STMicroelectronics has announced that it will lead the STARLight project, a pan-European consortium of 24 companies and universities chosen under the EU CHIPS Joint Undertaking, aiming to establish 300-millimeter (mm) silicon photonics manufacturing capabilities. The STARLight initiative will focus on high-volume manufacturing, advanced optical modules, and a full silicon photonics value chain, with targeted applications in data centers, artificial intelligence (AI) clusters, telecommunications, and automotive sectors. The consortium will operate from now through 2028.
The project aims to advance Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs), focusing on several technical areas: efficient modulators targeting speeds above 200 gigabits per second (Gbps) per lane, reliable on-chip laser integration, and the evaluation of new materials such as Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI), Lithium Niobate (LNOI), and Barium Titanate (BTO). Participants—including CEA-LETI, imec, Université Paris-Saclay, III-V Lab, and Lumiphase—will integrate these materials onto a unified platform. Efforts will also prioritize optimized PIC packaging to ensure high signal integrity and low power consumption.
The initial demonstrators focus on high-bandwidth data communications within data centers, including the development of modules based on PIC100 technology supporting up to 200 Gbps and research toward 400 Gbps per lane solutions. STMicroelectronics, Sicoya, and Thales will drive the data center-related work. For AI, the project will develop photonic processors engineered for tensor operations, aiming for improvements in processing speed, energy efficiency, and miniaturization—attributes necessary for accelerating neural network workloads.
For telecommunications, STARLight supports new photonic devices such as integrated switches for optical data offload in Radio Access Networks and Radio over Fiber solutions. Ericsson is leading efforts on reducing power consumption and enabling capacity gains by shifting intensive processing away from antenna units. MBRYONICS is working on free space to fiber interfaces relevant to terrestrial and satellite communication. In automotive, STEERLIGHT will leverage the platform for mass-market LiDAR and related sensing technologies, while Thales is developing photonic sensors for advanced signal processing and autonomous robotic applications.
“Silicon Photonics technology is critical to put Europe at the crossroads to the AI factory of the future and the STARLight project represents a significant step for the entire value chain in Europe, driving innovation and collaboration among leading technology companies. By focusing on application-based results, the project aims to deliver cutting-edge solutions for datacenters, AI clusters, telecommunications, and automotive markets. With well-recognized pan-European partners, the STARLight consortium is set to lead the next generation of silicon photonics technologies and applications,” said Remi El-Ouazzane, President, Microcontrollers, Digital ICs and RF products Group at STMicroelectronics.
The consortium includes STMicroelectronics, CEA-LETI, imec, Université Paris-Saclay, Sicoya, Soitec, Thales, Ericsson, MBryonics, STEERLIGHT, and others from across 11 European countries.
Source: STMicroelectronics
