SMART Photonics and GF launch unique photonics foundry

SMART Photonics and GlobalFoundries (GF) are introducing the first open-access foundry for integrated photonics that combines silicon and indium phosphide (InP). This breakthrough enables integration of active components, such as lasers and modulators, directly into silicon chips. The collaboration targets applications in AI data centres, optical transceivers and LiDAR systems. The service is intended to reduce production costs and accelerate time to market.

The new foundry service combines GF’s scalable silicon photonics platform with SMART Photonics’ InP-based photonic integrated circuits (PICs). InP is essential for active components such as lasers and amplifiers, while silicon excels at passive optical routing and processing. GF provides a silicon-based cavity into which SMART Photonics integrates its lasers and semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) using flip-chip technology. This approach eliminates the need for customers to develop their own integration processes, accelerating the design cycle.

Technical breakthroughs after a year of joint engineering

The two companies have worked together for more than a year to resolve technical challenges, including dimensional compatibility and efficient optical coupling. Innovations in manufacturing techniques are intended to reduce chiplet size and costs while maintaining performance. Johan Feenstra, CEO of SMART Photonics, says this combination meets the growing demand for energy-efficient, cost-effective photonics products. Vikas Gupta, senior fellow at GF, adds that customers want active components that fit seamlessly into silicon photonics platforms.

Impact on AI data centres and optical networks

The collaboration focuses on addressing scalability challenges in AI data centres, where demand for high bandwidth and low latency is growing exponentially. By combining InP laser sources with silicon photonics, designers can create more compact and efficient optical transceivers. This is crucial for applications such as 800G and 1.6T optical links, where coherence and energy efficiency are central considerations. The market for InP circuits is growing by 14–18% annually, driven by telecoms, data centres and LiDAR.

European autonomy and economic impact

This step strengthens Europe’s position in the photonics industry, a sector increasingly dependent on Asian suppliers. Eindhoven-based SMART Photonics plays a key role in the PhotonDelta ecosystem, which focuses on industrialising integrated photonics. By offering open-access foundry services, European companies can innovate faster without depending on closed supply chains. This aligns with PhotonDelta’s strategy to lower development barriers.

Future availability and applications

The joint foundry service is expected in the second half of 2027. Until then, both companies are working on process qualification, design tools and packaging development. The service is intended for applications in AI, data centres, LiDAR and medical equipment. GF emphasises that its silicon photonics platform is compatible with various form factors, including pluggable optical transceivers and co-packaged optics (CPO). This opens the door to new generations of optical products with better performance and lower costs.