Chinese Scientists Develop Low-Cost Method to Mass Produce Optical Chips Amid US Trade Sanctions
China has invested in boosting its semiconductor industry in light of restrictions imposed against it by the US and its allies. In a recent development, Chinese scientists have successfully developed a low-cost method to mass-produce optical chips, used in supercomputers and data centers. This breakthrough technique uses lithium tantalate and could help China circumvent trade sanctions imposed by the US in the semiconductor sector.
Chips, also known as photonic integrated circuits (PICs), are typically manufactured using materials like lithium niobate. However, the high cost and limited size of lithium niobate have hindered its industrial use. In response, the scientific team led by Ou turned to an alternative semiconductor material – lithium tantalate (LiTaO3). This material not only performs better than lithium niobate but also allows for low-cost mass production, similar to commercialized silicon methods.
Lithium tantalate has already been successfully adopted for 5G radio frequency filters used in smartphones and offers scalable manufacturing at low cost. It boasts properties that are equal to or even superior to lithium niobate, making it a promising alternative for the production of optical chips.
The team’s research demonstrated that lithium tantalate could be etched to create low-cost PICs using deep ultraviolet lithography technology. This breakthrough could potentially lead to the scalable manufacturing of next-generation, low-cost electro-optical PICs. Novel Si Integration Technology, a startup created by the Shanghai institute, has already begun mass-producing eight-inch wafers with the new material using commercially viable microfabrication methods.
This initiative comes at a crucial time as Beijing aims to reduce the impact of US sanctions targeting its access to chips and advanced technology. In October 2022, the US Department of Commerce imposed restrictions on the supply of supercomputing and semiconductor products to 31 Chinese companies, including Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp., the largest Chinese memory chip manufacturer.
The development of this low-cost method for mass-producing optical chips showcases China’s determination to advance its semiconductor industry despite trade challenges and sanctions imposed by the US and its allies.