Integrated Photonics Archives

Insights

July 3, 2024

Integrating Line Card Performance and Functions Into a Pluggable

Article first published 12th October 2021, updated 3rd July 2024. The optical transceiver market is…

Article first published 12^th October 2021, updated 3^rd July 2024.

The optical transceiver market is expected to double in size by 2025, and coherent optical technology has come a long way over the past decade to become more accessible and thus have a greater impact on this market. When Nortel (later Ciena) introduced the first commercial coherent transponder in 2008, the device was a bulky, expensive line card with discrete components distributed on multiple circuit boards.

As time went by, coherent devices got smaller and consumed less power. By 2018, most coherent line card transponder functions could be miniaturized into CFP2 transceiver modules that were the size of a pack of cards and could plug into modules with pluggable line sides. QSFP modules followed a couple of years later, and they were essentially the size of a large USB stick and could be plugged directly into routers. They were a great fit for network operators who wanted to take advantage of the lower power consumption and cost, field replaceability, vendor interoperability, and pay-as-you-grow features.

Figure-Module-Power — Figure 1: Coherent module size and power consumption evolution from OIF MSA line card modules to pluggable modules like CFP and QSFP.

Despite the onset of pluggables, the big, proprietary line card optical engines have still played a role in the market by focusing on delivering best-in-class optical performance. The low-noise, high-power signals they produce have the longest reach for optical links and have wider compatibility with the ROADM multiplexers used in metro and long-haul networks. The smaller CFP2 modules produce, at best, roughly half the laser power of the line card modules, which limits their reach. Meanwhile, even smaller QSFP form factors can not fit optical amplifier components, so their transmit power and reach are much more limited than even a CFP2 module.

All in all, the trade-offs were clear: go for proprietary line card transponders if you want best-in-class performance and longest reach, and go for CFP2 or QSFP transceivers if you want a smaller footprint and power consumption. This trade-off, however, limits the more widespread adoption of coherent technology. For example, mobile network operators need high performance, a smaller footprint, and power consumption so that their metro and access networks can meet the rising demands for 5G data.

So what if we told you the current paradigm of line card transponders versus pluggable transceivers is outdated? Recent improvements in electronic and photonic integration have squeezed more performance and functions into smaller form factors, allowing pluggable devices to almost catch up to line cards.

Integration Enables Line Card Performance in a Pluggable Form Factor

Figure 2: Comparing transmit power, noise, size, and cost of line card transponders and different transceiver pluggable modules. Fully integrated QSFP-DD modules include lasers, amplifiers, and filters inside a single PIC, so they can deliver high transmit powers at small size and low cost.

The advances in photonic integration change the game and can enable high performance and transmit power in the smallest pluggable transceiver form factors. By integrating all photonic functions on a single chip, including lasers and optical amplifiers, pluggable transceiver modules can achieve transmit power levels closer to those of line card transponder modules while still keeping the smaller QSFP router pluggable form factor, power consumption, and cost.

Full photonic integration increases the transmit power further by minimizing the optical losses due to the use of more efficient optical modulators, fewer coupling losses compared to silicon, and the integration of the laser device on the same chip as the rest of the optical components.

Modern ASICs Can Fit Electronics Functions in a Pluggable Form Factor

As important as optical performance is, though, pluggable transceivers also needed improvements on the electronic side. Traditionally, line card systems not only had better optical performance but also broader and more advanced electronic functionalities, such as digital signal processing (DSP), advanced forward error correction (FEC), encryption, and advanced modulation schemes. These features are usually implemented on electronic application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).

ASICs benefit from the same CMOS process improvements that drive progress in consumer electronics. Each new CMOS process generation can fit more transistors into a single chip. Ten years ago, an ASIC for line cards had tens of millions of transistors, while the 7nm ASIC technology used in modern pluggables has more than five billion transistors. This progress in transistor density allows ASICs to integrate more electronic functions than ever into a single chip while still making the chip smaller. Previously, every function—signal processing, analog/digital conversion, error correction, multiplexing, encryption—required a separate ASIC, but now they can all be consolidated on a single chip that fits in a pluggable transceiver.

Figure : Evolution of coherent transceiver generations in terms of power consumption and transistor density of ASICs. — Figure 3: Evolution of coherent transceiver generations in terms of power consumption and transistor density of ASICs.

This increase in transistor density and integration also leads to massive gains in power consumption and performance. For example, modern transceivers using 7nm ASICs have decreased their consumption by 50% compared to the previous generation using 16nm ASICs while delivering roughly a 30% increase in bandwidth and baud rates. By 2022, ASICs in pluggables will benefit from a newer 5nm CMOS process, enabling further improvements in transistor density, power consumption, and speed.

Electronic Integration Enables Line-Card System Management in a Pluggable Form Factor

The advancements in CMOS technology also enable the integration of system-level functions into a pluggable transceiver. Previously, functions such as in-band network management and security, remote management, autotuneability, or topology awareness had to live on the shelf controller or in the line card interface, but that’s not the case anymore. Thanks to the advances in electronic integration, we are closer than ever to achieving a full, open transponder on a pluggable that operates as part of the optical network. These programmable, pluggable transceivers provide more flexibility than ever to manage access networks.

For example, the pluggable transceiver could run in a mode that prioritizes high-performance or one that prioritizes low consumption by using simpler and less power-hungry signal processing and error correction features. Therefore, these pluggables could provide high-end performance in the smallest form-factor or low and mid-range performance at lower power consumption than embedded line card transponders.

EFFECT Photonics has already started implementing these system-management features in its products. For example, our direct-detect SFP+ transceiver modules feature NarroWave technology, which allows customers to monitor and control remote SFP+ modules from the central office without making any hardware or software changes in the field. NarroWave is agnostic of vendor equipment, data rate, or protocol of the in-band traffic.

Pluggable transceivers also provide the flexibility of multi-vendor interoperability. High-performance line card transponders have often prioritized using proprietary features to increase performance while neglecting interoperability. The new generations of pluggables don’t need to make this trade-off: they can operate in standards-compatible modes for interoperability or in high-performance modes that use proprietary features.

Takeaways

Coherent technology was originally reserved for premium long-distance links where performance is everything. Edge and access networks could not use this higher-performance technology since it was too bulky and expensive.

Photonic integration technology like the one used by EFFECT Photonics helps bring these big, proprietary, and expensive line card systems into a router pluggable form factor. This tech has squeezed more performance into a smaller area and at lower power consumption, making the device more cost-effective. Combining the improvements in photonic integration with the advances in electronic integration for ASICs, the goal of having a fully programmable transponder in a pluggable is practically a reality. Photonic integration will be a disruptive technology that will simplify network design and operation and reduce network operators’ capital and operating expenses.

The impact of this technological improvement in pluggable transceivers was summarized deftly by Keven Wollenweber, VP of Product Management for Cisco’s Routing Portfolio:

“Technology advancements have reached a point where coherent pluggables match the QSFP-DD form factor of grey optics, enabling a change in the way our customers build networks. 100G edge and access optimized coherent pluggables will not only provide operational simplicity, but also scalability, making access networks more future proof.”

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Tags: 100G, access network, ASIC, CFP, coherent optics, CoherentPIC, DSP, edge network, electronic integration, fully integrated, Fully Integrated PICs, Integrated Photonics, line card, metro access, miniaturization, NarroWave, optical transceivers, photonic integration, PIC, pluggable, pluggable transceiver, QSFP, SFP, small form factor, sustainability telecommunication

Insights

March 20, 2024

Tunable Lasers and DSPs in the Age of AI

The use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) models is transforming several industries, and data centers…

The use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) models is transforming several industries, and data centers are no exception. AI models are computationally heavy, and their increasing complexity will require faster and more efficient interconnections than ever between GPUs, nodes, server racks, and data center campuses. These interconnects will have a major impact on the ability of data center architectures to scale and handle the demands of AI models in a sustainable way.

As we discussed in a previous article, transceivers that fit this new AI era must be fast, smart, and adapt to multiple use cases and conditions. However, what impact will that have on the tunable lasers and digital signal processors (DSPs) inside these transceivers? This article will review a couple of trends in lasers and DSPs to adapt to this new era.

The Power of Laser Arrays

In 2022, Intel Labs demonstrated an eight-wavelength laser array fully integrated on a silicon wafer. These milestones are essential for optical transceivers because the laser arrays can allow for multi-channel transceivers that are more cost-effective when scaling up to higher speeds.

Let’s say we need an intra-DCI link with 1.6 Terabits/s of capacity. There are three ways we could implement it:

Four modules of 400G: This solution uses existing off-the-shelf modules but has the largest footprint. It requires four slots in the router faceplate and an external multiplexer to merge these into a single 1.6T channel.
One module of 1.6T: This solution will not require the external multiplexer and occupies just one plug slot on the router faceplate. However, making a single-channel 1.6T device has the highest complexity and cost.
One module with four internal channels of 400G: A module with an array of four lasers (and thus four different 400G channels) will only require one plug slot on the faceplate while avoiding the complexity and cost of the single-channel 1.6T approach.

Multi-laser array and multi-channel solutions will become increasingly necessary to increase link capacity in coherent systems. They will not need more slots in the router faceplate while simultaneously avoiding the higher cost and complexity of increasing the speed with just a single channel.

Co-Designing DSP and Optical Engine

Transceiver developers often source their DSP, laser, and optical engine from different suppliers, so all these chips are designed separately from each other. In such cases, the DSP is like a Swiss army knife: a jack of all trades designed for different kinds of optical engines but a master of none.

For example, current DSPs are designed to be agnostic to the material platform of the photonic integrated circuit (PIC) they are connected to, which can be Indium Phosphide (InP) or Silicon. Thus, they do not exploit the intrinsic advantages of these material platforms. Co-designing the DSP chip alongside the PIC can lead to a much better fit between these components.

A PIC and a standard platform-agnostic DSP typically operate with signals of differing intensities, so they need some RF analog electronic components to “talk” to each other. This signal power conversion overhead can constitute up to 2 Watts or about 10-15% of transceiver power consumption.

However, the modulator of an InP PIC can run at a lower voltage than a silicon modulator. If this InP PIC and the DSP are designed and optimized together instead of using a standard DSP, the PIC could be designed to run at a voltage compatible with the DSP’s signal output. This way, the optimized DSP could drive the PIC directly without needing the RF analog driver, doing away with most of the power conversion overhead we discussed previously.

Smart Devices Built In Scale

Making coherent optical transceivers more affordable is a matter of volume production. As discussed in a previous article, if PIC production volumes can increase from a few thousand chips per year to a few million, the price per optical chip can decrease from thousands of Euros to mere tens of Euros. Achieving this production goal requires photonics manufacturing chains to learn from electronics and leverage existing electronics manufacturing processes and ecosystems.

While vertically-integrated PIC development has its strengths, a fabless model in which developers outsource their PIC manufacturing to a large-scale foundry is the simplest way to scale to production volumes of millions of units. Fabless PIC developers can remain flexible and lean, relying on trusted large-scale manufacturing partners to guarantee a secure and high-volume supply of chips. Furthermore, the fabless model allows photonics developers to concentrate their R&D resources on their end market and designs instead of costly fabrication facilities.

Further progress must also be made in the packaging, assembly, and testing of photonic chips. While these processes are only a small part of the cost of electronic systems, the reverse happens with photonics. To become more accessible and affordable, the photonics manufacturing chain must become more automated and standardized. It must move towards proven and scalable packaging methods that are common in the electronics industry.

If you want to know more about how photonics developers can leverage electronic ecosystems and methods, we recommend you read our in-depth piece on the subject.

Takeaways

In conclusion, tunable lasers and DSPs are adapting to meet the rising demands of AI-driven data center infrastructure. The integration of multi-wavelength laser arrays and the co-design of DSPs and optical engines are crucial steps towards creating more efficient, scalable, and cost-effective optical transceivers. These devices will be smart and provide some telemetry data, and must shift towards volume production and the adoption of electronics industry methodologies. These innovations not only promise to enhance the capacity and efficiency of data center interconnects but also pave the way for a more sustainable growth trajectory in the face of AI’s computational demands.

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Tags: 100ZR, access network, co-design, coherent, controlled, edge, fit for platform DSP, InP, Integrated Photonics, low power, photonic integration, Photonics, pluggables, power consumption, power conversion, QSFP 28, QSFP-DD

Insights

March 6, 2024

Reducing the Cost per Bit in Access Networks

Every telecommunications provider has the same fundamental problem. Many decades ago, service providers addressed increased…

Every telecommunications provider has the same fundamental problem. Many decades ago, service providers addressed increased network demands by spending more money and buying more hardware. However, network operators cannot allow their infrastructure spending to increase exponentially with network traffic, because the number of customers and the prices they are willing to pay for mobile services will not increase so steeply. The chart below is one that everyone in the communications industry is familiar with one way or another.

Figure 1. Graphical depiction of the fundamental telecommunications cost problem. Traffic volume increases exponentially, but operator revenues do not. Therefore, operators cannot allow their costs to increase exponentially to meet the traffic demand.

Given this context, reducing the cost per bit transmitted in a network is one of the fundamental mandates of telecommunication providers. As the global appetite for data grows exponentially, fueled by streaming services, cloud computing, and an ever-increasing number of connected devices, the pressure mounts on these providers to manage and reduce this cost.

In access networks, where the end users connect to the main network, this concept takes on an added layer of importance. These networks are the final link in the data delivery chain and are expensive to upgrade and maintain due to the sheer volume of equipment and devices required to reach each end user.

This is why one of EFFECT Photonics’ main missions is to use our optical solutions to reduce the cost per bit in access networks. In this article, we will briefly explain three key pillars that will allow us to achieve this goal.

Manufacturing at Scale

Previously, deploying optical technology required investing in large and expensive transponder equipment on both sides of the optical link. The rise of integrated photonics has not only reduced the footprint and energy consumption of coherent transceivers but also their cost. The economics of scale principles that rule the semiconductor industry reduce the cost of optical chips and the transceivers that use them.

The more optical components we can integrate into a single chip, the more can the price of each component decrease. The more optical System-on-Chip (SoC) devices can go into a single wafer, the more can the price of each SoC decrease. Researchers at the Technical University of Eindhoven and the JePPIX consortium have done some modelling to show how this economy of scale principle would apply to photonics. If production volumes can increase from a few thousands of chips per year to a few millions, the price per optical chip can decrease from thousands of Euros to mere tens of Euros.

Figure 5: Modelling of photonic integrated chip (PIC) cost as a function of aggregate number of PICs produced per year. Exponential increases in production lead to an exponential decrease in cost. Source: Model and graph provided by Prof. Meint Smit, TU Eindhoven. — Figure 2: Modelling of photonic integrated chip (PIC) cost as a function of aggregate number of PICs produced per year. Exponential increases in production lead to an exponential decrease in cost. Source: Model and graph provided by Prof. Meint Smit, TU Eindhoven.

By integrating all optical components on a single chip, we also shift the complexity from the assembly process to the much more efficient and scalable semiconductor wafer process. Assembling and packaging a device by interconnecting multiple photonic chips increases assembly complexity and costs. On the other hand, combining and aligning optical components on a wafer at a high volume is much easier, which drives down the device’s cost.

Integration Saves Power (and Energy)

Data centers and 5G networks might be hot commodities, but the infrastructure that enables them runs even hotter. Electronic equipment generates plenty of heat, and the more heat energy an electronic device dissipates, the more money and energy must be spent to cool it down.

These issues do not just affect the environment but also the bottom lines of communications companies. Cooling costs will increase even further with the exponential growth of traffic and the deployment of 5G networks. Integration is vital to reduce this heat dissipation and costs.

Photonics and optics are trying to follow a similar blueprint to the electronics industry and improve their integration to reduce power consumption and its associated costs. For example, over the last decade, coherent optical systems have been miniaturized from big, expensive line cards to small pluggables the size of a large USB stick. These compact transceivers with highly integrated optics and electronics have shorter interconnections, fewer losses, and more elements per chip area. These features all lead to a reduced power consumption over the last decade, as shown in the figure below.

Figure 4: Coherent module size and power consumption evolution from OIF MSA line card modules to pluggable modules like CFP and QSFP. — Figure 3: Coherent module size and power consumption evolution from OIF MSA line card modules to pluggable modules like CFP and QSFP.

DWDM Gives More Lanes to the Fiber Highway

Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) is an optical technology that dramatically increases the amount of data transmitted over existing fiber networks. Data from various signals are separated, encoded on different wavelengths, and put together (multiplexed) in a single optical fiber.

The wavelengths are separated again and reconverted into the original digital signals at the receiving end. In other words, DWDM allows different data streams to be sent simultaneously over a single optical fiber without requiring the expensive installation of new fiber cables. In a way, it’s like adding more lanes to the information highway without building new roads!

Optical fiber with DWDM Channels — Figure 4: Example of a bidirectional DWDM system. At the central office, transceiver modules pick different wavelength channels for transmission, and these channels are combined into a single fiber through a device called a multiplexer. A demultiplexer splits the wavelength channels into separate fibers and the receiving modules on the remote end. Since this is a bidirectional system, transmission can go opposite too, from the remote end to the central office.

The tremendous expansion in data volume afforded with DWDM can be seen compared to other optical methods. A standard transceiver, often called a grey transceiver, is a single-channel device – each fiber has a single laser source. You can transmit 10 Gbps with grey optics. Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing (CWDM) has multiple channels, although far fewer than possible with DWDM. For example, with a 4-channel CWDM, you can transmit 40 Gbps. DWDM can accommodate up to 100 channels. You can transmit 1 Tbps or one trillion bps at that capacity – 100 times more data than grey optics and 25 times more than CWDM.

While the upgrade to DWDM requires some initial investment in new and more tunable transceivers, the use of this technology ultimately reduces the cost per bit transmitted to the network. Demand in access networks will continue to grow as we move toward IoT and 5G, and DWDM will be vital to scaling cost-effectively. Self-tuning modules have also helped further reduce the expenses associated with tunable transceivers.

Takeaways

The escalating demand for data traffic requires reducing the cost per bit in access networks. EFFECT Photonics outlines three ways that can help achieve this goal:

Manufacturing at scale to reduce the cost of optical chips and transceivers
Photonic integration to lower power consumption and save on cooling cost
Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) to significantly increase data transmission capacity without deploying new fiber

At EFFECT Photonics believes these technologies and strategies to ensure efficient, cost-effective, and scalable data transmission for the future.

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Tags: 5G Networks, access networks, communications industry, cost per bit, data transmission capacity, Dense-wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM), EFFECT Photonics, fiber networks, heat dissipation, infrastructure spending, Integrated Photonics, manufacturing at scale, mobile services, network demands, network traffic, Optical Chips, Optical solutions, Photonics, reducing, Semiconductor Industry, System-on-Chip (SoC) devices, telecommunications provider

The power of self-tuning access networks

Insights

January 31, 2024

The Power of Self-Tuning Access Networks

Article first published 16th February 2022, updated 31st January 2024. 5G networks will use higher…

Article first published 16^th February 2022, updated 31^st January 2024.

5G networks will use higher frequency bands, which require the deployment of more cell sites and antennas to cover the same geographical areas as 4G while existing antennas must upgrade to denser antenna arrays. On the side of fixed access networks, the rise of Remote PHY architectures and Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) will lead to a similar increase in the density of optical network coverage.

Installing and maintaining these new nodes in fixed networks and optical fronthaul links for wireless networks will require many new DWDM optical links. Even though tunable DWDM modules have made these deployments a bit easier to handle, this tremendous network upgrade still comes with several challenges. Typical tunable modules still require several time-consuming processes to install and maintain, and that time quickly turns into higher expenses.

In the coming decade, the winners in the battle for dominance of access networks will be the providers and countries with the most extensive installed fiber base. Therefore, providers and nations must scale up cost-effectively AND quickly. Every hour saved is essential to reach targets before the competition. Fortunately, the telecom industry has a new weapon in the fight to reduce time-to-service and costs of their future networks: self-tuning DWDM modules.

Plug-and-Play Operation Reduces Time to Service

Typical tunable modules involve several tasks—manual tuning, verification of wavelength channel records—that can easily take an extra hour just for a single installation. Repair work on the field can take even longer if the technicians visit two different sites (e.g., the node and the multiplexer) to verify that they connected the correct fibers. If there are hundreds of nodes to install or repair, the required hours of labor can quickly rack up into the thousands.

Self-tuning allows technicians to treat tunable modules the same way they do with grey transceivers. There is no need for additional training for technicians to install the tunable module. Technicians only need to follow the typical cleaning and handling procedures, plug in the tunable module, and once plugged, the device will automatically scan and find the correct wavelength.

This plug-and-play operation of self-tuning modules eliminates the additional time and complexity of deploying new nodes and DWDM links in optical access networks. Self-tuning is a game-changing feature that makes DWDM networks simpler and more affordable to upgrade, manage, and maintain.

Host-Agnostic and Interoperable

Another way to save time when installing new tunable modules is to let specialized host equipment perform the tuning procedure instead. However, that would require the module and host to be compatible with each other and thus “speak the same language” when performing the tuning procedure. This situation leads to vendor lock-in: providers and integrators could not use host equipment or modules from a third party. This lock-in adds an extra layer of complexity and gives providers less flexibility to upgrade and innovate in their networks.

*Figure 1: Short description and comparison of different approaches to DWDM tunable modules.*

Self-tuning modules do not carry this trade-off because they are “host-agnostic”: they can plug into any host device as long as it accepts third-party 10G grey optics. Just as technicians can treat a self-tuning module as grey, any third-party host equipment can do the same. This benefit is possible because the module takes care of the tuning independently without relying on the host.

Enabling Simpler Network Management

Self-tuning lies at the core of EFFECT Photonics’ NarroWave technology. To implement our NarroWave procedures, we add a small low-frequency modulation signal to the tunable module and specific software that performs wavelength scanning and locking. Since this is a process controlled via software and the added signal is very small, it has no impact on these transceivers’ optical design and performance. It is simply an additional feature that the user can activate. The figure below gives a simplified overview of how NarroWave self-tuning works.

Figure 2: Example of a point to (multi-)point system including NarroWave self-tuning. Each of the 10G SFP+ modules is a full C-band tunable covering ITU channels 12 to 61. This link uses a single fiber for full duplex DWDM transmission, with unique wavelengths for up- and downstream links. When powered up, the modules will scan through different wavelengths, but in this case only the ‘correct’ wavelengths of channels 56 and 60 will go through the mux/demux unit and into the receiver on the other end. That receiver will then acknowledge reception of the signal.

Since self-tuning software requires exchanging commands between modules across the network, it can also enable remote management tasks. For example, our NarroWave communication channel can also allow the operator’s headend module to have read-write control over certain memory registers of the tail-end module. This means that the operator can modify several module variables such as the wavelength channel, power levels, behaviour when turning on/off, all from the comfort of the central office.

In addition, the NarroWave channel also allows the headend module to read diagnostic information from the remote module, such as transmitter power levels, alarms, warnings, or status flags. NarroWave then allows the user to act upon this information and change control limits, initiate channel tuning, or clear flags. These remote diagnostics and management features avoid the need for additional truck rolls and save even more operational expenses. They are especially convenient when dealing with very remote and hard-to-reach sites (e.g., an underground installation) that require expensive truck rolls. Some vendors have made remote installation and management of these modules even more accessible through smartphone app interfaces.

Takeaways

With these advantages, self-tuning modules can help rethink how optical access networks are built and maintained. They minimize the network’s time-to-service by eliminating additional installation tasks such as manual tuning and record verification and reducing the potential for human error. They are host-agnostic and can plug into any third-party host equipment. Furthermore, tunability standards will allow modules from different vendors to communicate with each other, avoiding compatibility issues and simplifying upgrade choices. Finally, the communication channels used in self-tuning can also become channels for remote diagnostics and management, simplifying network operation even further.

Self-tuning modules are bound to make optical network deployment and operation faster, simpler, and more affordable. In our next article, we will elaborate on how to customize self-tuning modules to better fit the needs of specific networks.

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Tags: access networks, DWDM, fixed access networks, flexible, G.metro, Integrated Photonics, OPEX, optical transceivers, photonic integration, Photonics, pluggables, remote diagnostics, remote management, self-tuning, Smart Tunable MSA, Transceivers, tuneability

Insights

January 10, 2024

From the Lab Boutique to High Volume Production: How to Scale Up Photonics Manufacturing

Photonics, the science and technology of generating, detecting, and manipulating light, has witnessed remarkable progress…

Photonics, the science and technology of generating, detecting, and manipulating light, has witnessed remarkable progress in recent years. From cutting-edge research in academic labs to breakthrough innovations in startups, photonics is poised to revolutionize various industries, from telecommunications to healthcare. However, despite its tremendous potential, the transition from boutique lab-scale production to high-volume manufacturing remains a significant challenge.

To overcome this hurdle, the photonics industry must draw lessons from the successful scaling of electronics manufacturing. By adopting key strategies and practices that have propelled the electronics industry into the realm of mass production, photonics can pave the way for widespread adoption and integration into our everyday lives.

Learning from Electronics Packaging

A key way to improve photonics manufacturing is to learn from electronics packaging, assembly, and testing methods that are already well-known and standardized. After all, building a new special production line is much more expensive than modifying an existing production flow.

One electronic technique essential to transfer into photonics is ball-grid array (BGA) packaging. BGA-style packaging has grown popular among electronics manufacturers over the last few decades. It places the chip connections under the chip package, allowing more efficient use of space in circuit boards, a smaller package size, and better soldering.

Figure 1: Top, bottom, and side views of a ball-grid array (BGA) style package.

Another critical technique to move into photonics is flip-chip bonding. This process is where solder bumps are deposited on the chip in the final fabrication step. The chip is flipped over and aligned with a circuit board for easier soldering.

Figure 2: Simplified steps of the flip chip bonding process.

These might be novel technologies for photonics developers who have started implementing them in the last five or ten years. However, the electronics industry embraced these technologies 20 or 30 years ago. Making these techniques more widespread will make a massive difference in photonics’ ability to scale up and become as available as electronics.

Adopting BGA-style packaging and flip-chip bonding techniques will make it easier for PICs to survive this soldering process. There is ongoing research and development worldwide, including at EFFECT Photonics, to transfer more electronics packaging methods into photonics. PICs that can handle being soldered to circuit boards allow the industry to build optical subassemblies that are more accessible to the open market and can go into trains, cars, or airplanes.

Supply Chain Optimization

Electronics manufacturers have honed the art of supply chain management to achieve cost-effective and efficient production processes. This includes strategies like just-in-time inventory management, lean manufacturing principles, and global sourcing. In contrast, the photonics industry often faces challenges related to specialized materials and components, resulting in longer lead times and higher costs.

Photonics manufacturers can learn from electronics by implementing supply chain optimization strategies. This involves diversifying sources, streamlining production workflows, and leveraging economies of scale. By fostering strategic partnerships with suppliers and embracing advanced inventory management systems, the photonics industry can overcome the hurdles that have hindered its growth.

Figure 3: Key locations of EFFECT Photonics’ global supply chain. This includes our offices but also some locations where manufacturing is outsourced. We don’t mention the locations of our off-the-shelf component suppliers.

The Advantages of Moving to a Fabless Model

Increasing the volume of photonics manufacturing is a big challenge. Some photonic chip developers manufacture their chips in-house within their fabrication facilities. This approach has some substantial advantages, giving component manufacturers complete control over their production process.

Figure 4: Simplified value chain diagram of a vertically-integrated optical transceiver developer. The developer handles the PIC design, manufacturing, and packaging.

However, if a vertically-integrated chip developer wants to scale up in volume, they must make a hefty capital expenditure (CAPEX) in more equipment and personnel. They must develop new fabrication processes as well as develop and train personnel. Fabs are not only expensive to build but to operate. Unless they can be kept at nearly full utilization, operating expenses (OPEX) also drain the facility owners’ finances.

Especially in the case of an optical transceiver market that is not as big as that of consumer electronics, it’s hard not to wonder whether that initial investment is cost-effective. For example, LightCounting estimates that 55 million optical transceivers were sold in 2021, while the International Data Corporation estimates that 1.4 billion smartphones were sold in 2021. The latter figure is 25 times larger than that of the transceiver market.

Electronics manufacturing experienced a similar problem during their 70s and 80s boom, with smaller chip start-ups facing almost insurmountable barriers to market entry because of the massive CAPEX required. Furthermore, the large-scale electronics manufacturing foundries had excess production capacity that drained their OPEX. The large-scale foundries ended up selling that excess capacity to the smaller chip developers, who became fabless. In this scenario, everyone ended up winning. The foundries serviced multiple companies and could run their facilities at total capacity, while the fabless companies could outsource manufacturing and reduce their expenditures.

This fabless model, with companies designing and selling the chips but outsourcing the manufacturing, could also be the way to go for photonics. The troubles of scaling up for photonics developers are outsourced and (from the perspective of the fabless company) become as simple as putting a purchase order in place. Furthermore, the fabless model allows photonics developers to concentrate their R&D resources on the end market. This might be the most straightforward way for photonics to move into million-scale volumes.

Takeaways

Scaling up photonics manufacturing from boutique labs to high-volume production is a pivotal step in realizing the full potential of this transformative technology. By taking a page from the electronics industry’s playbook, focusing on standardization, optimizing the supply chain, and embracing automation, the photonics industry can overcome the challenges that have impeded its growth. With concerted efforts and strategic investments, the future of photonics looks poised for a paradigm shift, bringing us closer to a world illuminated by the power of light.

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Tags: automation, BGA packaging, EFFECT Photonics, electronics, Fabless model, Flip-chip bonding, Global sourcing, innovation, Integrated circuits, Integrated Photonics, Just-in-time inventory, Lean manufacturing, Manufacturing, Optical transceiver, Photonics, PICs (Photonic Integrated Circuits), R&D, Scaling up, Semiconductor, Standardization, supply chain

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Integrated Photonics

What to Expect in 2025:

Key Highlights:

Integration Enables Line Card Performance in a Pluggable Form Factor

Modern ASICs Can Fit Electronics Functions in a Pluggable Form Factor

Electronic Integration Enables Line-Card System Management in a Pluggable Form Factor

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What to Expect at CIOE 2024

ECOC Celebrating 50 years:

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Premium Sponsors:

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What to Expect in 2024:

Key Highlights:

The Power of Laser Arrays

Co-Designing DSP and Optical Engine

Smart Devices Built In Scale

Takeaways

Eindhoven, The Netherlands

About EFFECT Photonics

Manufacturing at Scale

Integration Saves Power (and Energy)

DWDM Gives More Lanes to the Fiber Highway

Takeaways

Plug-and-Play Operation Reduces Time to Service

Host-Agnostic and Interoperable

Enabling Simpler Network Management

Takeaways

Learning from Electronics Packaging

Supply Chain Optimization

The Advantages of Moving to a Fabless Model

Takeaways

Core Industries

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DSP

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