STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor company serving a wide range of electronics markets, has announced the start of high-volume manufacturing for its advanced silicon photonics platform known as PIC100. The technology is designed to power optical interconnect solutions used in hyperscale data centers and artificial intelligence computing clusters, where demand for faster and more energy-efficient data transmission is rising rapidly.
The PIC100 platform supports next-generation optical transceivers operating at speeds of 800 gigabits per second and 1.6 terabits per second. These high-performance components enable greater data throughput while reducing latency and power consumption—key requirements as cloud service providers scale up infrastructure to support increasingly complex AI workloads.
STMicroelectronics first introduced its silicon photonics technology in early 2025 and has since moved from development to full-scale manufacturing for major hyperscale customers. According to the company, the transition to volume production has been supported by its advanced 300-millimeter semiconductor fabrication facilities, which allow the technology to be manufactured efficiently at large scale.
Fabio Gualandris, President of Quality, Manufacturing and Technology at STMicroelectronics, said the company’s silicon photonics platform combined with its large manufacturing capacity positions it well to serve the growing AI infrastructure market. He added that the company is already planning significant capacity increases, with production expected to expand more than fourfold by 2027. These expansion plans are backed by long-term commitments from customers who have reserved manufacturing capacity in advance.
Industry analysts believe the market for optical connectivity in data centers will continue to grow strongly over the coming years. According to research from LightCounting, the market for pluggable optical modules used in data centers reached approximately $15.5 billion in 2025 and is expected to exceed $34 billion by 2030. During the same period, optical technologies such as co-packaged optics are projected to generate more than $9 billion in revenue as data center architectures evolve to support AI-driven workloads.
The share of optical transceivers incorporating silicon photonics technology is also expected to rise significantly, reflecting the industry’s shift toward integrated optical and electronic solutions that can handle extremely high data rates. STMicroelectronics’ PIC100 platform offers advanced optical performance, including highly efficient silicon and silicon nitride waveguides that reduce signal loss. The platform also features high-performance modulators and photodiodes along with innovative edge-coupling technology designed to improve overall system performance.
Looking ahead, the company is preparing to introduce the next stage of its silicon photonics roadmap with the development of the PIC100 TSV platform. This new technology will incorporate through-silicon via (TSV) integration to improve connectivity density and enable more compact module designs. It is expected to enhance thermal management and support future optical architectures such as near-packaged optics and co-packaged optics, which are increasingly important for high-performance AI computing systems.
STMicroelectronics will showcase its latest developments in silicon photonics during the upcoming Optical Fiber Communication Conference (OFC) in Los Angeles from March 15 to 19. The company plans to present research on its integrated silicon photonics platform and demonstrate a 1.6-terabit silicon photonics transceiver developed in collaboration with Sicoya. The conference will also feature discussions on optical interconnect technologies and their role in enabling next-generation AI data centers.
STMicroelectronics employs approximately 48,000 people worldwide and operates advanced semiconductor manufacturing facilities across several regions. As an integrated device manufacturer, the company works with more than 200,000 customers and numerous partners to design and produce semiconductor technologies used in areas such as smart mobility, energy management, and connected devices. Through continued innovation in areas like silicon photonics, the company aims to support the rapid growth of data-driven technologies while contributing to the development of a more sustainable digital infrastructure.
