Is this chip the same as poets, they say it is the first?

MIGDAL HAEMEK, Israel and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – December 21, 2021 – Tower Semiconductor (NASDAQ/TASE: TSEM), the leading foundry of high-value analog semiconductor solutions, and Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR), a leader in secure, AI-driven networks, today announced the world’s first silicon photonics (SiPho) foundry-ready process with integrated III-V lasers, amplifiers modulators, and detectors. This integrated laser process addresses optical connectivity in datacenters and telecom networks, as well as new emerging applications in artificial intelligence (AI), LiDAR, and other sensors. According to the market research firm Yole, the silicon photonics transceiver market for datacenters is expected to grow rapidly at a CAGR of 40% to reach over $5B in 2025.

The new platform co-integrates III-V lasers, semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA), electro-absorption modulators (EAM) and photodetectors with silicon photonics devices, all monolithically on a single chip. This enables smaller, higher-channel count and more power-efficient optical architectures and solutions. Foundry availability will enable a broad array of product developers to create highly integrated photonic integrated circuits (PICs) for diverse markets.  

Process design kits (PDK) are expected to be available by year end and the first open multi-project wafer (MPW) run are expected to be offered early next year. First samples of full 400Gb/s and 800Gb/s PICs reference designs with integrated laser are expected to be available in the second quarter of 2022.