Key Photonic Materials

Substrate for III-V photonic ICs; enables fastest electro-optic performance; critical for high-speed lasers and modulators

Indium is a byproduct of zinc smelting — supply cannot be ramped independently. Top 3 producers are geographically concentrated, creating meaningful supply-gap risk as AI datacenter laser demand scales toward 2027 (an industry-consensus concern, not a disclosed or independently verified shortage figure)

Primary platform for 95%+ of commercial silicon photonics; CMOS-compatible waveguide and modulator integration

Mature global supply chain; produced by multiple large-scale foundries. Platform used in 95%+ of deployed commercial SiPh transceivers (IEEE/IPSR-I 2024)

Thin-film electro-optic modulator platform for 100G+ coherent; ultra-low insertion loss at high bandwidth

Thin-film process (TFLN) still at pilot scale as of 2024; China dominates raw boule crystal growth; geopolitical risk elevated. PDK maturity for TFLN lags SOI by 5+ years

Photodetector material integrated in SiPh platforms; targets 150 GHz bandwidth, >1A/W responsivity, <1 nA dark current (2025+ roadmap)

China produces ~80% of primary Ge globally. August 2023 export controls introduced immediate supply risk for Western foundries; strategic inventory estimated at 12–18 months

High-efficiency VCSEL and pump laser substrate; critical for datacom laser sources in AI datacenter interconnects

Multiple suppliers exist; gallium is a byproduct of aluminum smelting. China export restrictions on gallium (2023) add medium-term risk but Western producers provide partial buffer

Low-loss passive waveguide platform; wide spectral range (visible to mid-IR); increasingly integrated on SOI for hybrid SiPh platforms

Produced in standard CMOS fabs using mature deposition processes (LPCVD/PECVD). No exotic precursors; supply risk is negligible. Adoption growing rapidly in 400G+ transceivers and LiDAR

Ultra-low-power, ultra-high-bandwidth modulators; target >1 THz modulation — beyond any crystalline material; next-gen CPO applications

Only one public company (LWLG) producing commercial EOP; technology not yet in volume production; single-point-of-failure for 200Gbaud+ modulation roadmap