The Co-Packaged Optics Component Challenge

Co-packaged optics (CPO) — placing optical engines directly on switch ASICs rather than in separate pluggable modules — represents the most significant architectural shift in data center networking since the transition from copper to fiber. But between the elegant concept and volume production lies an extraordinary manufacturing challenge: coupling light between silicon photonic chips and optical fibers with sub-micron precision, at semiconductor-scale volumes, and at costs that make economic sense.