TSMC will use MicroLEDs for optical data transmission in data centers

TSMC and California-based startup Avicena have cooperated to optimize photodetector arrays. MicroLED technology utilizes optical connections instead of traditional electrical connections.

What influenced the choice of optical data transmission in the data center?

The driving factor for the transition to the new technology was the complexity of AI models that require better computing performance and higher interconnect density. Therefore, the use of copper wires is set to change in AI data centers.

Special characteristics of the new technology

Avicena developed the LightBundle interconnect based on microLEDs, a technology that enables transmission rates of more than 10 Tbps/mm and guarantees low power consumption. The use of microLED arrays for information transmission and silicon photodetectors guarantees a good level of energy efficiency.

The LightBundle connection functions by linking hundreds of microLEDs to an array of photodetectors. The data rate is up to 10 GB/s, and the optical connection can extend up to 10 meters, which guarantees a bandwidth of 3 Tbps. 

With this approach, it is possible to support huge clusters of GPUs in several racks. Moreover, the LightBundle chip transceivers are compatible with a variety of packaging architectures.