GlobalFoundries to unleash photonic technology for speedier computing processes in April
MALTA – GlobalFoundries is crafting its next generation of silicon photonics as it looks to make the computing process faster and more efficient for data centers.
The platform, named GF Fotonix, is the result of a collaboration with several other companies that will be produced at GlobalFoundries' facility in Malta with the expectation of making it available as soon as April.
The semiconductor manufacturer said the technology is built from harvesting photons, rather than electrons, to move data along the optical networking module market – a market that is projected to have a 26 percent compound annual growth rate and be worth about $4 billion by 2026.
The company declined to disclose how much it would cost to generate the new photonics platform.
A GlobalFoundries spokesperson said the technology is “completely different.” The spokesperson said the move from electrons to photons is an “essential technical disruption” that will be used to address the increased need for higher data rates and supercharging fiber-optic communication networks while “minimizing signal loss and degradation.”
The platform is meant to improve the experience of billions of Internet users creating tons of data worldwide.
GlobalFoundries’ ability to combine 300-millimeter photonics (the use of light and radiant energy) with its 300 gigahertz silicon wafer can consolidate computing that was spread across multiple chips into a single one with “ultra-high integration of electrical, optical and communication capabilities.”
Silicon photonics will be used to move information between data centers and chips in areas surrounding quantum computing, 5G networks, aeronautics and defense.
“GF Fotonix enables the highest level of integration onto a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) so customers can integrate more product functions and simplify their bill of materials (BOMs),” the company said.
“End customers can realize greater performance through increased capacity and capability,” it added.
Gloss