligent robots. Among them, silicon photonics technology uses mature silicon wafers and semiconductor processes to integrate electronic components with optical components, which can effectively increase the transmission speed of chip computing. With the increase in AI's high computing needs, it has become a key technology that manufacturers are actively deploying.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs has invested in preliminary research on silicon photonics since 2017, and launched the Silicon Photonics Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) project last year. It will invest NT$1 billion in four years to lay out optical chip design, high-speed packaging substrates and optical fiber packaging testing. In addition, it will provide forward-looking technology research and development subsidies to industry players in conjunction with the A+ plan.

Relevant officials said that due to the different physical properties of light and electricity, the chip design architecture and process will be different. In terms of optical chip design, it provides ProMOS chip design patents and cooperates with the world's advanced development of silicon photonic process component libraries. At the same time, it cooperates with Japan's Mitsubishi Chemical to develop next-generation silicon photonic high-speed modulation material technology, and cooperates with Singapore's IME to accelerate the chip offline speed to give back to local chip factories.

In order to lower the verification threshold for small and medium-sized enterprises, the Industrial Technology Research Institute has established a photoelectric measurement laboratory, allowing Taiwanese companies to provide verification services for silicon photonic products in Taiwan, covering upstream and downstream manufacturers such as wafers and modules, reducing verification time and costs, while increasing R&D speed.

Officials said that the silicon photonics CPO plan covers equipment research and development and assists in the localization of packaging and testing equipment. Since manufacturers need test targets to develop packaging and testing equipment, they can output data of silicon photonic chips or modules through the measurement laboratory, which is conducive to the development of subsequent equipment.

People familiar with the matter pointed out that in the future, in addition to continuing to promote the silicon photonics CPO plan, the photovoltaic measurement laboratory will also be upgraded to assist Taiwanese manufacturers in verifying higher-end products. The coverage is not limited to wafer and module manufacturers, but will also be expanded to the system end and even serve terminal manufacturers; AI server manufacturers such as Wistron and AUO are gradually applying silicon photonics CPO technology and can also come to ITRI for testing.

People familiar with the matter said that the defense scope of the photovoltaic measurement laboratory has been expanded. In addition to providing test equipment, ITRI also has a feedback mechanism. Through the design, packaging and testing teams, comprehensive feedback is given to the industry, and overall solutions are provided to accelerate the process of product development.

In addition, people familiar with the matter revealed that ITRI plans to launch a pilot production line in the future, because terminal module manufacturers need to integrate optical chips, electronic chips, substrates and optical fiber packaging, etc., and industry players can first go to ITRI to try out the design architecture or model, conduct a small number of trial production, and confirm that the model is correct before continuing.

The industry is actively deploying key silicon photonic technologies. Officials said that the SEMI Silicon Photonics Industry Alliance was initiated by TSMC and ASE. For silicon photonic component design, packaging and testing development and equipment, industry players reach consensus on joint technology development through the platform, linking Taiwan's supply chain to "fight in groups" together, so that Taiwan's technology continues to lead the world.

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