OPTOELECTRONICS


Die bonding in the service of fibre optic communication


Computing capacity for AI applications, or intelligent networked systems in IoT, and smart mobility require new, more powerful chips. Under the umbrella term “advanced packaging,” semiconductor production systems provide the necessary technologies. One of these systems is AMICRA NANO from ASMPT: a die and flip chip bonder developed specifically for co-packaged optics applications.


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opper-based cabling has long since faced competition: the transmission of data using light. Fibre optic technology has a number of advantages over conventional copper cables. It saves raw materials and energy and can transmit very high bandwidth signals over long distances without loss. This is becoming increasingly important, especially in high-performance data centres with their exponentially growing data traffic due to AI. It is not surprising that the market for optical transceivers has been recording double-digit growth rates for several years. Fibre optics are ideal for use wherever low-loss connections with very high data density are required – for backbones in data centres, as well as for connections between data centres or the connection of 5G radio masts. Incidentally, in addition to classic communications applications, the scope of application for optoelectronic technology also includes sensors in medicine, augmented reality, high-power lasers and automotive applications like LiDAR.


Integration of optical elements on semiconductors


Considering the development of communication requirements in data centres against the backdrop of booming data-intensive technologies such as AI, it is foreseeable that fibre optics with conventional pluggable optics will sooner or later no longer be able to cope with this increase. Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) is a new technology that comes into play here. The goal of this technology is to bring optical I/Os as close as possible to the ASIC switch. In this way, CPO becomes a disruptive approach to increasing bandwidth density and energy efficiency. Particularly on the silicon platform, CPO holds promise for future data centres. This is achieved by significantly reducing the length of electrical connections through


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Example for COC embedded CPO: A laser COC is placed on a Photonic IC (PIC) wafer together with an Electronic IC (EIC). This is then combined with an optical component and the ASIC on the substrate to form an Optical Engine (OE). (Image: ASMPT)


advanced packaging while optimising electronics and photonics. The chips also have more and more inputs and outputs but cannot be made any larger. This means that increasingly finer structures must be processed with high precision. After years of development, the latest integration approach for Co-packaged Optics was born. CPO can now use External Laser SFP (ELSFP) as the signal carrier. Laser light sources are placed externally in SFP at the faceplate, and modulations are kept at the CPO. Fibre connections replace the original copper traces. This approach keeps the function of CPO, and in parallel heat sources are isolated from the core. This significantly improves feasibility for CPO development and deployment. However, CPO also faces challenges, particularly in the precise control of manufacturing and packaging processes to ensure seamless connection between


FEBRUARY 2026 | ELECTRONICS FOR ENGINEERS


electronic and photonic components, as well as stability and reliability under extreme conditions. The standardisation of CPO technology remains an important industry task to address compatibility issues and drive market application. For the latest CPO technology and advanced solutions, ASMPT’s precision equipment provides the photonics industry with the means to meet higher CPO integration demands.


From electric to optical and back As is well known, electrical signals must first be converted into optical signals in order to send bits via fibre optics and then converted back again at the end of the transmission path. To minimise scattering losses and attenuation, the transceiver’s performance depends on the precise connection of the light-emitting and light-sensitive components. Previous transceivers consisted of many components, were comparatively


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