ADOPTION
Advanced co-packaged optics enabling high-efficiency artificial intelligence workload and cloud computing.
Argotech’s role
Packaging and assembly services at Silicon Photonics platform including especially high efficiency fiber coupling with active alignment method.
Project description
Hyperscale data centres are critical for efficient data transfer and communication in the digital age. However, they consume massive amounts of power, and current solutions are not efficient in reducing energy usage. The EU-funded ADOPTION project aims to address this challenge by developing high-power efficiency silicon photonics co-packaging of the optical (CPO) transceiver engines. This innovation will effectively reduce energy consumption and operating costs in data centres. The project will collaborate with three large corporations, three SMEs and four research institutions to provide Europe with a competitive edge. The ADOPTION project’s goal is to overcome the energy challenge faced by data centres and enhance their efficiency to support our modern digital world.
Objective
To develop an advanced co-packaged optics eco-system that enable the evolution of novel network architectures for cloud application.
ADOPTION works toward the goal of proving a low power and low cost solution for intra-data centre networks employing co-packaging of the optical (CPO) transceivers with the packed switch chip. ADOPTION aims at addressing switch capacities scaling beyond 204.8Tb/s with port speeds of 6.4Tb/s by reducing the electrical interconnect lengths using silicon photonics CPO transceiver engines with high power efficiency targeting around 3pJ/bit. ADOPTION will also develop innovative packaging solutions using a two-part assembly separating the electrical and optical layers to simplify processes and increase yield. An advanced active optical alignment for fibre arrays will also be integrated in the assembly process with the aim of reducing assembly time and improving coupling efficiency. With these solutions ADOPTION is targeting the challenging goal of reducing the cost of the optical interfaces to below 50 cents per Gb/s. ADOPTION will also demonstrate disruptive new network architectures for hyper-scale data centres and AI computing clusters utilising optical switching and routing to increase efficiency and reduce latency. ADOPTION is aiming to create a new ecosystem of research and innovation, building on the complementary expertise of 3 SMEs, 3 large companies and 4 research institutions in the consortium, and to redefine the digital supply chain for CPO transceivers, fostering European competitiveness in this new value chain.
Coordinator:
Tyndall National Institute at National University of Ireland, Cork, Ireland
Partners:
Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung EV, Germany
Huawei Technologies Duesseldorf GmbH
IMEC – Interuniversitair Micro-Electronica Centrum, Belgium
Microalign BV, Netherlands
Pilot Photonics Ltd, Ireland
Resolute Photonics Limited, Ireland
Senko Advanced Components (Euro) Ltd, United Kingdom
Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, Netherlands
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 101070178.
