Core Insights - There is growing interest in Co-Package Optics (CPO) as a promising candidate for reducing power consumption and increasing bandwidth between server packages, especially in the context of large-scale server deployments in artificial intelligence [1] - The ISSCC 2025 conference in San Francisco showcased multiple papers related to CPO technology, highlighting its relevance in the industry [1] Group 1: Broadcom's Tomahawk 5 - Broadcom introduced the Tomahawk 5 (TH5) - Bailly, which boasts a power efficiency of 6 pJ/b and a bandwidth of 51.2 Tbps, claiming it has been in mass production since 2023 [2] - Samples of TH5-Bailly have been provided to customers, although a widespread market release date has not been disclosed [2] Group 2: Intel's Direct-Drive Optical Engine - Intel presented a paper on a direct-drive optical engine based on a 0.9 pJ/b 108 Gb/s PAM4 VCSEL, which aims to improve bandwidth and power efficiency by using PAM4 modulation instead of NRZ [4] - The use of 3D-printed polymer waveguides instead of mechanical optical interfaces allows for a significant reduction in size, achieving a footprint of 11x8 mm compared to 4x6 mm and a height reduction from 3.5 mm to 1 mm [4] Group 3: Ehsan Afshari's MicroLED Research - Ehsan Afshari from the University of Michigan discussed using microLEDs instead of lasers for low-power, high-bandwidth D2D communication, emphasizing the benefits of parallel optical links [11] - His demonstration chip, built on TSMC N16 technology, achieved a bandwidth of 1.2 Tbps with a power consumption of less than 1 pJ/bit, targeting inter-chip or inter-package communication rather than long-distance [19] Group 4: Future of CPO Technology - Despite differing target markets, Broadcom, Intel, and Ehsan Afshari's research all focus on low power consumption and high bandwidth [21] - NVIDIA's CPO products, Quantum-X Photonics and Spectrum-X, are expected to be available in the second half of 2025, indicating a growing market for CPO technology [21][22] - The development of large server clusters, like "Stargate," will continue to drive efforts in enhancing performance while reducing power consumption, with CPO technology playing a crucial role [22]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the growing interest in Co-Package Optics (CPO) technology as a promising solution for reducing power consumption and increasing bandwidth between server packages, particularly in the context of large-scale server deployments in the AI sector [1]. Group 1: CPO Technology and Industry Trends - CPO technology is gaining attention due to the increasing scale of servers, especially in AI, leading to higher data consumption for communication between servers and packages [1]. - The ISSCC 2025 conference in San Francisco will feature multiple papers related to CPO technology, highlighting its significance in the industry [1]. Group 2: Broadcom's Tomahawk 5 - Bailly - Broadcom introduced the Tomahawk 5 (TH5) - Bailly, which boasts a data rate of 51.2 Tbps and a power efficiency of 6 pJ/b [2]. - The TH5-Bailly has been in mass production since 2023, with samples provided to customers, although widespread market availability has not been specified [2]. Group 3: Intel's Direct-Drive Optical Engine - Intel presented a paper on a direct-drive optical engine utilizing a 0.9 pJ/b energy efficiency at 108 Gb/s using PAM4 modulation, which improves bandwidth and power consumption [4][5]. - The design incorporates 3D-printed polymer waveguides, achieving a 1/4 reduction in footprint and a 1/3 reduction in height compared to previous mechanical optical interfaces [4]. Group 4: MicroLED Technology - Ehsan Afshari from the University of Michigan discussed using MicroLEDs for low-power, high-bandwidth communication, presenting a demonstration chip achieving 1.2 Tbps bandwidth with power consumption below 1 pJ/bit [10][17]. - The focus of this technology is on inter-chip or inter-package communication rather than long-distance communication, emphasizing efficiency [17]. Group 5: Future Outlook - The article notes that while Broadcom and Intel target different markets, they share a common goal of low power and high bandwidth [19]. - NVIDIA is expected to launch its CPO products, Quantum-X Photonics and Spectrum-X, in the second half of 2025, indicating a growing trend towards high-performance computing and low-power technologies in AI [20].