GlobalFoundries launches SCALE silicon photonics platform for AI interconnects, first OCI MSA-capable CPO

GlobalFoundries announced the introduction of its SCALE (Silicon Photonics Co-packaged Advanced Light Engine) optical module solution for co-packaged optics (CPO), described as the industry's first Optical Compute Interconnect Multi-Source Agreement (OCI MSA) capable platform. Built on GF's advanced silicon photonics technology, SCALE uses both coarse and dense wavelength-division multiplexing (CWDM and DWDM) for bi-directional data transmission over optical fiber, delivering significant bandwidth density and system scalability improvements versus traditional copper interconnects.

SCALE has already demonstrated both 8λ and 16λ bi-directional DWDM natively on its platform, using 50Gbps and 100Gbps micro-ring modulators with integrated photodiodes, TSVs, and copper pad pitches down to sub-45µm to enable 2.5D/3D stacking and volume production. The OCI MSA standard compliance positions GF to support the industry's shift toward co-packaged optics as AI data center networking demands continue to scale. Management expects silicon photonics revenue to roughly double in 2026 and exceed $1 billion by 2028, driven by strong traction among the top four pluggable optical transceiver companies.

For architects, this matters because optical interconnects address AI data center bandwidth bottlenecks—becoming more critical as model sizes grow. Pluggable and co-packaged optics reduce power consumption and latency compared to traditional copper-based rack interconnects. GF's OCI MSA compliance signals design-win readiness for hyperscalers building next-generation AI infrastructure, particularly those implementing scale-up architectures that depend on unified, high-bandwidth chip-to-chip communication.