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Samsung Ramps Up Silicon Photonics Foundry Ambitions with New Testing Infrastructure

Electronic Technology · Semiconductors · cnyes · 2026-09-08

Samsung Electronics is building internal silicon photonics testing capabilities using industry-standard probe stations, aiming to launch foundry services by 2027 to challenge for AI-driven CPO market share.

What Happened

Equipment Strategy: Samsung Electronics has adopted probe stations from FormFactor and MPI, the same vendors used by TSMC, to establish internal testing for silicon photonics integrated circuits (PICs). This move allows the company to independently verify the electro-optical conversion performance of its optical components.

Client Engagement: The company is currently preparing evaluations for potential clients such as Broadcom and intends to begin mass production for major optical module manufacturers later this year. By bringing testing in-house, Samsung can iterate designs more efficiently based on performance feedback.

Technology Roadmap: Following PIC validation, Samsung plans to develop optical engines that integrate electronic integrated circuits (EIC) with PICs, with testing scheduled for 2027. The ultimate goal is to co-package these optical engines with logic chips and HBM to support advanced AI computing architectures.

Market Positioning: Samsung aims to launch its official silicon photonics foundry services by 2027, offering comprehensive process design kits and optical component libraries. Analysts suggest this strategy is designed to secure a significant foothold in the rapidly expanding CPO market driven by AI demand.

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