Zhaochi's integrated optical chip project enters a critical stage, and the 2.5G DFB laser chip start

Since the official launch of Sunlight's extension and chip projects on July 16, only more than a month later, Zhaochi Integration, a grandson company under Zhaochi Co., Ltd., has once again reported important progress. At present, its optical chip project has officially started the production of 2.5G DFB laser chips. It is worth noting that this streaming process is carried out on the company's own production line. According to the plan, mass production of the chip is expected to be achieved within this year. The future goal is to seize 50% of the existing markets such as telecommunications and Guangmao.

With excellent performance on the front line, Zhaochi's quality is beginning to show its edge. The 2.5G DFB laser chip can be regarded as the core light source component on the access side of optical communication networks. The chip adopts a distributed feedback (DFB) structure and can stably output single longitudinal mode laser with wavelengths of 1270nm, 1310nm or 1490nm at a rate of 2.5Gbps. In practical applications, it is mainly assembled into optical modules for the ONU/OLT end of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH). For optical chip manufacturers, successfully mastering and mass-producing 2.5G DFB laser chips is equivalent to getting a ticket to enter the mainstream supply chain.

The 2.5G DFB laser chip products of Zhaochi's Integrated Optics Epitaxial and Chip Project have entered the stage of rolling out. This key node is of great significance, marking that the entire project has successfully entered mass production from a research and development period where core technologies have been tackled. The key verification link has laid a solid foundation for achieving mass production goals within 2025.

From the perspective of product performance, the 2.5G DFB laser chips produced in this round perform well in terms of comprehensive performance indicators, and have advantages compared with similar products from first-line friends. This means that Zhaochi has been integrated into product research and development, has successfully crossed the usable stage, and successfully entered a high-quality development range that is easy to use.

According to the project plan, after the film flow work is completed, it will quickly enter the packaging and testing process, and customer sample delivery will be carried out simultaneously. It is expected that mass production will be achieved within this year. From the perspective of long-term strategic layout, with the successful implementation of 2.5G products, Zhaochi Integration will take this as a new starting point, continue to optimize process processes, and further improve product performance. With the dual support of technological innovation and production capacity expansion, we will strive to seize 50% of the 2.5G DFB laser chip market.

The entire series of plans has been launched simultaneously, and Zhaochi efficiency has led development. While steadily advancing the construction of a 2.5G product process platform, Zhaochi Integration has simultaneously started the epitaxial growth of 10G and 25G DFB laser chips. In terms of established goals and plans, Zhaochi Integration plans to launch 50G DFB and 100G VCSEL chips in 2026. Product applications will focus on the passive optical network (PON) and data center short-range optical interconnection module markets, aiming to meet the urgent need for high-density, low-latency data transmission in these areas.

In terms of cutting-edge technology research and development, Zhaochi Integration has embarked on in-depth research on silicon-based photonics and PIC technology. In the future, the company will be committed to building highly integrated optoelectronic solutions for co-packaged optical (CPO) architecture, providing core engine support for the next generation data center optical interconnection infrastructure, and seizing the lead in the wave of iterative upgrades of optical communication technology.

Copying the successful path of LED, Zhaochi demonstrates its model strength Zhaochi Integrated is a subsidiary of Zhaochi Semiconductor, a subsidiary of Zhaochi Semiconductor, an LED chip project company owned by Zhaochi Co., Ltd. LED chips usually use sapphire as the main substrate, and their technology is homologous to compound semiconductor processing technologies such as GaAs, SiC, and GaN. Based on this characteristic of substrate technology and the wide coverage of full-spectrum technology, in recent years, Zhaochi Semiconductor has continued to transform and upgrade into a compound semiconductor company, gradually expanding the application scope of chips from traditional fields to optical communications, cutting-edge areas such as radio frequency devices and power devices.

The technical experience accumulated in this process has provided profound technical empowerment for Zhaochi Integration and has become a solid support for optical communication epitaxy and chip projects to demonstrate their efficient characteristics. From the perspective of overall planning, from 2.5G to 10G and 25G, and then to the future layout of 800G and 1.6T, the development plan of Zhaochi Integration clearly reproduces the growth trajectory of Zhaochi Semiconductor in the LED era: first in the large-scale general lighting chip market, we accumulate competitive advantages by continuously optimizing processes, improving yields, and reducing costs, and then gradually move into a niche market with high added value.

With this development pace, Zhaochi Semiconductor has successfully expanded from the general LED field to high-end application scenarios such as automotive, infrared, and ultra-high definition displays. Today, on the optical communication track, Zhaochi Integration will also follow this mature growth curve and forge ahead. With the gradual realization of the mass production target of 2.5G DFB laser chips, Zhaochi is expected to occupy a dominant position in the access network optical chip market, laying a solid foundation for participating in the fierce competition of next-generation optical communication technology.