Traffic explosion: the global data center traffic increased from 6.8zb in 2016 to 20.6zb in 2021. The network traffic doubled every 9-12 months, and the optical communication equipment was upgraded every 2-3 years. The traffic growth in the “Ze” byte era is still the most original driving force in the ICT industry.
Traditional technologies fail one after another in the face of big data. Silicon photonic technology: Moore’s law of silicon-based CMOS fails after 10nm, and the bandwidth enhancement mode of traditional integrated circuits and devices approaches the limit; Silicon light organically combines mature microelectronics and Optoelectronics Technology, which not only reduces the chip size, reduces the cost and power consumption, but also improves the reliability. It has become a new technology path of “beyond Moore”.
Silicon photons is the development trend of deterministic technology. Giant companies at home and abroad aim at the silicon optical track, and mergers and acquisitions occur frequently. Science and technology giant companies attach great importance to silicon optical technology.
The specific technical route of silicon photonics is in the convergence confirmation (EPIC / PIC + EIC, DSP / non DSP). The key investment direction of the industry is gradually clear, and the current investment risk is greatly reduced compared with the past.
The key factor for the immature development of silicon light in the current period is that the silicon photon industry chain does not completely form an industrial pattern of separation between foundry factory and silicon light design company like the microelectronics industry. Fabless manufacturers should consider process problems at the same time, unable to focus on design, and the repeated investment in the industry is huge.
At present, the more mature fields of silicon photonics commercialization mainly lie in the optical connection fields such as data center, high-performance data exchange, long-distance interconnection and 5g infrastructure. The cost performance of 800g and later silicon optical modules is outstanding. In terms of the progress of the industrial chain, overseas giants Intel and Cisco are more advanced through self-research or acquisition; Chinese listed companies Accelink Technologies Co.Ltd(002281) , Eoptolink Technology Inc.Ltd(300502) , Suzhou Tfc Optical Communication Co.Ltd(300394) , Zhongji Innolight Co.Ltd(300308) , Broadex Technologies Co.Ltd(300548) have cut into the silicon optical field from the discrete optical module market. However, the packaging process in the traditional optical module manufacturing process is complex, and more BOM and labor costs need to be invested. In addition, the optoelectronic co packaging (CPO) technology using silicon optical is expected to become the mainstream mode in the future, Traditional optical module manufacturers will receive great technical challenges and need to continuously track the progress of silicon optical product R & D and customer verification of Chinese optical module manufacturers.
China’s silicon optical module field focuses on relevant start-ups: Xilian optical core, Qixin optoelectronics, sailer technology, sifotonics, etc.
In the future, we judge that the silicon photonics industry will follow the track of the development of microelectronics industry chain, the industrial chain will gradually divide, the fabless business foundation will initially take shape, and subsequent fields such as silicon light-based lidar, wearable devices and AI photon computing will break out one after another, benefiting companies, including Chinese start-up Xizhi Technology (AI photon chip) Micro source photons (silicon light lidar, wearable), Guoke optical core (silicon light lidar).
