Major Foundries Advance CPO Roadmaps as NVIDIA Spectrum-X and Broadcom Taurus BCM83640 Enter Mass Production and 400G/Lane DSP Era

August 9, 2026

Tom’s Hardware USA

Overview

Leading foundries (TSMC, Intel, Samsung, GlobalFoundries) are aggressively pursuing Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) roadmaps to address scale-up connectivity bottlenecks in AI clusters. NVIDIA has initiated mass production of CPO for its Spectrum-X Ethernet Photonics switch, while Broadcom unveiled the industry’s first 400G/lane optical DSP, “Taurus BCM83640,” optimized for 1.6T transceivers. CPO, by integrating optical engines closer to processors or switch ASICs, promises significant reductions in power consumption, increased bandwidth density, and predictable scalability for next-gen AI infrastructure.

In Depth

Key Findings

As AI cluster requirements escalate exponentially, major foundries including TSMC, Intel, Samsung, and GlobalFoundries are vigorously advancing their Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) technology roadmaps. CPO represents a transformative approach, dramatically shortening electrical signal paths by placing optical engines in close proximity to processors or switch ASICs, leading to substantial reductions in power consumption, enhanced bandwidth density, and predictable scalability. Concurrently, NVIDIA announced the commencement of mass production for CPO within its Spectrum-X Ethernet Photonics switches, and Broadcom introduced the industry’s first 400G/lane optical DSP, the “Taurus BCM83640,” at OFC 2026, specifically optimized for 1.6T transceiver applications.

Technical & Business Details

TSMC’s COUPE Platform: TSMC is driving CPO through its “COUPE” platform, an extension of its CoWoS and SoIC ecosystems into optics. This leverages advanced packaging techniques to optimize electrical and optical integration. NVIDIA has collaborated with TSMC to develop the COUPE silicon photonics packaging platform, integrating CPO into its Spectrum-X products.
Intel’s Optical I/O Chiplets: Intel focuses on optical computing interconnect chiplets, aiming for direct integration between processors and optical engines. This strategy capitalizes on Intel’s extensive semiconductor manufacturing capabilities and silicon photonics expertise.
Samsung’s Silicon Photonics: Samsung is delivering CPO solutions by integrating silicon photonics into its semiconductor manufacturing processes. This approach enables high-density, power-efficient optical interconnects while leveraging existing fabrication infrastructure.
GlobalFoundries’ SCALE Platform: GlobalFoundries implements its CPO strategy through the “SCALE” (Silicon Photonics with Add-on Low-Cost Edge-Coupling) platform. This platform emphasizes cost-effectiveness and flexibility, making CPO technology accessible to a broader customer base.
NVIDIA and Broadcom Productization: NVIDIA’s Spectrum-X Ethernet Photonics switches, by adopting CPO, significantly shorten electrical pathways compared to traditional transceiver-based switches. This improves signal integrity and reduces latency, drastically enhancing efficiency for AI models operating in larger clusters. Broadcom’s Taurus BCM83640 is a groundbreaking DSP foundational to next-generation 3.2T optical transceiver modules, positioning CPO as the “North Star” for energy-efficient, high-bandwidth scaling.

Background & Context

The burgeoning demands of AI workloads have led to an explosive increase in data movement between GPUs, pushing traditional electrical interconnects to their limits in terms of power consumption and latency. CPO is widely regarded as one of the most promising technologies to overcome this “electrical bottleneck.” Foundries are accelerating CPO investments, recognizing that chip-level optical integration is indispensable for the evolution of AI infrastructure. The CPO market is projected to exceed $39 billion by 2030, intensifying competition among technology leaders.

Strategic Significance & Outlook

The widespread deployment of CPO technology has the potential to revolutionize AI data center design and operation. Improvements in power efficiency, increased bandwidth density, and assured scalability are pivotal for building sustainable AI infrastructure. The diverse CPO approaches from various foundries and key component suppliers will foster a rich ecosystem of solutions, further accelerating technological innovation. Specifically, the productization efforts by industry giants like NVIDIA and Broadcom unequivocally signal CPO’s transition from an experimental concept to a mainstream technology, shaping the future of high-performance computing and AI.

Source: https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/co-packaged-optics-cpo-foundry-roadmaps-breaking-down-tsmc-intel-samsung-and-globalfoundries-approach-to-next-generation-scale-up-connectivity

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