Semiconductor Firms Targeted Faster Optical Chip Testing
Collaborations are attempting to reduce the time and cost required to validate co-packaged optics for high-speed computing.
Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Semiconductors
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Equipment manufacturers have begun coordinating new testing architectures to streamline the validation of photonic integrated circuits. Currently, testing a single unit requires over 100 seconds, a bottleneck industry leaders are attempting to overcome through shared instrumentation.
Why it matters
As co-packaged optics move into data centers, the industry faces significant production scaling hurdles. Consolidating specialized test tools into unified workflows aims to move the technology from lab-scale prototypes toward efficient, large-scale production.
Testing a single photonic integrated circuit—a chip that uses light for data transmission—currently takes more than 100 seconds to complete. Recent demonstrations have achieved optical alignment in seconds, but fully validating these complex packages requires integrating lasers, optical switches, and power meters.
The players
Advantest
A global leader in automatic test equipment for the semiconductor industry, specializing in memory and logic chip testing.
VIAVI Solutions
A provider of network test and measurement solutions, focused on fiber optics and communications testing.
SENKO Advanced Components
A manufacturer of fiber optic interconnect solutions widely used in data center and telecommunications infrastructure.
Teradyne
A major supplier of automated test systems and robotics, with a growing portfolio in high-performance optical testing.
The details
Co-packaged optics integrate optical engines directly with computing or switching silicon, creating a need for new production testing standards. Current setups often underutilize expensive diagnostic tools because testing hardware is typically siloed by function. By utilizing shared instrument platforms and unified software, companies are developing ways to coordinate electrical and optical measurements, which is intended to increase throughput by enabling the parallel testing of multiple devices.
Timeline
Teradyne acquired Quantifi Photonics in 2025.
Advantest announced a collaboration with VIAVI and SENKO in September 2026.
The industry expects test architectures to converge in 2027.
Readiness for large-scale production will be assessed in 2028.
The Tech Race
The effort to unify testing protocols follows the recent industry push to integrate optical engines into standard chip packages. This initiative at ECOC 2026 marks the first coordinated attempt to align the testing ecosystem with the rapid adoption of co-packaged optical hardware.
The transition to efficient optical testing will determine how quickly high-bandwidth co-packaged chips reach massive data centers. While current methods rely on slow, serial validation, the shift to parallel testing is expected to lower production costs by 2028.
The takeaway
The industry is currently transitioning from prototype-level characterization to standardized, automated production flows. Watch for 2028 reports on manufacturing yields and test throughput as a primary indicator of whether co-packaged optics are reaching maturity.
Further reading
For more on the manufacturing hurdles facing the industry, see the latest updates in Semiconductors.
Source note: This article includes information reported by TokenPost.
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Will advancements in co-packaged optics manufacturing successfully reduce the retail price of future electronics?
