AAC Tech (02018) unveiled its cutting-edge CPO high-precision microlens array (MLA) product line at the CIOE China International Optoelectronic Expo on September 9, marking the debut of this advanced solution built on its proprietary WLG wafer-level glass molding technology.
Engineered for the premium optical communications market, these products are scheduled to enter mass production in the second half of 2027. CPO (co-packaged optics) represents the next-generation high-speed interconnect solution for data centers.
As traditional pluggable optical modules advance toward 800G and 1.6T speeds, long-distance PCB trace routing encounters technical hurdles including elevated power consumption, substantial signal attenuation, and port density constraints. CPO technology packages the optical engine directly with the switching chip, compressing electrical signal transmission from centimeter-scale to millimeter-scale distances.
This architectural shift delivers a 50%-65% reduction in port power consumption while substantially improving bandwidth density and transmission performance, meeting the high-speed interconnection demands of large-scale AI computing clusters. The approach demands rigorous optical coupling, advanced packaging, and thermal management capabilities, with the industry currently progressing rapidly toward commercial-scale deployment.
Through its in-house developed WLG wafer-level glass molding technology, AAC Tech has established a comprehensive manufacturing framework spanning precision mold development to wafer-scale batch production, effectively resolving the mass-production challenges associated with high-precision glass array components. This technology leverages ultra-precise molds to form microstructures such as lens profiles, array spacing, and V-groove positioning in a single step, while the glass molding process replicates nanoscale mold structures to ensure exceptional array element consistency and standardized batch manufacturing.
The company possesses robust high-precision MLA production development capabilities, achieving array spacing of 0.35μm-0.5μm and lens surface accuracy within 200nm, satisfying the stringent high-precision alignment requirements of CPO multi-channel optical pathways. By employing multi-cavity synchronous molding on 4-inch wafers, the process enables simultaneous batch formation of array elements, distinct from conventional single-unit processing, while maintaining high-precision specifications and batch-to-batch stability, significantly enhancing production efficiency.
Furthermore, the self-developed WLG components incorporate precision positioning structures that simplify CPO optical engine alignment procedures, streamlining production workflows and reducing customer manufacturing costs. AAC Tech's optical communications business is executing its commercialization roadmap in an orderly manner, with the company already collaborating with leading overseas optical communications and AI cloud interconnect chip manufacturers on joint R&D initiatives. Multiple customized CPO passive optical components have completed technical validation and entered customer sampling phases, with the first-generation high-speed data center WLG passive optical components projected to achieve mass production in the second half of 2027.