Silicon photonics merges photonic circuits with traditional electronic circuits to surpass physical limitations in semiconductor fabrication. The prototype, allegedly developed late last year, highlights a significant advancement in this field. Alongside the prototype, Nvidia and TSMC are working on optical packaging technologies aimed at enhancing AI chip performance.

According to the report, TSMC’s latest chip manufacturing technology, 2-nanometer node, features gate pitches of 45 nanometers and metal pitches of 20 nanometers. In semiconductor terms, a gate pitch measures the distance between two gates on a chip, and a metal pitch measures the distance between metal interconnects. Gates control electron flow in transistors, while interconnects enable communication between transistors on the chip.

Silicon photonics utilizes photonic transistors to replace electrons with photons, or light particles, for communication within a chip. This technology allows greater bandwidth and frequency, increasing the speed and volume of data processing.

The report from UDN suggests that Nvidia has shown keen interest in silicon photonics and the partnership with TSMC has led to the creation of the first silicon photonic chip prototype and ongoing development of optoelectronic integration technologies and advanced packaging.

Optoelectronic integration involves combining components that manage light, such as lasers and photodiodes, with electronic components like transistors on the same wafer. This integration enhances the capabilities of silicon photonics, paving the way for more efficient and powerful AI chips.

TSMC is Nvidia ’s primary manufacturing partner for its latest chips, thanks to the Taiwanese company's reliable output and high yields.