The performance and power efficiency of AI clusters in modern data centers is increasingly tied to optical interconnects that utilize optical fiber and electro-optical transceivers to enable high-speed communication between GPUs, AI accelerators, CPUs and switches. The AI clusters consist of scale-up, scale-out and scale-across networking domains, each with unique requirements. The adoption of silicon photonics is accelerating for each of these networks due to relentless demand for higher bandwidth, increased power efficiency, and smaller form factors.
ST’s 300mm Silicon Photonics process, PIC100 offers an innovative, scalable and high- quality platform to drive the growth of these AI clusters. This SiPho platform is complemented by a 300mm SiGe BiCMOS process, B55X, that is used to develop high performance and low power electronic components - Transimpedence Amplifiers (TIAs) and laser drivers used inside the optical transceivers.
This presentation details the innovations in material science, process development, component design and integration of electronics and photonics to enable scaling of AI and cloud optical interconnects.
