Silicon Photonics, Co-Packaged Optics, and the Rise of AI Factories: Why Precision Glass Microfabrication Is the Missing Piece

The future of data infrastructure is optical — and glass might just be its most important building block.

Silicon Photonics, Co-Packaged Optics, and the Rise of AI Factories: Why Precision Glass Microfabrication Is the Missing Piece

The future of data infrastructure is optical—and glass might just be its most important building block.

With NVIDIA’s recent announcement of its Spectrum-X networking platform, the paradigm shift to silicon photonics, with Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) enabling Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) solutions, has taken center stage. As hyperscale data centers evolve into full-scale AI factories, the need for faster, more efficient, and more compact interconnect solutions is skyrocketing.

But behind the scenes of this high-performance optical revolution lies a critical enabler: precision glass microfabrication.

What’s Driving the Shift Toward Silicon Photonics and Co-Packaged Optics?

The combination of PICs and CPO solutions brings the optical engine closer to the switch ASIC, reducing power consumption and latency by eliminating traditional transceivers. This is crucial for the performance demands of Generative AI, High-Performance Computing (HPC), and large-scale machine learning infrastructure.

These new architectures require:

• Tight optical and electrical integration (O/E or OEO)
• Compact, thermally stable packages
• Ultra-precise fiber alignment and waveguide coupling

Traditional packaging approaches often fall short—especially when it comes to the precision and form factor required. That’s where glass microfabrication becomes a game-changer.

The Role of Glass in Optical Packaging

Glass is an ideal substrate for advanced photonics applications, offering:

• Thermal and chemical stability
• Transparency at optical and RF frequencies
• Hermeticity
• CMOS compatibility and high-dimensional stability

At FEMTOprint, we leverage ultrafast femtosecond laser microfabrication to create 3D glass microstructures with sub-micron resolution.

What We Enable:

• Fiber ferrules and alignment structures for 1D and 2D fiber array units (FAUs) with sub-micron precision
• 3D-embedded waveguides for  efficient beam routing
• Free-form micro-optical structures for compact beam shaping
• Through-glass vias (TGVs) and O/E pass-throughs
• Rapid prototyping and wafer-level up-scaling for high-volume production

This is not just prototyping — it’s production-ready performance.

From PICs to AI Factories

As the demand grows for PICsCPO modules, there’s increasing pressure on manufacturers to move quickly from proof-of-concept to production.

Thanks to our monolithic glass structuring, FEMTOprint enables customers to:

• Combine more functionalities in unique components, decreasing the integration cost per functionality
• Lower costs for packing and assembly, reducing the need for complex active alignment steps

Shorten the development cycles and rapidly upscale to production volumes. We work directly with companies producing optical engines, fiber assemblies, PIC devices, the new generation of optical transceivers as well as providing packaging and assembly services for the next-generation data centers and AI hardware.

Glass Is the Quiet Hero of Optical Innovation

PICs and CPOs are more than a trend—they represent a true technological leap. And while most of the spotlight is on AI, computing, and switching speeds, the mechanical and optical precision of microfabricated components is just as critical.

At FEMTOprint, we’re proud to support the innovators building the future of data infrastructure—one glass microstructure at a time.

Interested in accelerating your roadmap for new photonics devices and innovative optical packaging? Let’s talk.