Innovative Optical Packaging Technology Revolutionizes Data Centers and AI Hardware with Support from Heraeus and aiXscale Photonics

Innovative Optical Packaging Technology Revolutionizes Data Centers and AI Hardware with Support from Heraeus and aiXscale Photonics

(IN BRIEF) RWTH Aachen University’s Chair of Integrated Photonics has pioneered an innovative packaging technology for optical data links in collaboration with aiXscale Photonics. This technology enables the co-packaging of optical and electrical systems on a wafer scale, leading to more compact computing solutions with significantly lower energy consumption. These advancements are vital for data centers supporting artificial intelligence applications. Heraeus, a global technology group, is investing in aiXscale Photonics, strengthening their presence in advanced materials technology for the semiconductor industry. The collaboration aims to supply original equipment manufacturers in the data center and AI hardware sectors. Optical data transmission is crucial for energy-efficient AI applications, and aiXscale Photonics’ packaging technology addresses the challenges of connecting optical fibers to photonic integrated circuits cost-effectively.

(PRESS RELEASE) HANAU/AACHEN, 9-Sep-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — The technology, developed at the Chair of Integrated Photonics at RWTH Aachen University, consists in a novel packaging technology for optical data links and enables a new co-packaging of optical and electrical systems on a wafer scale. Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs), in combination with aiXscale Photonics’ innovative packaging technology, enable new computing solutions, have a smaller footprint and allow for significantly lower energy consumption while massively increasing the data transfer rate between new single-chip systems and system-in-a-package modules. These features are particularly important to rein in the rapidly growing power requirements of data centres supporting artificial intelligence applications.

“aiXscale is an excellent fit for the Heraeus portfolio. We are further expanding our leading competencies in advanced materials technology for the semiconductor industry,” said Steffen Metzger, member of the Group Management Committee at Heraeus. “Heraeus’ strength is to provide investment, infrastructure and the strategic support to accelerate aiXscale’s growth.” The collaboration between aiXscale Photonics and Heraeus will focus on supplying original equipment manufacturers of transceivers and switches for data centres and AI hardware.

“We are thrilled to have a strong investor and partner like Heraeus on our side, who is driving the semiconductor sector with deep expertise in material sciences and has a long-term strategy in this area,” said Prof. Dr. Jeremy Witzens and Dr. Florian Merget, the founders of aiXscale Photonics GmbH. The parties have agreed not to disclose the investment volume.

Darrell Childers, Vice-President of Research and Development at US Conec, a global leader in the design, development and manufacture of passive components for optical interconnect technology, added: “End-to-end fibre connectivity requires solutions for in-package fibre-to-chip interconnects. We are excited to see the investment and focus required to bridge the gap and complete an ecosystem for co-packaged optics.”

Optical data transmission is increasingly displacing copper cables in data centres and in dedicated hardware in the field of artificial intelligence. Especially for applications in AI, optical data transmission is essential to transmit the enormous volume of data in an energy-efficient way. Highly integrated PICs form the backbone for the efficient conversion between the optical world of the optical fibres and the electrical world of the computers. However, a major challenge and a significant cost driver here is the physical connection of the optical fibre to the PIC. This assembly technology must be cost-effective, low-loss, space-saving and easy to implement.

The novel optical packaging technology from aiXscale Photonics addresses these challenges. The inventions developed at the Chair of Integrated Photonics enable wafer-level packaging of chip-scale optical and electrical systems while handling light of different wavelengths and polarisations. It uses, in particular, materials that make optical packaging compatible with electronic assembly flows.

Heraeus and aiXscale Photonics expect PICs to replace conventional optical technologies and successfully compete with non-optical solutions. The ability to manufacture optical systems at the silicon wafer level using aiXscale Photonics technology, using conventional manufacturing steps to add fibre optic connectivity, makes optical technologies more affordable. Especially for industrial locations with high wage structures like Europe, it is important to achieve efficiency gains and drive technological change through young innovative companies.

“Automated optical packaging remains one of the outstanding challenges to manufacture electro-optical transceivers more economically,” said François Lelarge, CTO at Almae Technologies, a spin-off of III-V Lab, a joint research facility of Nokia, Thales and CEA-Leti. “We are excited to see a European start-up driving this forward.”

About aiXscale

aiXscale Photonics GmbH was spun-out in 2017 from the Institute of Integrated Photonics of RWTH Aachen University by Prof. Dr. Jeremy Witzens and Dr. Florian Merget. The company develops and commercializes highly scalable fibre connectivity solutions applicable at the chip and wafer level.

Media Contact:

Till Weber
Senior Manager External Communication
+49 6181 35-5785
mailto:till.weber@heraeus.com

SOURCE: Heraeus Holding